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Mr. Helfrich has been principal land surveyor with Craig R. Knoche & Associates, P.C. and its successor Koru Group PLLC in the Chicago area for the last 30 years. Mr. Helfrich first picked up a plumb bob in 1971 for Webster & Associates. From tape-and-transit to GPS, mortgage surveys to shopping centers, he has his seal on billions of dollars of commercial, residential and institutional developments and transactions in 23 counties in Illinois together with consulting and managing projects in 15 other states. Mr. Helfrich has enjoyed working with countless prominent developers, attorneys and other professionals in the field and the office. His specialties include real estate law, boundaries and boundary law, easements, rights-of-way and other encumbrances and servitudes, statutory and common-law plats, ALTA surveys, topography, building and site layout, construction- and project-management as well as land development consulting. He has presented classes and co-written manuals with the Illinois Institute For Continuing Legal Education along with classes at the University of Illinois and HalfMoon Education. Mr. Helfrich is a member of the National Society of Professional Surveyors and the Illinois Professional Land Surveyors Association.

Mr. Olsen is a Senior Professional Land Surveyor with Engineering Design Source, Inc., a Civil Engineering and Surveying Firm based in Chesterfield, Missouri. Mr. Olsen has more than 30 years’ experience as a professional land surveyor, beginning in the Chicago metropolitan area. He is currently licensed as a land surveyor in Illinois, Missouri, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Texas.

He has been fortunate to have worked on numerous Highway Department/Department of Transportation horizontal and vertical control surveys, land acquisition and topographic surveys, County Transportation Department Plats of Highway, and Municipal Highway Department surveys.

Mr. Olsen is currently enrolled in the University of Maine Graduate School in the Surveying Engineering Technology Program. He earned an MS in Engineering Technology-Surveying Engineering in 2024 and is currently working on an Eng.D in the same subject at UMaine. He has a BA in Mathematical Sciences. Mr. Olsen has presented seminars and webinars previously with HalfMoon Education on topics including Law and Ethics of Illinois Land Surveying; Locating Land Boundaries on Paper (and on the Ground); Complying with Minimum Standards of Practice; Handling Ethical Issues in Land Surveying Practice; Complying with the Illinois Plat Act; Complying with National Society of Professional Surveyors Creed and Canons. His article “The Changing Mosaic of Professional Land Surveying Licensure Requirements in the United States and its Territories” is to be published in the May 2026 Journal of Surveying and Land Information Science (SaLIS) of the American Association for Geodetic Surveying (AAGS).  

Mr. Olsen is a Senior Professional Land Surveyor with Engineering Design Source, Inc., a Civil Engineering and Surveying Firm based in Chesterfield, Missouri. Mr. Olsen has more than 30 years’ experience as a professional land surveyor, beginning in the Chicago metropolitan area. He is currently licensed as a land surveyor in Illinois, Missouri, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Texas.

He has been fortunate to have worked on numerous Highway Department/Department of Transportation horizontal and vertical control surveys, land acquisition and topographic surveys, County Transportation Department Plats of Highway, and Municipal Highway Department surveys.

Mr. Olsen is currently enrolled in the University of Maine Graduate School in the Surveying Engineering Technology Program. He earned an MS in Engineering Technology-Surveying Engineering in 2024 and is currently working on an Eng.D in the same subject at UMaine. He has a BA in Mathematical Sciences. Mr. Olsen has presented seminars and webinars previously with HalfMoon Education on topics including Law and Ethics of Illinois Land Surveying; Locating Land Boundaries on Paper (and on the Ground); Complying with Minimum Standards of Practice; Handling Ethical Issues in Land Surveying Practice; Complying with the Illinois Plat Act; Complying with National Society of Professional Surveyors Creed and Canons. His article “The Changing Mosaic of Professional Land Surveying Licensure Requirements in the United States and its Territories” is to be published in the May 2026 Journal of Surveying and Land Information Science (SaLIS) of the American Association for Geodetic Surveying (AAGS).  

