Veteran Immigration Lawyer, Michael Durham, Joins Barnes & Thornburg as Labor & Employment Partner

SOUTH BEND – Veteran immigration lawyer Michael E. Durham has joined Barnes & Thornburg’s South Bend office as a partner in the firm’s Labor & Employment Department.

Durham, who has practiced immigration law for 17 years, was previously with Bose McKinney & Evans LLP. He has a deep understanding of the immigration process and counsels employers and individuals about the complex, ever-changing immigration laws and regulations.

“Globalization has fundamentally changed the way businesses and organizations address challenges related to their human resources in today’s economy,” said Kenneth J. Yerkes, chair of the firm’s nationally acclaimed Labor and Employment Department. “Michael’s immigration experience gives us added depth and resources that many of our clients increasingly are seeking as they maneuver around the realities of operating in a global environment.”

Durham assists businesses and individuals in a variety of immigration services. He advises employers such as hospitals, colleges and universities, technology companies, religious organizations and small companies in obtaining nonimmigrant and immigrant status for their employees.

He has experience working with physicians, post-doctoral researchers, professors, engineers, scholars, scientists, international business executives and managers and investors. Durham also represents individuals on a variety of family-based immigration and naturalization matters.

“We’re excited to have Michael join our South Bend office,” said Philip J. Faccenda, Jr., managing partner of the firm’s South Bend office. “We have a wealth of businesses and institutions throughout the region who seek sophisticated counsel about the various employment issues affecting their operations. Immigration policy is a hot topic these days, and we are happy to have Michael here to support our clients and answer their questions.”

Durham also counsels employers concerning I-9 verification compliance, E-Verify and related immigration-employment enforcement issues. Additionally, he has represented professional race car drivers, including a recent winner of the Indianapolis 500.

He is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. He is admitted to practice in Illinois and before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh District and the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana.

Durham earned his J.D. from Notre Dame Law School and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado.

With more than 600 attorneys and other legal professionals, Barnes & Thornburg is one of the largest law firms in the country. The firm serves clients worldwide from 14 offices in Atlanta, California, Chicago, Delaware, Indiana, Michigan, Minneapolis, Ohio, Texas and Washington, D.C. For more information, visit us online at www.btlaw.com or on Twitter @BTLawNews.