Overview
Steve Pattison is nationally recognized in US immigration law, Department of State policy and procedures, and consular operations, and counsels clients on immigration and labor and employment law matters. Steve practiced corporate litigation before moving to Washington, DC to join the US Foreign Service in 1979. He had a distinguished 28-year career with the State Department, during which he served as a consular officer and manager in overseas postings in Beirut, Colombo, Bangkok, Bucharest, Brussels, and Berlin, and in Washington in the Visa Office and the Bureaus of Near Eastern and Inter-American Affairs. Steve retired in 2007 as a member of the Senior Foreign Service from his final posting as Minister-Counselor for Consular Affairs in Berlin and relocated to London to practice US immigration law.
Steve returned to private practice in Washington, DC in 2010, dedicating his time to complex US business immigration law.
Steve is a highly sought-after speaker at national and international conferences on a wide range of topics related to consular processing, business immigration, inadmissibility waivers, and citizenship and passport law and regulations.
Experience
- Advises law practices and individual attorneys on how to interact effectively with State Department personnel and develop and implement strategies that maximize visa issuances for their clients.
- Assists individual investors and businesses seeking to establish and grow businesses in the US and move key personnel to their US offices.
- Counsels corporate and individual clients on business immigration, consular processing, and individual immigration matters.
- Strategic Consultant on complex consular processing cases for corporations, attorneys, and individual clients.
Accolades
Honors & Recognitions
- Recommended for Immigration, Legal 500 United States, 2024
- 2013 AILA Sam Williamson Award for mentorship/leadership on behalf of the Rome District Chapter (RDC)
- Meritorious Honor Award from the Department of State for outstanding performance of duties
Affiliations
Professional
- Member, State Bar of Texas
- Member, American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA)
Insights
Events & Speaking Engagements
Publications
Blog Posts
News
Education
JD, The University of Texas School of Law, 1978
BA, Southern Methodist University, 1975
Admissions
District of Columbia
Texas
Government Service
Foreign Service Officer, State Department (1979-2007)