Mr. Helfrich has been principal land surveyor with Craig R. Knoche & Associates, P.C. and its successor Koru Group PLLC in the Chicago area for the last 30 years. Mr. Helfrich first picked up a plumb bob in 1971 for Webster & Associates. From tape-and-transit to GPS, mortgage surveys to shopping centers, he has his seal on billions of dollars of commercial, residential and institutional developments and transactions in 23 counties in Illinois together with consulting and managing projects in 15 other states. Mr. Helfrich has enjoyed working with countless prominent developers, attorneys and other professionals in the field and the office. His specialties include real estate law, boundaries and boundary law, easements, rights-of-way and other encumbrances and servitudes, statutory and common-law plats, ALTA surveys, topography, building and site layout, construction- and project-management as well as land development consulting. He has presented classes and co-written manuals with the Illinois Institute For Continuing Legal Education along with classes at the University of Illinois and HalfMoon Education. Mr. Helfrich is a member of the National Society of Professional Surveyors and the Illinois Professional Land Surveyors Association.

Gerald T. Rohrer, Jr. is an attorney with Sudekum, Cassidy & Shulruff, Chtd. in Chicago. Mr. Rohrer is an experienced trial attorney, appellate practitioner, and counselor addressing complex legal matters. He litigates cases involving catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death, construction negligence, premises liability, property damage, construction defect claims, mechanics’ lien and bond claims, and insurance coverage. Further, Mr. Rohrer litigates cases involving government liability emphasizing the applicability of the Illinois Government and Governmental Tort Immunity Act, motor vehicle accidents, and advertising injury. Additionally, he represents parties in disputes involving breaches of contract, asset and business sales, fiduciary liability, property disputes, and non-compete and confidentiality agreements, and he has extensive experience with Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) arbitrations. Mr. Rohrer received his Juris Doctorate degree from The John Marshall Law School.

Mr. Bryant focuses his practice on construction law. He writes and negotiates construction contracts for private and public projects, representing participants including owners, architects, engineers, general contractors, and subcontractors. Mr. Bryant resolves construction project performance and payment disputes, including surety bond claims and mechanics lien claims. He also represents owners and contractors in litigation matters including defense and prosecution of breach of contract, warranty, and construction defect claims. Mr. Bryant has defended design professionals against claims of professional negligence. He has written and spoken on many construction-related topics, including contract negotiation, public construction, and licensure of construction professionals. Among other organizations, he is a member of the Steering Committee of the American Bar Association Forum on Construction Law Division 7 for Insurance, Surety, and Liens.

Mr. Olsen is a Senior Professional Land Surveyor with Engineering Design Source, Inc., a Civil Engineering and Surveying Firm based in Chesterfield, Missouri. Mr. Olsen has more than 30 years’ experience as a professional land surveyor, beginning in the Chicago metropolitan area. He is currently licensed as a land surveyor in Illinois, Missouri, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Texas.

He has been fortunate to have worked on numerous Highway Department/Department of Transportation horizontal and vertical control surveys, land acquisition and topographic surveys, County Transportation Department Plats of Highway, and Municipal Highway Department surveys.

Mr. Olsen is currently enrolled in the University of Maine Graduate School in the Surveying Engineering Technology Program. He earned an MS in Engineering Technology-Surveying Engineering in 2024 and is currently working on an Eng.D in the same subject at UMaine. He has a BA in Mathematical Sciences. Mr. Olsen has presented seminars and webinars previously with HalfMoon Education on topics including Law and Ethics of Illinois Land Surveying; Locating Land Boundaries on Paper (and on the Ground); Complying with Minimum Standards of Practice; Handling Ethical Issues in Land Surveying Practice; Complying with the Illinois Plat Act; Complying with National Society of Professional Surveyors Creed and Canons. His article “The Changing Mosaic of Professional Land Surveying Licensure Requirements in the United States and its Territories” is to be published in the May 2026 Journal of Surveying and Land Information Science (SaLIS) of the American Association for Geodetic Surveying (AAGS).  

