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Robert Divine
Baker, Donelson, Bearman,
Caldwell & Berkowitz P.C.
Robert Divine got his start in EB-5
early, but actually refused several
prospective EB-5 investor clients in
the 1990s because the projects they
wanted did not seem to qualify. Years
later, in 2004, Divine was asked by
the White House to become chief
counsel of USCIS, where he went on
to become acting director and play a
Ignacio Donoso
I.A. Donoso & Associates LLC
With a background in global
business immigration and mergers
and acquisitions, and an interest in
investment visas, it is only natural
that Ignacio Donoso began working
on EB-5 cases nine years ago. As the
founder and Managing Attorney of
I.A. Donoso & Associates LLC, based
in Maryland, Donoso oversees a team
IMMIGR ATION AT TORNE YS
part in revamping the program with a
commitment to eliminating smoke and
mirrors and a focus on re-grounding
EB-5 in reality.
After departing the government in
2007, Divine returned to his former
role as shareholder at Baker, Donelson,
Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, P.C.,
a law firm of almost 700 attorneys in
20 offices, including Washington, D.C.
Divine was asked to help several large
EB-5 developers address some problematic USCIS program interpretations,
and he successfully advocated to USCIS
for the “exemplar” project approval
process and several other improvements.
When he represents immigrant
investors and regional centers, Divine
puts himself in the shoes of the
adjudicator to provide a filing that is
clear and easy for those assessing it to
understand and approve. At the same
time, he is aware of the degree to which
policy and legal issues in the EB-5
realm remain unresolved, and finds it
particularly frustrating to advise clients
on how to conduct their business within
the law when it is difficult know what
the law really is. He reminds his clients
that EB-5 regulations can undergo
unpredictable cycles and, accordingly,
handles their cases with foresight and
discretion.
Divine appreciates EB-5 work for
the way it brings together aspects of the
entire legal spectrum. In his industry
and client service roles, Divine strives
to enhance the level of integrity and
transparency from all sides. In addition
to helping developers strategize about
organizing large business enterprises
and securities offerings, Divineenjoys
collaborating with lawyers across firms
and disciplines to effectuate successful
EB-5 cases and the continued growth of
the program. His firm has represented
numerous EB-5 related securities
issuers in SEC, state agency, and investor
enforcement matters. He has been
elected vice president of IIUSA six times.
of 15 professionals who primarily
focus on EB-5 immigration matters.
Throughout his career, Donoso has
successfully represented a number of
regional centers, and now specializes in
representing investors.
Donoso finds the benefits of working
in EB-5 to be two-fold. First, he has
the opportunity to help extraordinarily
talented and hardworking individuals
pursue their dream to live in the United
States. Second, EB-5 allows him to
participate in the creation of U.S. jobs.
He recently visited an EB-5 project site
with his team and was rewarded with
the sight of a bustling construction crew
building a structure from the groundup. It is this appreciation of what EB-5
can accomplish, and what is required
to meet that objective, that makes
Donoso such a respected attorney in the
industry.
Donoso ensures that every client
he works with understands the risks
involved in EB-5, is provided with the
proper tools to evaluate those risks,
and is advised on whether the project
will achieve their immigration goals.
Since he first ventured into EB-5, he
has found that a growing stability in
the program’s legal rules has enabled
project developers and investors to
better comprehend compliance with the
program.
Not only has he proven effective in
handling EB-5 matters, but Donoso
is quite happy in the industry, which
results in a high-level of responsiveness
and dedication to his clients. For several
years, he has been selected by his peers
to serve on the AILA National EB-5
Committee with other leading immigration attorneys. Through his work on the
committee, he has worked on providing
analysis of proposed legislation, alerted
the EB-5 community to new trends
and policies, and sought to inform the
industry to attain greater compliance
success.
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