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Immigration
/ Naturalization
Debra J.C. Dowd
Kaufman & Canoles
by Marjolijn Bijlefeld
Debra J.C. Dowd |
A
Pakistani health researcher anxiously waits to hear
if his visa has been extended. Executives of a Virginia
firm fret about the waste of time as they wait for visa
approval for key personnel from a small overseas company
they have just acquired.
This
is where Debra Dowd comes in. In demand just as much
for her calming demeanor as for her legal expertise,
the partner at Kaufman & Canoles in Richmond helps
people navigate nettlesome immigration matters that
have only gotten worse since the terrorist attacks on
the U.S. more than a year ago. “There’s nothing
more exciting than getting the approval notice [from
the Immigration and Naturalization Service] and being
able to call [a client] and say, ‘Guess what? It’s
here.’” Their relief is palpable, says Dowd.
Dowd
is a godsend for clients, says says Chuck McPhillips,
who heads the firm’s international practice. “A
critical business need often brings an immigration issue
to the surface, but for the individual obtaining a visa
or green card, it’s one of the most important personal
moments in their lives. Debra has the unique ability
to understand the business imperative and personal consequences
of what she does,” he says.
Dowd
shifted toward this field from her earlier specialty
in corporate mergers and acquisitions with LeClair Ryan,
another Richmond law firm. As U.S.-based companies would
work with foreign affiliates, immigration issues surfaced
and were referred to other firms. But that was frustrating
for the clients so Dowd began taking on more of the
immigration cases herself. She’s been with Kaufman
& Canoles since May.
The
need for Dowd’s services has increased since the
terrorist attacks, which changed everything in the practice
of immigration law. Visas used to take three or four
months to obtain; today it takes up to six months. The
laws haven’t changed, but the documentation requirements
have become much more demanding. Extensions of visas,
once a relatively straightforward process, have become
as difficult as the initial application. The result
is more tension for clients and more handholding required
by Dowd.
Technology
has made the handholding easier. She now uses an Internet-based
tracking system that allows clients worldwide to log
on and see their documents and the status of their applications.
“We can both be online with the form in front of
us and confirm that we’ve spelled the city of birth
correctly and check dates. It saves them time and FedEx
expenses,” Dowd says.
This
kind of attention to client services is a hallmark of
Dowd’s work. When a business first calls her, “I
walk the facility so I understand what they’re
doing and the role the worker is going to play. We really
like to start the relationship off well.” She’ll
also spend time with the workers to make sure they understand
what’s involved in the immigration filing process.
Her colleague McPhillips says she has a “remarkably
poised personality and attitude in light of the fairly
vexatious governmental agency she’s decided to
deal with. She remains totally unruffled and has a passion
for helping people through what could be a personal
crisis as well as a business crisis.”
Dowd’s
reach has expanded beyond Richmond and even beyond the
state. “We often start with a business in Richmond,
but if they relocate or have multiple locations or expand,
they stay with us.”
The 1988 graduate of the School of Law at the University
of Richmond has a husband and three sons who consume
her free time. She’s been a Cub Scout den leader
for three years and enjoys going hiking and camping
with her boys. “Most of us feel compelled to give
back to the community,” she says, noting her participation
in the Chamber of Commerce and women’s business
centers. She’s an avid reader — “mostly
fiction. By the time I leave the office, I need something
a little lighter.”
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to Virginia Business - December 2002
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