Gerald T. Rohrer, Jr. is an attorney with Sudekum, Cassidy & Shulruff, Chtd. in Chicago. Mr. Rohrer is an experienced trial attorney, appellate practitioner, and counselor addressing complex legal matters. He litigates cases involving catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death, construction negligence, premises liability, property damage, construction defect claims, mechanics’ lien and bond claims, and insurance coverage. Further, Mr. Rohrer litigates cases involving government liability emphasizing the applicability of the Illinois Government and Governmental Tort Immunity Act, motor vehicle accidents, and advertising injury. Additionally, he represents parties in disputes involving breaches of contract, asset and business sales, fiduciary liability, property disputes, and non-compete and confidentiality agreements, and he has extensive experience with Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) arbitrations. Mr. Rohrer received his Juris Doctorate degree from The John Marshall Law School.

McHenry County Planning & Development Department
Mr. Wallen is the building division manager and building enforcement officer for the McHenry County Planning & Development Department. He is a registered architect in the State of Illinois who focuses on residential and light commercial work throughout Northern Illinois. Mr. Wallen is an adjunct instructor at McHenry County College where he teaches classes on building information modeling (BIM) and the creation of construction documents using REVIT. He is a member of the United States Green Building Council and earned his B.S. degree in Architecture from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

McHenry County Planning & Development Department
Mr. Wallen is the building division manager and building enforcement officer for the McHenry County Planning & Development Department. He is a registered architect in the State of Illinois who focuses on residential and light commercial work throughout Northern Illinois. Mr. Wallen is an adjunct instructor at McHenry County College where he teaches classes on building information modeling (BIM) and the creation of construction documents using REVIT. He is a member of the United States Green Building Council and earned his B.S. degree in Architecture from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Andrew Armstrong is the chief of the Springfield Environmental Bureau for the Illinois Attorney General’s Office. He supervises the office’s environmental enforcement actions in central and southern Illinois. Prior to rejoining the office as bureau chief, he worked as an assistant attorney general in the Chicago Environmental Bureau and as an attorney for the not-for-profit Environmental Law and Policy Center in Chicago. Mr. Armstrong earned his law degree, cum laude, from the Northwestern University School of Law, and his undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Amy L. Dragovich began working for the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency in 1987 in the RCRA Permitting program. Since 2001, she has worked in the Bureau of Water. In 2006, Ms. Dragovich became the Manager of the Northern Municipal Unit in the Permit Section of the Division of Water Pollution Control. In May, 2018 she became the Manager of that Permit Section. Ms. Dragovich earned a Master of Science in Civil Engineering from Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville in 2008. She is a licensed professional engineer in the State of Illinois.

Joshua J. Houser is an associate attorney with HeplerBroom, LLC. He focuses his practice in the area of environmental law, providing clients with compliance counseling, environmental permitting and representation in enforcement and litigation matters. His experience involves a wide variety of state and federal environmental laws and regulations. Prior to law school, Mr. Houser spent several years working as an ecologist and environmental consultant with an engineering firm in Florida. He received a J.D. degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 2011.

Kenneth W. Liss is president of Andrews Engineering Inc. in Springfield. Prior to February 1999, he was the Groundwater Unit manager in the Bureau of Land at the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA). Mr. Liss’ position at the IEPA was focused on hydrogeology relating to permitting requirements and enforcement issues under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Subtitle C (non-hazardous) and Subtitle D (hazardous) facilities. He handled rule-making and legislative support and various initiatives related to groundwater quality across state and federal programs. Mr. Liss is a chair with the Site Remedial Action Committee (SRAC) interfacing with the IEPA on remediation regulations.

Lauren Lurkins serves as the Director of Environmental Policy in the Governmental Affairs and Commodities Division of the Illinois Farm Bureau. She is responsible for advocating on behalf of the organization in the promulgation, implementation and enforcement of environmental regulation affecting Illinois agriculture. Ms. Lurkins maintains liaison with various state and federal agencies, and develops and coordinates the organization’s environmental programs, communications and information. Beginning in 2006, she practiced environmental law with the law firm of Hodge Dwyer & Driver in Springfield, IL. Her previous experience includes both enforcement defense and legislative/regulatory work in all areas of environmental law on behalf of a variety of clients, including agricultural businesses and individual farmers. Ms. Lurkins earned her law degree from Southern Illinois University School of Law.

