AILA Presents Wasden Banias LLC with the 2020 Jack Wasserman Memorial Award

CONTACTS:
George Tzamaras 202-507-7649 gtzamaras@aila.org	Belle Woods 202-507-7675 bwoods@aila.org

WASHINGTON, DC - The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) recognizes Wasden Banias LLC with the 2020 Jack Wasserman Memorial Award for excellence in litigation in the field of immigration law.

Wasden Banias LLC started in October of 2019 with goal of impacting immigration policy through litigation in federal court. Prior to entering private practice, both principals worked in the public sector.

Jonathan Wasden worked as a Judge Advocate General (JAG) attorney, a Justice Department trial attorney for the Office of Immigration Litigation (OIL), and the Administrative Appeals Office. Bradley Banias worked for two federal judges and the Justice Department's OIL-District Court Section. Still in their first year in existence, in February 2020, Wasden Banias LLC won an en banc case, undermining a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) policy harming children seeking Special Immigrant Juvenile status.

In March 2020, Wasden Banias won a case invalidating a USCIS policy memo targeting IT consulting companies, which led to a settlement where USCIS agreed to rescind the policy. The firm recently added another former Justice Department attorney (Geoff Forney), and the firm plans to continue to pursue impact through volume in district and circuit courts throughout the United States for immigration benefits spanning the spectrum from EB-5 visas to U visas.

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The American Immigration Lawyers Association is the national association of immigration lawyers established to promote justice, advocate for fair and reasonable immigration law and policy, advance the quality of immigration and nationality law and practice, and enhance the professional development of its members.

Cite as AILA Doc. No. 20060960.