Cox Smith Expands Immigration & Litigation Practices in Dallas

Cox Smith today announced that attorney Heather Frayre has joined the firm’s nationally and internationally recognized immigration practice and Cliff Riley has joined the firm’s litigation department.

Dedicated to helping clients address U.S. immigration law compliance and to take advantage of global business opportunities and demands, Cox Smith's Immigration & International Trade team has a deep understanding of applicable laws and policies as well as the language and culture that is essential in making business and legal relationships work. The firm assists clients with many aspects of international business (from dispute resolution and enforcement of judgments, to energy and real estate transactions), with a particular emphasis on immigration law, intellectual property, corporate transactional and tax issues. Kathleen Campbell Walker, who heads up Cox Smith’s immigration practice, is internationally recognized for her experience handling the complex issues related to business immigration, consular processing, admissibility, and immigration security issues.

“Immigration laws continue to evolve and change along with the needs of our clients, so our group is so fortunate to have Heather on our growing team to assist employers, investors, and employees in understanding which laws apply to them and how to maintain compliance,” said Kathleen Campbell Walker. “Her experience will be an immediate asset to our clients across all of our offices. We are also very pleased to have one of our immigration attorneys on the ground in Dallas for improved direct service to our clients in the area.”

Frayre’s practice focuses on business immigration law, as well as counseling clients on a full range of matters including nonimmigrant visa alternatives, national interest waivers, extraordinary ability cases, permanent residence strategies, and citizenship. Prior to joining Cox Smith, she was an associate at a global immigration law firm where her practice focused on counseling a large, multinational technology company and its employees with immigration filings, consular and border issues, and compliance strategies. Before and during law school, Frayre was an immigration paralegal in the for-profit and nonprofit settings and also served as a law clerk for the Dallas Immigration Court.

Frayre’s corporate immigration experience spans a wide array of industries, including technology, manufacturing, construction, education, and international trade. Her clients have included large, multinational companies, small businesses, and individual clients. In addition to her employment-based immigration experience, she has experience with family-based immigration, deportation, and special immigration programs (such as DACA, TPS, and VAWA). Frayre is a graduate of the University of Houston Law School and the University of Kansas, and a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA).

Cliff Riley has joined Cox Smith’s renowned litigation department, which is comprised of attorneys with diverse experience in 26 practice areas across 18 industry segments. The team handles sophisticated civil litigation matters of all types and sizes on behalf of clients. Riley represents clients in numerous matters involving complex litigation, such as in the defense of claims filed by the FDIC against directors and officers of financial institutions, in addition to assisting in large-scale insurance defense. Employing the special skills and experience he gained clerking for a federal judge in New York City, Riley will add great value to Cox Smith’s highly-respected litigation practice.

Prior to joining Cox Smith, Riley was a law clerk to the Honorable William F. Kuntz, II, in the Eastern District of New York where he wrote decisions and orders on dispositive motions in federal cases involving complex contract disputes, civil rights, employment discrimination, and admiralty law, with several cases being published on Westlaw. He also prepared trial materials for jury trials.  He is a graduate of Pepperdine University School of Law and the University of Dallas.

“Cliff will be a significant addition to Cox Smith’s litigation team. He was impressed with the sophisticated work Cox Smith does for its major clients while at the same time maintaining a professional culture centered on people and community. We believe our commitment to our culture enables us to attract top-tier attorneys and results in better service to our clients,” said Mark Andrews, bankruptcy attorney and head of the firm’s Dallas as office.