Profile
Laura Foote Reiff has more than 32 years of experience representing businesses and organizations in the business immigration and compliance field. She is also a business immigration advocate and has long chaired prominent business immigration coalitions. Laura is Co-Founder of GT’s Business and Immigration and Compliance Group which she co-led since 1999. She currently chairs the Northern Virginia/Washington D.C. Immigration and Compliance Practice. Laura is also Co-Managing Shareholder of the Northern Virginia Office of GT, a position she has held since 2010. As a global leader in the business immigration community, Laura has served on the Boards of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, the American Immigration Council, the National Immigration Forum and is currently the President of the America is Better Board.
Laura advises corporations on a variety of compliance-related issues, particularly related to Form I-9 eligibility employment verification matters. Laura has been involved in audits and internal investigations and has successfully minimized monetary exposure as well as civil and criminal liabilities on behalf of her clients. She develops immigration compliance strategies and programs for both small and large companies. Laura performs I-9, H-1B and H-2B compliance inspections during routine internal reviews, while performing due diligence (in the context of a merger, acquisition or sale) or while defending a company against a government investigation.
Laura represents many businesses in creating, managing and using "Regional Centers" that can create indirect jobs toward the 10 new U.S. jobs whose creation can give rise to EB-5 permanent residence for investment. She coordinates this work with attorneys practicing in securities law compliance, with economists identifying "targeted employment areas" and projecting indirect job creation, and with licensed securities brokers coordinating offerings. She also represents individual investors in obtaining conditional permanent residence and in removing conditions from permanent residence.
Laura's practice also consists of managing business immigration matters and providing immigration counsel to address the visa and work authorization needs of U.S. and global personnel including professionals, managers and executives, treaty investors/ traders, essential workers, persons of extraordinary ability, corporate trainees, and students. She is an immigration policy advocacy expert and works on immigration reform policies.
Concentrations
- Immigration advocacy
- Compliance and worksite enforcement
- I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification
- Permanent and temporary international transfers of personnel
- Obtaining U.S. nonimmigrant visas, including professional visas (H-1B), intracompany transferee visa (L-1), treaty trader/investor visas (E-1/E-2), student visas (F-1), scholar and exchange visas (J-1), cultural visas (Q), and extraordinary ability/artist/athlete visas (O and P)
- Compliance with Export control requirements
- Naturalization
- Outbound assistance with visa needs in other countries
- Litigation
- Advice concerning withholding of social security and taxation of foreign nationals and corporations
- Corporate restructurings
- Immigration Status of Foreign National Workplace
- Global human capital solutions
Capabilities
Experience
- Represented numerous businesses, trade associations and other entities on immigration legislative matters.
- Represented numerous companies in establishing blanket immigration programs to streamline the transfer of individuals worldwide.
- Represented companies employing foreign professional workers in efforts to increase the number of nonimmigrant visas available to those workers.
- Advised numerous manufacturing and information technology companies on the business immigration aspects of the high technology and other worker shortages.
- Advised businesses on employer sanctions and workplace compliance issues under the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986.
Recognition & Leadership
- Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, Immigration Law, 2008-2025
- Listed, Chambers USA Guide, 2006-2024
- Listed, Chambers Global, Immigration: Business (USA), 2008-2024
- Listed, The Legal 500 United States, 2009-2024
- Labor and Employment - Immigration, 2012-2024
- "Hall of Fame," 2020-2024
- "Leading Lawyers," 2012-2018
- Labor and Employment - Immigration, 2012-2024
- Listed, Lawdragon, 100 Leading Immigration Lawyers, 2023-2024
- Listed, Lawdragon, 500 Leading U.S. Corporate Employment Lawyers, 2020-2025
- Selected, Virginia Business, “Virginia 500 Power List,” 2022-2023
- Listed, Washingtonian, "Top Lawyers Hall of Fame," 2022
- Listed, Washingtonian magazine
- "Top Lawyers Hall of Fame," 2022
- "Washington's Top Lawyers," 2013-2017, 2020
- Listed, National Law Review, "Go-To Thought Leader: Immigration Law," 2022
- Listed, EB-5 Investors Magazine, Top 25 Attorneys 2018: EB-5 Attorneys in Specialized Fields, 2018
- Listed, Lawdragon and Human Resources Executive® magazine, "The Nation’s Most Powerful Immigration Attorneys – Top 20," 2011-2019
- Honoree, The National Law Journal, "Trailblazer" Award, Immigration, 2018
- Recipient, "Best Contribution to EB-5," U.S. Investment Immigration Forum, 2015
- Recipient, "Summit Ambassador Award," Invest in America, 2015
- Team Member, a U.S. News - Best Lawyers® "Government Relations Law Firm of the Year," 2014
- Listed, Super Lawyers magazine, Washington, D.C. Super Lawyers, 2012-2014
- Chair, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Subcommittee on Immigration, 2023-Present
- Member, The George Washington Law School, Dean’s Clinical Law Advisory Council, 2023-Present
- President, Board of Directors, America is Better, 2020-Present
- Founding Member, The EB-5 Immigration Coalition, 2014
- Co-Chair, HRLA, Washington, D.C. Metro, 2004 - 2014
- Member, Board of Trustees, American Immigration Law Foundation (AILF), 1995 - 2000
- Chair, Immigration Policy Committee, 1995 - 1999
- Legal Counsel, Essential Worker Immigration Coalition, 1999 to Present
- Member, American Bar Association
- Member, Board of Governors, American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), 1998 - 2002
- Member, District of Columbia Bar Association, 1999 to Present
- Member, Federal Bar Association, 1990 to Present
- Member, Maryland Bar Association, 1989 to Present
- Member, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 1989 to Present
Credentials
- J.D., with honors, The George Washington University Law School
- B.A., Legal Institutions, Economics and Government, magna cum laude, American University
- District of Columbia
- Maryland
- U.S. Court of International Trade
News, Insights & Events
Laura has made a special appearance on the HBO Series "How Democracy Works Now." Laura appeared in the following episodes:
- The Kids Across the Hill, Winter 2003
- Ain't the AFL for Nothin', Fall 2003
- The Road to Miami, January 2004
- Brothers and Rivals, Fall 2004
- The Senate Speaks, January 2006
Laura has been published and quoted in a wide variety of publications, such as HR Magazine, The Los Angeles Times, CNN, The Washington Post, The San Jose Mercury News, EB-5 Investors magazine and others.
Laura is a contributor to the EB-5 Insights Blog 
, the Inside Business Immigration Blog , and the Financial Services Observer Blog