Becki Young, founding Partner, is a seasoned business immigration attorney with three decades of experience in the field.

Becki regularly provides immigration law advice to clients in a broad range of industries, including investment banking and securities, information technology (with a particular focus on startups), nonprofit, manufacturing, and healthcare. She boasts extensive experience with investment cases (E2 and EB5) for individual investors and startup companies as well as extraordinary ability cases for clients in business, science, and the arts.

In addition, Becki is well known for her immigration work with hospitality employers. She has represented more than 100 of the world's most prominent hotels and restaurants, and facilitated the sponsorship of foreign trainees, interns, professionals, and individuals of extraordinary ability.

Becki’s depth of experience and knowledge of the intricate immigration landscape enable her to utilize a wide array of immigration solutions to serve her clients with a responsive and client-centric approach, for which she has received many accolades. She has guided numerous foreign nationals through the permanent residency process and has counseled U.S. employers on international recruitment and immigration issues. In addition to her work with employment-based clients, Becki has assisted many family-based applicants with complex U.S. immigration matters.

Previously, as Of Counsel with Baker & McKenzie in Washington, DC, Becki was a senior member of the firm's Global Immigration & Mobility Practice. While there, she oversaw the provision of global immigration services to some of the world's largest companies. Prior to joining Baker & McKenzie, Becki managed her own immigration law practice, focusing on employment-based immigration law.

Becki is an active member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), serving on various committees and mentoring lawyers around the U.S. on business immigration issues. She frequently speaks at legal, business and hospitality conferences, and regularly contributes insight through published articles and commentary. Her engaging personality, extensive experience, and intricate knowledge of immigration issues enable her to address complex immigration issues in a clear, straightforward manner.