Jennifer M. Martin is a partner with HeplerBroom, LLC. She focuses her practice in the areas of environmental law and real estate, including representing clients in matters involving environmental litigation and regulatory counseling, environmental insurance coverage and real estate transactions. Ms. Martin represents clients in federal and state environmental enforcement cases and regulatory proceedings, and counsels clients regarding environmental compliance issues. She also represents clients in property transfers, including the purchase and sale of impacted properties. Prior to private practice, Ms. Martin was an Assistant Attorney general in the Environmental Control Division of the Illinois Attorney General’s office. She received a J.D. degree from Emory University School of Law in 1992.

Joanne M. Olson is a deputy general counsel at the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, where she concentrates on regulatory matters related to water pollution control and safe drinking water. She has been with the Agency since 2011. After graduating law school in 2007, Ms. Olson clerked for the Honorable Thomas M. Welch, Illinois Appellate Court, Fifth District, and the Honorable Nannette Baker, Eastern District of the Missouri Court of Appeals. Thereafter, Ms. Olson served as an assistant attorney general within the Office of the Illinois Attorney General from January 2010 to January 2011 within the Springfield General Law Bureau. She received a J.D. degree from Southern Illinois University School of Law.

Deborah J. Williams is regulatory affairs director for City of Springfield Office of Public Utilities (City Water, Light & Power). She is responsible for a diverse variety of legal matters for CWLP including environmental, energy, safety, telecommunications and land use matters. Prior to joining CWLP in 2016, she spent nearly two decades with the State of Illinois including three years as an enforcement and regulatory attorney with the Office of the State Fire Marshal and 15 years as a regulatory attorney at the Illinois EPA for the Bureaus of Water and Air where she specialized in complex rulemakings and site-specific regulatory relief. She received her J.D. degree with high honors from Chicago-Kent College of Law in 1997, also earning a Certificate in Environmental and Energy Law.

Julia P. Wozniak is a Senior Scientist with EA Engineering, Science, and Technology, Inc.PBC, in the Deerfield, IL office. She has over 35 years of experience working for the electric power industry in the areas of National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permitting, water quality and thermal compliance monitoring and modeling, 316(a) and (b) study design and implementation, federal and state regulatory development, assessment of aquatic and terrestrial environmental impacts, threatened and endangered species habitat conservation planning, and the development of cost effective regulatory compliance strategies. She holds a degree in Environmental Ecology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Richard P. Cobb is Acting Division Manager, Division of Public Water Supplies and Manager, Groundwater Section of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. He has been employed with the Illinois EPA for 34 years working with stakeholders at the federal, state, and local level to plan and implement groundwater and source water protection. Mr. Cobb is the chair of the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Groundwater and is liaison to the Groundwater Advisory Council. In addition to managing the groundwater section, Mr. Cobb has been Deputy Division Manager since 2002. He has worked on the development of legislation and regulations to protect groundwater since 1985. He is a licensed professional geologist.

Daniel J. Deeb is a partner with Schiff Hardin. His practice includes all facets of environmental law permitting, compliance and litigation, including federal and state cases involving the Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, RCRA, CERCLA, and state analogs. Before practicing law, he worked as a senior chemist for an environmental consulting firm and clerked for the U.S. EPA Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. Mr. Deeb is a frequent lecturer and has written about environmental legal issues for a variety of publications. He earned a J.D. degree from Indiana University Maurer School of Law.

Amy L. Dragovich began working for the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency in 1987 in the RCRA Permitting program. Since 2001, she has worked in the Bureau of Water. In 2006, Ms. Dragovich became the Manager of the Northern Municipal Unit in the Permit Section of the Division of Water Pollution Control. In May, 2018 she became the Manager of that Permit Section. Ms. Dragovich earned a Master of Science in Civil Engineering from Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville in 2008. She is a licensed professional engineer in the State of Illinois.

