Ogletree Deakins Forms Alliance with Emigra to Create Emigra Ogletree Worldwide

ATLANTA – October 11, 2006 – Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C. (Ogletree Deakins), the nation’s third largest labor and employment law firm, is pleased to announce it has partnered with Emigra Group, LLC (Emigra), a global immigration consulting firm, to form Emigra Ogletree Worldwide.  This new cutting edge company offers multi-national businesses a unique, single source for worldwide immigration strategy, visa preparation, and case communication.  Through this partnership, Ogletree Deakins’ recognized reputation for client-focused U.S. immigration services is now available on a worldwide basis.

Emigra Ogletree Worldwide offers a unique service that is designed to meet the increasingly global demands of businesses. As many companies, large and small, expand their business operations internationally, businesses need the ability to transfer their employees throughout the world. Typically, U.S. law firms only have the capability to assist with personnel transfers into the United States. Emigra Ogletree Worldwide represents a new business model that responds to the needs of companies that operate internationally. Our unique structure allows Emigra Ogletree Worldwide to handle business immigration needs for transfers throughout the world, including cross-border transfers that do not involve a transfer to or from the U.S. This unique capability allows Emigra Ogletree Worldwide to provide a central point of contact to assist our clients with visa transfers throughout the world.

Emigra Ogletree Worldwide combines the legal experience employers need in the United States with a global framework to obtain work visas for professionals and corporations on a worldwide basis. Serving companies in more than 100 countries throughout the world, Emigra Ogletree Worldwide provides client-focused service which allows companies to initiate and monitor all global visa requests from a central location. Employers now have a single source for all of their worldwide immigration needs with the same high quality service levels for both United States and worldwide immigration.

“This is an exciting venture for our firm,” said Gray Geddie, managing shareholder of Ogletree Deakins. “Partnering with Emigra will enable us to expand our immigration services worldwide and provide employers with a one-stop shop for all of their business-immigration needs.”

Pendleton DuPuis, President of Emigra, added “This is a great opportunity for our company. We’ve had the global infrastructure to offer worldwide expertise to clients, but needed a presence in the United States inbound immigration market. Partnering with Ogletree Deakins enables us to deliver a U.S. product that is consistent in quality and service levels with our offerings in the rest of the world. This will greatly benefit our clients.”

About Emigra

Emigra Group, LLC, along with its operating subsidiaries, is a global leader in the management of business-related immigration. Emigra employs more than 70 immigration professionals in 9 countries and has a network of qualified associates covering over 100 additional nations. Emigra’s practice includes a full range of immigration services, inclusive of immigration filings for intra-company transfers and new hires, immigration program design and consulting, and full immigration compliance management on a global basis. Emigra’s practice serves many of the world’s largest corporations.

About Ogletree Deakins

Ogletree Deakins is the nation’s third largest labor and employment law firm, representing management in all types of employment-related legal matters including business immigration. With 20 full-time immigration attorneys, Ogletree Deakins is one of the largest immigration law practices in the United States. The firm has extensive experience representing multinational companies, providing services that include visa strategy planning and case preparation; consultation and guidance for immigration issues regarding corporate acquisitions, mergers, and sales; and I-9 compliance/audit representation. The firm has more than 300 lawyers located in 25 offices from Miami to Los Angeles and represents more than half of the Fortune 50 corporations in the U.S.

For more information, please contact Karen Gonzales, communications manager, at 210-277-3606.