Best Lawyers Award Badge

Education
  • JD, Georgetown University Law Center
  • Bachelor’s, University of Pennsylvania
Admissions/Memberships
  • Maryland State Bar 
  • District of Columbia Bar 
  • United States District Court for the District of Columbia
  • American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA)
Accolades
  • Washington D.C.’s Best Lawyers, Washingtonian Magazine, 2015-present.
  • Recognized by Best Lawyers, Immigration Law, U.S. News and World Report, 2016-present.
  • Listed in Chambers & Partners USA and Global Guides: Band-2, USA-District of Columbia: Immigration (2019-2023); Band-3 USA-Nationwide: Immigration (2019-2023); Band-3, Global: Immigration: Business (2021-2023).
  • “Top 10 Most Influential Business Immigration Lawyer,” Business Today, 2023. 
  • Lawdragon 500, 100 Leading Immigration Lawyers, 2023.
  • Best Law Firms U.S. News & World Report National Ranking: Tier 1 in Immigration, 2016-2023.
  • Best Law Firms U.S. News & World Report Washington, D.C. Ranking: Tier 1 in Immigration, 2016-2023.
  • Recognized as a top immigration lawyer in Maryland, Super Lawyers, 2020-2023.
  • Global Leader in Corporate Immigration, Who’s Who Legal, 2015-2023.
  • Lawyer of the Year in Immigration Law, Best Lawyers, U.S. News and World Report, 2022.
  • Dynamic Women Spotlight, DC Magazine, September 2022.
  • Recognized as a Leading Lawyer in Immigration, Nationwide, The Legal 500, 2019-2022.
  • Recognized as a Leading U.S. Corporate Employment Lawyer, Lawdragon 500, 2020-2022; 40 Up and Comers in Corporate Employment Law, Lawdragon, 2017-2019.
  • President’s Commendation for Outstanding Volunteer Service, American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), 2021.
  • Leadership in Law Award, Maryland Daily Record, 2016.
Professional Activities/Pro-Bono
  • AILA National Committees:
    • Member, USCIS HQ (Benefits Policy) Committee (2023-2024) and Leader, Technology Subcommittee.
    • Chair, Client Resources Committee (2020-2023).
    • Member, AILA National: ACES (Athletics, Culture, Entertainment, and Science) Committee (2016); Annual Conference Committee (2014); Practice Management Committee (2013); Board of Publications (2011); H-2B Ad Hoc Committee (2008)
  • AILA RDC-EMEA Chapter Conference Committee 2022, 2023 (Co-Chair).
    • Recipient of the George Akst Memorial RDC EMEA Scholarship, 2023.
  • Member of the inaugural Editorial Board: AILA Law Journal, 2019-2021.
  • AILA DC Chapter Committees:
    • Chair, Maryland Bar Liaison Committee (2010-2011).
    • BWI Airport Liaison, Customs & Border Patrol Liaison Committee (2009-2010).
    • Citizenship Day Site Coordinator and Publicity Chair (2009); Publicity Chair (2010).
  • YMCA International Career Advancement Program Trainee Advisory Committee (2004-2005).
Selected Publications
Publication Series Foodservice Monthly
Publication Series Going Global in AILA Voice
Selected Presentations
  • “Preserving Permanent Residence and Eligibility to Naturalize,” Live CLE Seminar, Federal Bar Association and MyLawCLE, March 21, 2023.
  • Masterclass: “Living your American Dream” | Masterclasse: “Vivre son rêve américain,” presented remotely to Ecole Ferrandi (Paris, France, Jan. 28, 2021), ESG Ecole de Commerce, (Paris, France, Mar. 15, 2021), Ecole Ferrières (Ferrières-en-Brie, France, Nov. 25, 2020; March 2, 2022; December 13, 2022; April 12, 2023).
  • “Thinking Smartly About Money Matters,” AILA Business School for Immigration Lawyers, Las Vegas, NV, December 6, 2022.
  • Hospitality Panel, AILA RDC-EMEA Fall Virtual Conference (Discussion Leader), November 29, 2022.
  • “Strategies for Essential Support Personnel,”2021 AILA Fall Conference and Webcast: Athletics, Culture, Entertainment, and Science (ACES) and Business Hot Topics, October 12, 2021.
  • “What the %$&# Are Uniform Naming Conventions and Why Do We Need Them Yesterday?,” AILA University Live Video Roundtable, September 10, 2021.
  • “Navigating the U.S. Visa Landscape,” 2021 SelectUSA Investment Summit, June 9, 2021.
  • “The Lawyer as a Manager,” AILA Annual Conference 2021, Virtual, June 9-12, 2021.
  • “Getting to a Paperless Office and What to Do When You Arrive: Best Practices for Remote Case Assembly and Filings,” AILA 2021 Midwinter Virtual Conference (Discussion Leader), March 2, 2021.