Jamie D. Getz is an Assistant Attorney General in the Environmental Bureau of the Illinois Attorney General’s Office. She handles environmental investigations and enforcement cases throughout Chicago and northern Illinois. During law school, she completed clerkships at U.S. EPA Region 4’s Office of Regional Counsel and the Southern Environmental Law Center. Ms. Getz earned her law degree from the Emory University School of Law, where she also participated in the school’s Turner Environmental Law Clinic. She received a B.S. degree in political science and professional writing from Carnegie Mellon University.

Nathan Grider serves as the Manager of Consultation Services for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR). He has worked for IDNR in fish and wildlife management for over eight years with diverse training from positions held in the Office of Mines and Minerals, Division of Fisheries, and over five years in Consultation Services. Mr. Grider has extensive knowledge on fish and wildlife species that occur in the state, particularly state-listed species, and specializes in conducting environmental impact reviews on construction and maintenance projects throughout the state. He works closely with project leaders to ensure compliance with the Illinois Endangered Species Protection Act, Illinois Natural Areas Preservation Act, and other applicable natural resource regulations while coordinating with federal, state, and local governments, and responding to public concerns. He holds a Master of Science degree in Biology with a minor in Environmental Science from the University of Illinois, Springfield. 

Lauren Lurkins serves as the Director of Environmental Policy in the Governmental Affairs and Commodities Division of the Illinois Farm Bureau. She is responsible for advocating on behalf of the organization in the promulgation, implementation and enforcement of environmental regulation affecting Illinois agriculture. Ms. Lurkins maintains liaison with various state and federal agencies, and develops and coordinates the organization’s environmental programs, communications and information. Beginning in 2006, she practiced environmental law with the law firm of Hodge Dwyer & Driver in Springfield, IL. Her previous experience includes both enforcement defense and legislative/regulatory work in all areas of environmental law on behalf of a variety of clients, including agricultural businesses and individual farmers. Ms. Lurkins earned her law degree from Southern Illinois University School of Law.

Jennifer M. Martin is a partner with HeplerBroom, LLC. She focuses her practice in the areas of environmental law and real estate, including representing clients in matters involving environmental litigation and regulatory counseling, environmental insurance coverage and real estate transactions. Ms. Martin represents clients in federal and state environmental enforcement cases and regulatory proceedings, and counsels clients regarding environmental compliance issues. She also represents clients in property transfers, including the purchase and sale of impacted properties. Prior to private practice, Ms. Martin was an Assistant Attorney general in the Environmental Control Division of the Illinois Attorney General’s office. She received a J.D. degree from Emory University School of Law in 1992.

Joshua R. More is a partner in Schiff Hardin’s Environmental Practice Group. He employs a strategic, forward-looking approach to solving complex issues involving enforcement and transactional matters and compliance issues. His broad experience includes counseling clients on air, water and waste enforcement, permitting and compliance issues, due diligence and insurance and risk management. Mr. More has written about environmental law issues in various publications and regularly speaks on related topics. He earned his J.D. degree from IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law.

Michael P. Murphy is a partner with HeplerBroom, LLC. He focuses his practice in the area of environmental law, including litigating enforcement matters before state and federal courts and administrative agencies, assisting clients with environmental compliance questions involving federal and state environmental statutes and regulations, and assisting clients in permitting, rule-making, and regulatory relief. He also has experience in the defense of a wide variety of cases.

Julia P. Wozniak is a Senior Scientist with EA Engineering, Science, and Technology, Inc.PBC, in the Deerfield, IL office. She has over 35 years of experience working for the electric power industry in the areas of National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permitting, water quality and thermal compliance monitoring and modeling, 316(a) and (b) study design and implementation, federal and state regulatory development, assessment of aquatic and terrestrial environmental impacts, threatened and endangered species habitat conservation planning, and the development of cost effective regulatory compliance strategies. She holds a degree in Environmental Ecology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Senior Environmental Engineer at Wetlands InitiativeDr. Kostel is the Wetlands Initiative’s senior environmental engineer and manages TWI’s scientific and research projects. Dr. Kostel serves as project manager on TWI’s farm-based constructed wetland projects. She has co-authored two peer-reviewed articles on precision conservation and farm-based wetlands’ nutrient removal potential. Dr. Kostel is also a member of the NRCS State Technical Committee and co-chair of the steering committee of the Mississippi River Network. Dr. Kostel earned her Ph.D. degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering at Northwestern University, an M.S. degree in Civil Engineering from Northwestern, and a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering from Ohio Northern University.

