Merrill R. Cohen & Associates, PC

"I fully disagree with the rave reviews that are stated on top. I have had a negative experience, to say the least. And Ms Cohen may fiercely contest it as she does all the not-so-good reviews by saying that they tiressly worked on the case, blablabla. I have paid her 500USD for providing a course of action for me after NOD with USCIS. I firmly believe it was in error and along with the case file I have provided detailed rationale, substantiated my claims, asking for her feedback. All she said she agreed with the decision, providing no validation whatsoever and all my numerous probing questions remained unanswered. She discouraged me from appealing, so I lost precious time, now I need to refile from scratch. Her responses were very vague, she openly stated that the refiling cost is 11 000 US dollars, in case of RFE it is extra 500 per hour even though I firmly believe that if RFE is received it is the oversight of the lawyer and it needs to be fixed at her expense. Nevertheless, the underlying message was NO GUARANTEES. What's more, she once sent me a scanned version of a green card of a completely different person, some lady Fatma. I could not understand why on earth she would do this, as this is highly confidential info. From my questions I got a full understanding that she never read my case file and scanned copies of the USCIS decision - she openly admitted she could not read it but how on earth could she have said she agreed with USCIS on my case? There has been negligence, poor client management, to say the least. I have all the proof to substantiate my claims. I carefully keep all the correspondence. Obviously I will not work with her anymore as her work ethic is patently clear. Being in Russia, with all these amounting sactions, I went through hell and back to pay her (via Israel, go figure?!), but still to this day she has not responded and I don't want her to. Will try to get my money back."

"Merrill is very competent and knowledgeable in the immigration field. She shows genuine concern and care for the case. I had a wonderful time working with her and was successful in both O-1 and then EB-1 routes. I highly recommend her to anyone who needs an immigration lawyer."

"Merrill is the best immigration lawyer in the US. She is hard worker, extremely competent, and detail-oriented. She got our green cards without RFE. If you need an immigration lawyer in the US, Merrill R. Cohen & Associates is the place to go."

"Not just another immigration lawyer. Great knowledge of her subject, prompt replies, very professional and still "human"! She cares!"

"Merrill is the Immigration Lawyer you would like on your side - she is knowledgeable, responsive, proactive, and is genuinely committed to help you and your case reach a positive conclusion in a timely fashion. The main consideration you should take before deciding on an immigration lawyer - and it took me a while to understand this - is that the process has three, quite different, aspects that need to be addressed by the same legal counselor: - Regulatory filing: basically a methodical process of filling forms and documents, where organization skills and attention to details are key. Mistakes can delay, and at time even jeopardize your case. - Litigation: this is the key to the work of an effective counsel, as it requires experience and judgement in applying legal tactics to achieve the best outcome for the case, as well as acting as your case's litigator when meeting with representatives from USCIS. - Policy relations: there's very little your counsel can do, directly, to expedite your case, but there are ways to influence USCIS, including inquiries and request for help from members of Congress, and a good counsel should proactively help you to navigate this galaxy in order to speed up your case as much as possible. Merrill is one of the only lawyers I interviewed, which was actually proficient in all three aspects, and offered her counsel and guidance in a timely and responsive manner. I highly recommend her for both work visa cases, as well as adjustment of status cases. But it's important for you to be on top of your case: understand the proceedings and your legal alternatives, do your own independent research - there's ample info online - and work with your counsel, rather than follow, on your case, so that it's optimal outcome will happen, and happen soon. Good Luck!"