  • “Extraordinary and Outstanding: O-1As and EB-1s for Science and Business,” AILA National Webinar (Discussion Leader and Co-Author of Practice Pointer), January 19, 2021.
  • “Trends in NIV Cases,” AILA-DC Chapter Annual Fall Conference, Washington, DC, November 13, 2019.
  • “Merging, Buying, Selling” AILA Law Practice Management Conference , Washington, DC, October 17, 2019.
  • “HR & Immigration: Hiring and Retaining Top Foreign Talent in Today’s Contentious Immigration Climate,” DC SHRM® Legal Conference, Washington, DC, October 16, 2019.
  • “Global HR & Mobility: A Holistic Approach,” Northern Virginia SHRM, September 10, 2019.
  • “The Young Artist,” 2019 AILA Athletics, Culture, Entertainment, and Science (ACES) Conference, Hollywood, California, August 2, 2019.
  • “Protecting your Business Amidst Changes: Form I-9 and E-Verify Compliance,” SHRM® 2019 Annual Conference & Exposition, Las Vegas, Nevada, June 23-26, 2019.
  • “Don’t be the Panda in the Room: Protecting your Business from ICE Actions – I9 & E-verify Compliance. What’s New and Best Practices for Protecting Your Business During Audits, Site Visits, and Raids,” 2019 SHRM® Virginia State Conference, The Mermaid and the Mariner: The Magical and & the Practical of HR, Norfolk, VA, April 8, 2019.
  • “I-9 and E-Verification Compliance: What is new and how can you protect your business?” SHRM® 2019 Employment Law and Legislative Conference, Washington, DC, March 19, 2019.
  • Television interview on Dakhil ‘Inside’ Washington regarding the current state of U.S. immigration law and policy, December 7, 2018.
  • “Immigration Law Developments Under the New Administration,” NAFSA Region VIII Annual Meeting, Richmond, VA, November 8, 2018 (with Rita McCarthy).
  • “Make America Hospitable Again: Immigration Options for the Food and Hospitality Industry,” AILA RDC Fall Conference, Johannesburg, South Africa, October 9, 2018.
  • “I-9 and E-Verification Compliance: What has Changed and How to Protect Your Business,” Paylocity Elevate Conference, Chicago, IL, Oct. 3-5, 2018.
  • “Restaurant Panel on Immigration,” in conjunction with “RAMW” (Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington), Radiator, Washington, DC, September 5, 2018.
  • “Protecting Your Business Amidst Changes: Form I-9 and E-Verification Compliance,” SHRM 2017 Annual Conference & Exposition, New Orleans, LA, June 19, 2017, and June 18, 2018.
  • “The Lawyer as Manager,” 2018 AILA Annual Conference, San Francisco, CA, June 2018.
  • “Immigration Update,” Covington & Burling LLP, with Sandra Grossman, May 16, 2018.
  • “Setting and Collecting Fees,” AILA’s Lunch & Learn Video Series, with Jill Wayland, Bethesda, MD, Apr. 11, 2018.
  • “FDNS & LCA Practice Audits,” Audiosolutionz LLC, Mar. 28, 2018.
  • “I-9/E-Verify Compliance and Personal Liability for Human Resources Officials,” Lerch, Early & Brewer, Bethesda, MD, Mar. 14, 2018.
  • “Post-Termination Options for TPS Recipients,” Ayuda, Washington, DC, with Sandra Grossman, Feb. 14, 2018.
  • “Immigration Issues for Restaurant Employers”, in conjunction with el Restaurante Magazine, with Sandra Grossman, Feb. 9, 2018. (en Español)
  • “Breaking Immigration Law Developments Under The New Administration,” 2017 NAFSA Region VIII Conference, Morgantown, WV, Nov. 14-17, 2017.
  • “Ethical Issues in Immigration Practice,” 2017 AILA-DC Chapter Annual Fall Conference, Rockville, MD, Nov. 8, 2017.
  • “Managing Your Firm’s Finances,” virtual session speaker for AILA’s Lunch & Learn Video Series, Nov. 1, 2017.
  • “The Latest on I-9s, E-Verify, DACA and Other Worksite Verification Issues,” CFGI Webinar, Oct. 18, 2017.
  • “The Administration’s decision to rescind the entrepreneurial parole provision, Price of Business,” SoundCloud, July 17, 2017 (download available).
  • “Immigration and Technology: The Final Frontier,” AILA Annual Conference, New Orleans, LA, June 2017.
  • “Avoid These Common Mistakes When Completing Form I-9,” SHRMofficial, YouTube, June 20, 2017.
  • “Building a Biotechnology Company: Learn First-Hand From Industry Experts,” guest speaker hosted by the NIH/FAES Graduate School Program Tech 566 Class, Rockville, MD, May 2, 2017.
  • “New Form I-9 and Related Compliance Issues,” Bar Association of Montgomery County, MD, Apr. 18, 2017.