Applied Ecological Services, Inc., Brodhead, WI
Mr. Larson is a principal ecologist at Applied Ecological Services (AES) and a certified senior ecologist with the Ecological Society of America. During his 28-year tenure at AES, he has focused on wetland restoration and design, wetland construction and construction oversight, and vegetation/hydrology monitoring of mitigation sites. His experience at AES includes acting as project ecologist for The Nature Conservancy’s 7,200-acre Kankakee Sands wetland and prairie restoration in Indiana and a 575-acre wetland restoration project in Seneca Falls, New York. He has also been involved in over two dozen wetland mitigation banks in the Midwest, has recently permitted a wetland mitigation bank in Iowa and is currently preparing a mitigation banking instrument for a site in Wisconsin. Dr. Larson has been a lead scientist at AES in the ecological monitoring of hundreds of wetland restoration and mitigation projects. Additional areas of expertise include ecological restoration and management planning and design, environmental review documents, floristic analysis, land cover-type mapping, threatened and endangered species investigations, and stormwater management design for flood control and water quality. He has also completed over 300 wetland delineations throughout the Midwest. 

Partner with Hinshaw & Culbertson LLPMr. Sheldon has been engaged in the private practice of law, concentrating in environmental law, for more than 40 years, primarily on behalf of business clients.  He is a graduate of Harvard Law Schooland Amherst College.  He is a partner at Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP, based in Chicago, where he concentrates on environmental law issues.  He has been designated by peer vote as a “Leading Lawyer,” “Leading Attorney,” and “Super Lawyer,” and he has held an “AV” rating from Martindale-Hubbell for over 30 years.  He was the regional counself or the United States EPA, Region 5, and the Chief of the Illinois Attorney General’s Environmental Bureau before that.  He has taught environmental law at both Loyola University and John Marshall law schools.  Mr. Sheldon is a frequent contributor to ABA and other legal periodicals.  He also serves as a mediator in environmental and land use disputes.  Respecting wetlands and water law, Mr. Sheldon has advised clients on regulatory program requirements, development options, and use of wetlands law in the pursuit and opposition of developments of real estate throughout Illinois and elsewhere in the USA.

Principal with The Barnett Law Group, PLLCMs. Barnett has practiced immigration law for more than 30 years and obtained her law degree from the University of Houston Law Center in 1986, where she served as head articles editor on the Houston International Law Journal, interned with Federal Judge Gabrielle McDonald, and participated in the International Moot Court competition. She also obtained Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees from the University of Houston in 1976 and 1971, respectively. Prior to attending law school, Ms. Barnett was a secondary school English and History teacher in the Spring Branch School District. After graduation from the University of Houston Law Center, Ms. Barnett practiced immigration law for Catholic Charities of Houston and oil and gas law for James P. Barnett, Jr. & Associates, had her own solo practice as an immigration attorney, and served of counsel to Dunbar, Harder and Benson, L.L.P. Ms. Barnett joined Fong & Associates, L.L.P. in 2004. In 2009, she gained board certification in U.S. immigration and nationality law. In 2010, Ms. Barnett opened her own practice, The Barnett Law Group, PLLC, specializing in U.S. immigration and nationality law. Ms. Barnett’s practice encompasses the full spectrum of immigration issues, with an emphasis on the handling of complex cases. She has developed a specialty in the area of waivers, both immigrant and non-immigrant. Ms. Barnett speaks and writes frequently on immigration issues to community and legal groups.

