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Derek I. Meier is an immigration attorney who represents major multinational corporations, as well as smaller companies and individuals on business immigration issues. His practice helps companies doing business in the United States obtain nonimmigrant employment status and employment-based permanent resident or green card status for foreign workers and their families. A former assistant U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, Mr. Meier has been with Dykema for more than 30 years.
In addition to working with clients from the automotive, biotech, software and engineering industries on issues relating to immigration processes and regulatory compliance, Mr. Meier guides foreign companies on immigration issues related to establishing new U.S.-based offices or businesses and the implications of mergers, acquisitions or spin-offs.
With his assistance, companies have been able to staff their U.S. operations with individuals who are classified as extraordinary ability aliens. He also helps clients obtain visas for foreign executives and managers, advanced degree professionals and skilled workers. He regularly navigates clients through the labor and immigration requirements of federal and state agencies such as the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the Department of Homeland Security's Customs and Border Protection, the various regional service centers and U.S. consulates abroad.
Mr. Meier is a frequent lecturer and seminar participant on immigration topics likely to arise as today's businesses learn to manage their global workforce.
Experience
Outside the immigration field, Mr. Meier has over 30 years of litigation experience and has presented seminars on antitrust issues in the health care industry, products liability, and Michigan motion practice, and has twice served as a faculty member at the Michigan Trial Advocacy program at the University of Michigan.
He has tried both criminal and civil cases in the Federal and Superior Court in the District of Columbia while serving as an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Columbia from 1971 to 1976, as well as numerous product liability, personal injury, construction, and general commercial cases in the Federal and various Circuit Courts in Michigan from 1976 to the present, including:
O'Dowd v General Motors Corp, 419 Mich 597; 358 NW2d 553 (Mich 1984), Sustained the right of vehicle manufacturer defendant in a wrongful death, crashworthiness action to assert and join contribution claim against dram shop that served plaintiff's decedent.
Hierta v GMC, 196 Mich App 20; 492 NW2d 738 (1985), Sustained application of seat belt defense in motor vehicle product liability action.
Smith v Northern Michigan Hospitals, Inc., 703 F2d 942 (CA 6 1982), Obtained and upheld summary judgment for hospitals in antitrust lawsuit challenging merger. | 