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ATTY.
MICHAEL J. GURFINKEL "Bringing Families Together"
has become his personal crusade
 MOTHERÕS
BIRTHDAY WISH COMES TRUE - Jesusa and Paterno Valdrez, pictured
at the Makati branch office of topnotch U.S. immigration lawyer
Michael J. Gurfinkel (extreme right). Thanks to Atty. GurfinkelÕs
help, the couple got their immigrant visas (through their daughterÕs
petition), after an initial refusal by the U.S. Embassy in Manila.
Jesusa was able to celebrate her 65th birthday in San Francisco,
California (and first birthday in the U.S.) with her children,
who flew from all over the U.S. to be with her for the joyous
occasion.
"Magandang umaga. Halika na," says
a smiling Atty. Michael J. Gurfinkel to a client visibly surprised
by this greeting. He invites the client into his office and leads
them to a round conference table, for the consultation.
Always cheerful, Atty. Gurfinkel breaks the ice
with a Tagalog greeting. The worried and nervous client soon feels
relaxed and ready to discuss his immigration problem which had
bothered him for so long. As the client relates his story, Atty.
Gurfinkel patiently listens.
Once the client is done with his story, Atty. Gurfinkel
explains, in plain English to the client the laws governing his
case. Atty. Gurfinkel tells the client the various options available,
and points out the risks and benefits of each. Atty. Gurfinkel
always wants to make sure that the client knows what his case
is all about, and the legal remedies the client has, based on
the facts the client had presented.
Atty. Gurfinkel has every reason to be confident
in his job. He has strong academic and professional credentials.
He has always excelled in school ø valedictorian in high school,
cum laude at UCLA, and law degree honors and academic scholar
at Loyola Law School, which is one of the top law schools in California.
Atty. Gurfinkel is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers
Association and the Immigration Section of the Los Angeles County
Bar Association. He has been an attorney for over 21 years, and
has successfully presented his clientsÕ cases to the INS or Embassy,
proving their entitlement to a visa or green card, in many seemingly
hopeless cases, or cases which others said were "impossible".
This ability to convincingly present, and champion his clientsÕ
cases, is one of the reasons Atty. Gurfinkel has been so successful
in handling cases.
He has helped thousands of clients, many of whom
had been turned down by other attorneys, because their cases were
perceived to be "impossible" or "hopeless",
which is why he has been known as the "Attorney of Last Hope"
and "Miracle Worker".
Clients know, however, that Atty. GurfinkelÕs accomplishments
are not real "miracles," but the result of hard work,
dedication, careful planning, strategizing, and compassion for
his clients.
Driven by a strong desire to help people, Atty.
Gurfinkel and his Filipina wife, Millie Sta. Ana Gurfinkel, usually
start their day before 9 a.m. By that time, their law office is
fully operational, with Atty. Gurfinkel reviewing and monitoring
clientsÕ cases, or updating himself on the latest immigration
laws, trends, and procedures. His office is equipped with the
latest in office and internet technology, computers, scanners,
fax machines, law and jurisprudence software, all speeding up
production of documents, and case handling.
Atty. Gurfinkel sees clients almost throughout the
day at his L.A. office, and undertakes phone consultations for
people from out of state, including people from New York, New
Jersey, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Utah, from other continents,
and even from the Philippines.
There is no doubt that Atty. Gurfinkel handles a
case with full determination. He lays down the legal strategy
to be followed in each case, and makes sure documents and forms
are submitted properly and on time to the government agencies
concerned. If needed, he calls the INS or the U.S. Embassy to
explain his clientsÕ cases. He also calls or writes clients (whether
in the U.S., the Philippines, or other countries), to inform them
of developments in their case, or to brief the clients on what
documents to submit, and most of all, on how to truthfully answer
questions during interviews.
While Atty. Gurfinkel oversees and supervises all
the cases in his office, Atty. Gurfinkel is not the only attorney
in his office. He has a staff of over 30 people, consisting of
very competent lawyers, paralegals, and office staff. He also
has a liaison office in Makati, manned by four employees, to assist
clientsÕ families in the Philippines for Embassy processing.
With his Makati office, even the relatives of his
U.S. clients in the Philippines, have access to Atty. Gurfinkel.
More importantly, his Makati office expedites the production of
and ensures the authentication of required Philippine documents.
Attorney Gurfinkel is successful because he truly
cares. "My office is dedicated to bringing families together,"
he says. "We will always try to help families who have been
separated for so many years, and do our best to achieve that goal."
But all of Atty. GurfinkelÕs hard work and effort
boils down to these goals: "Bringing Families Together"
and "Helping Make The American Dream Come True."
This desire has become his personal crusade.
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