Partner with Dunbar Harder, PLLCMr. Harder is the partner in charge of immigration and nationality services at Dunbar Harder, PLLC. Mr. Harder graduated from SUNY at Buffalo, BA, cum laude (1981). He received a J.D. degree in 1985 and an LL.M. degree in International Economic Law in 1995, both from the University of Houston Law Center. He is certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in Immigration and Nationality Law and is a past advisor to the Board. Mr. Harder serves as vice chair of the American Immigration Lawyers Association Department of State Liaison Committee and the AILA Interagency Taskforce. He previously served as the chair of the AILA Customs and Border Protection Liaison Committee. He is past chair of both the State Bar of Texas International Law Section and the Houston Bar Association International Law Section. He serves as a director of the British American Business Council of Houston. Mr. Harder has contributed numerous articles on immigration and nationality law to legal journals, conferences and business publications, including the chapter on immigration law in Doing Business in Texas: A Guide for Foreign Investors.

Attorney with the Law Office of Jonathan H. LambA native of the U.S. and Canada, Ms. Morrison is a graduate of the University of Texas School of Law in Austin, Texas, and Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. She has been certified as a specialist in immigration and nationality law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization since 2002 and lives to fight – and beat – DHS, DOL, and DOJ in all kinds of cases. In 2003 she founded the immigration law clinic at Texas Southern University’s Thurgood Marshall School of Law and previously taught immigration law to paralegal students as well. Ms. Morrison is a longtime member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA).

Attorney with Southerland Law FirmMr. Southerland’s practice focuses on labor and employment-related litigation before state and federal courts and agencies, including claims involving equal employment opportunity laws, unfair labor practices, wage and hour issues, unemployment compensation, wrongful discharge, state law tort and contract claims, and immigration. His experience includes the design and development of personnel policies and the counseling of employers in the areas of discipline and discharge issues, workers’ compensation, family and medical leave, wrongful discharge, restrictive employment covenants, and compliance with the immigration laws. Mr. Southerland frequently speaks at employment related seminars, is an associate editor of the Texas Employment Law Handbook, is the co-author of Federal Employment Jury Instructions, is chapter editor of Employment Law Deskbook for Human Resources Professionals, is a contributor to The Family and Medical Leave Act Supplements, and has published several articles on labor and employment issues. He has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America for labor and employment law since 2009; and he is a member of the American Bar Association, the Texas Bar Association, the Georgia Bar Association and the Houston Bar Association. Mr. Southerland has received the Martindale Hubbell AV Preeminent® Top Rated Lawyer rating.

Arce Immigration Law, P.A.Ms. Arce is board certified in Immigration and Nationality Law by The Florida Bar. She has more than 15 years of experience handling all types of Immigration cases. Her firm represents individuals, families, employers, and employees throughout the U.S. and abroad in all their immigration matters. Ms. Arce is an active member of The American Immigration Lawyers Association and is a former chair of the Florida Bar Board Certification Committee for Immigration & Nationality Law. She earned her J.D. degree from Texas Tech University School of Law.

The Calderaro Tyrrell Law GroupMs. Calderaro provides practical and innovative strategies to domestic and foreign employers regarding U.S. immigration laws, regulations and employment compliance matters. She has assisted hundreds of companies, investors, professionals and skilled workers in obtaining immigrant and nonimmigrant visas throughout the years. Ms. Calderaro focuses her practice on business professionals in many different types of organizations, including higher education, health care, financial, religious, trade and entertainment. She is frequently quoted in the media regarding immigration matters and speaks throughout North and Latin America on immigration-related issues.Ms. Calderaro earned her J.D. degree from the University of Miami School of Law.

President of Fonte Immigration Firm, P.L.Ms. Fonte is experienced immigration lawyer with more than 21 years of experience, and is board certified by The Florida Bar as a specialist in Immigration and Nationality Law. She is one of the top immigration lawyers in Florida, where she most recently served as the president of the AILA South Florida Chapter. Ms. Fonte is a recognized speaker and commentator on U.S. immigration issues and counsels clients from across the world, with a particular emphasis on Latin America. Her areas of practice include all aspects of U.S. immigration and nationality law, including employment-based and family-based immigrant and nonimmigrant visas, adjustment of status, naturalization, asylum, removal, waivers, consular processing, and appeals. She practices before the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Bureaus of Citizenship & Immigration Services, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Customs and Border Protection; Administrative Appeals Office; U.S. Department of State; U.S. Department of Labor; Board of Alien Labor Certification Appeals; Immigration Court; and Board of Immigration Appeals. Ms. Fonte earned her J.D. degree from Florida State University.

