GeoffM

It's been nearly 2 weeks since I last had a response from my attorney. In the meantime I've sent emails, case related, to him, and also general enquiries to his office. I've had auto replies but worryingly the responses still state that they will be closed July 5th for a public holiday. Tonight I phoned and it went through to answerphone (they're in LA so it's mid-morning for them). There is nothing on their website or on the answerphone to suggest anything is amiss. At the beginning of July there was a large chunk of information added to the website after he went to an immigration convention/conference in DC which would suggest nothing was amiss at the time.
<name removed>] is the website, listed on this website, and I've independently checked he is a registered attorney in California. Been in business a good few years and has done my type of application (EB1(EA)) several times.

Now what do I do?! If they've gone under then I obviously need another attorney as I don't have enough knowledge yet to complete the application myself. No papers have been filed with the embassy. But I have paid 50% of the overall attorney fee, by credit card luckily but service type transactions are hard to prove whether you've received the service or not (as oppposed to a physical product, for example), so getting any money back is probably unlikely.

Anybody heard anything about this attorney? Is there any way of finding out whether they've formally ceased trading?

Leslie

Call the California Bar Association and see what they say:

Attorney Complaint Hotline: 1-800-843-9053 or 1-213-765-1200 (outside California)

GeoffM

Would you believe it - I've finally had a response, whilst phoning the state Bar (thanks Leslie and Moonshadow, unfortunately admitted in NY so CA don't have information, but last time I checked he was a bone fide attorney registered under NY), and after phoning a random company in the same building who said they still appeared to be trading.

Relief!

Leslie

Some people are just shitty about returning phone calls.

GeoffM

They weren't even answering the phone! I didn't leave a message, I rarely do on voicemail to anybody. However, my wife just pointed out that since I'd asked a neighboring office to check their office, perhaps that prompted them into replying!

Leslie

Tell them they need to change their message. Truthfully, they may be screening all their calls (letting them go to voicemail) and if you never leave a message they won't know you're trying to reach them. Calling the neighbor was actually quite inspired though.

Poppy girl

Its a Yank thing, I know folk that fill their flippen VM to the max and then listen to them, and thats not a home phone

GeoffM

I've told them that (well, email.......), but if/when I do speak verbally I will delicately state my concerns over their lack of any communication whatsoever. A week maybe, two weeks is not acceptable in my book.

Previously they'd always answered the phone, but yes, maybe I should have left a message.

Hah, desperate times, desperate measures! I even Google Streetviewed them! The fact their address included the words "suite XYZ" was enough of a clue to realize they were in a shared building, so I just looked for businesses with the same address - who all happened to be attorneys it seems. It didn't help when the first two came up with "phone number unrecognised" when I dialled! More in the hope that maybe they'd seen something unusual and to their credit they put me on hold and said they'd actually gone and looked which was above and beyond what I'd expect an innocent 3rd party to do.

Leslie

That's me.

Leslie

Oh they probably loved rubbing their face in it. I know that here in the building I work in we're all up in each other's business.

GeoffM

Oh bugger, that's the last thing I want, to piss them off before they've finished my application! Though maybe it'll give them a kick up the backside.

Poppy girl

My room-mate is the same thats why I won't list her as an emergency contact on anything, I could dead and buried by the time she gets it!

GeoffM

Just had another reply to say they're dealing with that too! At least I know they're alive and well, unlike Poppy girl who may be 6' under by now

Anyway, all's well it seems, I just got a little panicked that's all. Thanks for the replies everyone.

Rete

Wait a minute here. You said the attorney is located in Los Angeles, California but not licensed to work in California and only a member of the New York State Bar?

Huh?

GeoffM

I didn't say "not licensed to work in CA". He was "admitted" in NY State and is listed under the NY State Bar, not under the California Bar. Both Bars confirmed that this situation was correct when I phoned them, even though he practices in CA (and states that he serves all 50 states). Beyond that I don't know how it works - but I'd find it hard to believe a lawyer would work illegally!

My first enquiry about this attorney before I handed over anything was to phone the Santa Clarita Valley Bar Association which he lists on his website, which is where his office is located. They also told me to phone NY.