  • “What the Executive Orders Mean for Restaurants,” National Restaurant Association, with Rachel Zoghlin, Mar. 9, 2017.
  • “Immigration Issues and Your Restaurant,” webinar series hosted by el Restaurante trade magazine for owners/managers of Mexican and Latin restaurants in the U.S., Feb. 28, 2017 and Mar. 2, 2017.
  • “The Administration’s New Immigration Policies,” Covington & Burling LLP, with Sandra Grossman, Feb. 13, 2017.
  • “L is for Lottery,” AILA DC Chapter New Members Division (NMD) ABC’s event, Feb. 7, 2017.
  • “Contingency And Succession Planning For Solos And Small Firms (‘Engaging The Borg!’)”, 2016 AILA Solo and Small Firm Practice Management Conference, Orlando, FL, Dec. 8-9, 2016.
  • “‘Van der Who?’ Advanced L Visa Discussion: Extensions and Blankets and RFE’s,” AILA RDC EMEA Chapter Fall Conference, Amsterdam, Netherlands, Oct. 18-20, 2016.
  • “New technology, remote employment relationships and the cross-border duty of care obligations of multinational employers,” International Bar Association Annual Conference, Washington, DC, Sept. 22, 2016.
  • “Forming and Dissolving Partnerships,” AILA National Conference, Las Vegas, NV, June 23, 2016.
  • Law Student Panel presentation, AILA National Conference, Las Vegas, NV, June 22, 2016.
  • “From Visas to E-Verify: What the Presidential Candidates’ Views on Immigration Mean for Your Business,” Roundtable for Tech Council of Maryland, Rockville, MD, June 16, 2016.
  • “What you Need to Know About Immigration Law,” Price of Business, YouTube, Feb. 22, 2016.
  • “From Good to Great: Practice Management Tips for an Efficient and Profitable Practice,” MSBA Solo Conference, Linthicum Heights, MD, Nov. 6, 2015.
  • “U.S. Visas For Foreign Entrepreneurs,” U.S.-Azerbaijan Chamber of Commerce (USACC), with Denise Hammond, Washington, DC, Oct. 2015.
  • “I-9 and E-Verify Compliance,” presented to Professor N. Lawrence’s class at American University Law School, with Denise Hammond, Washington, DC, Oct. 2015.
  • “H-1B Visa Program & Alternatives,” Tech Council of Maryland, Rockville, MD, Sept. 15, 2015.
  • “I-9 and E-Verify Compliance,” Bar Association of Montgomery County Immigration Law Section, Rockville, MD, Sept. 3, 2015.
  • “July Immigration Series,” National Restaurant Association, July 22, 2015.
  • AILA Rome District Chapter Podcast on Practice Management, 2015.
  • “How To Navigate Employment Based Immigration – PERM-Based I-140 Petitions,” AILA DC Chapter Fall Conference, Washington, DC, 2014.
  • “How to Run Your Law Practice from a Tropical Island,” podcast recorded for AILA National, 2014.
  • “Immigration for the Hospitality Industry,” Hotel Human Resource Directors Association of Northern Virginia, McLean, VA, 2014, 2013, 2008.
  • “Non-immigrant Visa ‘Boot Camp,’” DC Bar, Washington, DC, 2014.
  • “Opening a New Practice: What I Wish I Knew When I Started,” AILA National Conference, Boston, MA, Article for Immigration Practice Pointers (2014-15 ed).
  • “Immigration Reform Proposals & Potential Impact on Hospitality Industry,” television interview on Biz Asia America/CCTV News, Apr. 23, 2013.
  • “Legal Concepts in Preparing an H-1B Petition,” AILA National Paralegal Conference, Washington, DC, 2013.
  • “Launching an Immigration Practice,” video recorded for AILA National, Feb. 19, 2013.
  • “Canada’s New Compliance Rules and Global Immigration Audit Tips,” Canadian Employee Relocation Council webinar, 2011.
  • “Everything You Wanted To Know About Coming To The U.S. Temporarily,” AILA DC Chapter Fall Conference, Washington, DC, 2011.
  • “U.S. Immigration Overview: How To Get and Keep Legal Immigration Status,” Indonesian American Association/ Embassy of Indonesia, Washington, DC, 2011, 2007.
  • “Working in the U.S. for International Hospitality Managers,” Vatel Hotel School, Nimes, France, 2010.
  • “60 Practice Management Tips in 60 Minutes,” Maryland State Bar Association Solo and Small Firm Conference, Linthicum Heights, MD, 2010.
  • “Independence Day – Immigration Law and the Solo Practitioner,” AILA National Conference, Washington, DC, 2010.
  • “Ain’t No Road Too Long: The Ways to Successful Labor Certifications & I-140 Petitions,” AILA DC Chapter Fall Conference, Washington, DC, 2009.
  • “PERM for Non-Professionals and Small Businesses,” AILA DC Chapter Fall Conference Washington, DC, 2006.