Florida Immigration Law CounselSaman Movassaghi is the founder and managing attorney at the Florida Immigration Law Counsel. With over 13 years of experience as an immigration attorney, she caters to both corporate and individual clients with an emphasis on employment, family and adjustment-related matters. Ms. Movassaghi Gonzalez is very experienced in obtaining certified labor certifications with the Department of Labor and filing employment-based petitions. In addition to adjustment-based petitioner and consular processing cases, she is well-versed in various skilled and unskilled employment-based visas such as Hs, Ls, and E visas. She also handles removal and deportation cases and regularly defends foreign nationals in immigration court. She earned her J.D. degree from the St. Thomas University School of Law at the age of 22. Ms. Movassaghi Gonzalez speaks regularly on various immigration and diversity issues throughout the State of Florida. She is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association and the Iranian American Bar Association, and she is on the Committee on Diversity and Inclusion with The Florida Bar and on serves on the Executive Board of a PAC called EMERGE USA. She is also an adjunct professor at Nova University School of Law where she teaches Employment Immigration.

Nero Immigration Law, P.L.Ms. Nero started her own immigration and nationality law practice in 2009 after having practiced in two large law firms for several years. She previously served as the attorney in charge of the Individual and Small/Medium Company division at the Coral Gables, Florida, office of a major international immigration law firm; and prior to that as an attorney in the International and Immigration and Nationality Law Groups for a domestic and international commercial law firm in Florida. Ms. Nero led that firm’s immigration practice from 2006-2008. Her practice focuses on all types of business immigration including employment-based immigrant (permanent residency) and nonimmigrant (temporary) visa petitions, and related business immigration matters. She has extensive experience with PERM Labor certification applications and also routinely handles family immigration matters and naturalizations. Ms. Nero works closely with small and medium companies and individual clients to personally coordinate and execute all aspects of the client’s Immigration strategy and represent them in front of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Department of Labor, and the U.S. Department of State. She represents clients in all 50 States and from countries around the globe. She frequently lectures and writes on Immigration related topics in both Spanish and English.

Founder of Solimar Santos, P.A.Ms. Santos focuses her practice on complex business immigration matters for prominent individuals and the employees of corporate clients. She has successfully represented doctors, researchers, business executives, engineers, entertainers, athletes and high-tech workers, and has broad experience with all nonimmigrant visas and permanent residency petitions based on labor certification applications and on extraordinary ability. Upon completion of law school, Ms. Santos spent almost four years as an associate attorney at a private civil litigation firm. She learned, however, that her true interest, passion, and calling was to be of service to those who seek the opportunity to live and work lawfully in the United States. She subsequently worked at two premier immigration law firms over the last decade, gaining extensive knowledge and experience in the practice of immigration law. Ms. Santos earned her J.D. degree, cum laude, from the University of Miami School of Law.

Mr. Gilbert brings over 28 years of experience in the renewable energy industry and holds a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering. He is president of Azimuth Solar where he provides solar energy consulting, training and inspection services within the solar energy and real estate industries. From 2013 to 2016 he served as director of operations and maintenance (O&M) for Vigilant Energy Management, overseeing a portfolio of over 100 commercial PV systems. In 2000 Mr. Gilbert co-founded Chesapeake Solar, a leading mid-Atlantic solar energy company. In 2008 his company was listed on Inc. Magazine’s 500 fastest-growing small companies, and later that same year the company was acquired by groSolar, one of the nation’s leading solar energy companies at the time. He served on the board of directors for the local chapter of the Solar Energy Industries Association (MDV-SEIA) and was chair of the Potomac Region Solar Energy Association (PRSEA) for four years starting in 1998. Mr. Gilbert has been certified by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) for both thermal and photovoltaic systems.