In Memoriam: George Akst

Dear All

I am so sorry to share the news of the passing of our friend and colleague George Akst. George was an active member of the RDC and I can’t imagine a conference without him and Leslie joining us. I know our collective hearts go out to Leslie and the rest of George’s family at this time. Leslie has asked me to share the following announcement from his firm and the details of his funeral and shiva for anyone who may want to join in his virtual memorial.

We at Akst & Akst are devastated to share the news of the sudden death of our beloved founder and senior partner, George Akst. On Tuesday night, January 5, our Akst & Akst team suffered a terrible loss.

George truly loved his work; in fact, he didn’t consider it work at all. It was his passion. He found tremendous pleasure in helping clients and colleagues navigate and challenge the US immigration system. He enjoyed meeting people from all over the world, from all sorts of backgrounds, and with all kinds of dreams. If he could help someone get even a little bit closer to achieving them, he was always ready to assist.

Over the years, George has built an exceptional team with long tenures at Akst & Akst. A natural teacher, George has trained many new to the legal profession and immigration law. Over the years, George has become a mentor to so many; and his trust in his team has been returned many times over. He has assembled and trained the dedicated and capable staff that we have today under the leadership of his daughter, Alisa, who has worked side by side with George over the last eight years. We look forward to providing you with the same care and expertise you have come to expect from Akst & Akst.