Attorneys

Mehron P. Azarmehr, Managing Attorney

Mehron P. Azarmehr obtained a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Science in Economics from the University of North Texas. After his master’s degree, he worked at the World Bank in Washington, D.C. Later, he attended St. Mary’s University School of Law and the University of Texas Law School. During law school, he served at the Texas Supreme Court as briefing intern.

Mehron P. Azarmehr has been practicing law in Texas since 1992. He first served as an Assistant Attorney General with the Texas Attorney General’s office in Austin, Texas; then from 1996 to 1998, he practiced immigration law at Gardere & Wynne, L.L.P. in Dallas, Texas.

In 1999, he founded Azarmehr Law Group, an exclusively immigration-based practice. The law firm is based in Austin with strategic partnerships in Monterrey, Mexico; London, UK; Shanghai, China; and São Paulo, Brazil.

Mehron is admitted to practice in Texas and before the U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit, and the U.S. District Court, Eastern, Northern, and Western Districts of Texas.

Allison Leigh DeFrees, Senior Attorney

Ms. DeFrees joined Azarmehr Law Group in 2000, and has been working in the field of U.S. immigration law since that time. She also has experience in the fields of medical malpractice and real estate and contracts law. Her pro bono work has included artists, assistance with the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund and continuing related issues, legal assistance to individuals with HIV/AIDS, and immigration assistance to refugees.

She moved to London in 2009, concentrating her US immigration practice on consular processing issues and business-related visa issues including artist visas, exceptional ability, professional worker, intra-company transferee, and investor visas. Ms. Ouvry advises a broad range of individuals and companies, including small, and medium-sized and multinational corporations, individual investors, scientists, businesspersons and artists with exceptional ability, as well as family-based visa applicants.

Fei Bao, Senior Associate Attorney

Fei (Flora) Bao earned a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from the Dickinson School of Law, the Pennsylvania State University in 2009 and she also earned a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree from the School of Laws, Indiana University – Bloomington in 2005. Before coming to the United States, Ms. Bao graduated with a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) degree from China University of Political Science and Laws in 2004.

Ms. Bao is a skilled immigration attorney with extensive experience and expertise in Employment, Business and Investment Immigration and Non-Immigration Applications, Ms. Bao has been working in the immigration law area since 2009. She has managed hundreds of challenging cases in a wide range of immigration applications and possesses a strong history of successfully winning complex cases. Ms. Bao’s expertise includes but not limited to Immigrant Visa Petition for Multinational Company Executive or Manager (EB-1C), Intracompany Transferee Executive or Manager / Specialized Knowledge (L-1A and L-1B), Labor Certificate (PERM), Immigrant Petition by Alien Entrepreneur (EB-5), and Application for Regional Center under Investor Pilot Program (I-924), as well as other employment based immigration and non-immigration petition such as EB-1A, EB-1B, NIW; H-1B, O-1, I-130 family based immigration visas; and company set-up and business agreements reviews.

Prior to joining Azarmehr Law Group, Ms. Bao worked for Zhang & Associates, P.C. from 2009 to 2019, focusing on employment based, business and investment based and family based immigration and non-immigration applications.

While at the Penn. State University, Ms. Bao worked as a Certified Legal Intern at the Family Law Clinic, working on various family related cases, and was certified as a Public Interest Advocate in 2008. Moreover, Ms. Bao was also a member of the Jessup International Moot Court team of the Penn. State University.

Liz Dubrow

Liz Dubrow is an Associate Attorney with ALG. Her practice focuses on business immigration matters, including employment-based non-immigrant and immigrant visas, as well as the PERM labor certification process. She assists businesses of all types and sizes in navigating the complex U.S immigration system to achieve their staffing needs.

A proud Longhorn, Liz holds a J.D. and a B.A. in Asian Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. She is admitted to practice in Texas.

Wen Chen

Wen Chen graduated from China University of Political Science and Law in 2015 with a Bachelor of Laws degree. Right after her graduation, she came to the U.S. to pursue a Master of Laws degree at the University of Texas School of Law.

Prior to joining Azarmehr Law Group, Ms. Chen worked as an immigration law clerk at Zhang & Associates for about three years. While in college, Ms. Chen interned at Dentons Beijing Law Office and clerked at the Criminal Court of Beijing Changping District People’s Court.

Ms. Chen is admitted to practice law in New York. Her practice concentrates on employment-based immigrant and nonimmigrant visas, including extraordinary ability, the national interest waiver, labor certifications, regional center investment programs, H-1B, and TN. She works closely with corporate clients, assisting with their internal immigration and HR compliances. Besides, she handles family-based immigration and is experienced in petitions for alien relatives, Adjustment of Status, Consular Processing, and naturalizations. Ms. Chen is bilingual in English and Mandarin Chinese.

Javier N. Maldonado, Of Counsel

Javier N. Maldonado is a lawyer in private practice in San Antonio, Texas who specializes in representing individuals in complex federal and state litigation in the areas of immigration, employment disputes, criminal, and civil rights law.

He attended Columbia University for both undergraduate and law school and then clerked for the Hon. George P. Kazen in Laredo, Texas. Mr. Maldonado was awarded a Skadden Fellowship to work at the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) and then joined the legal staff at the end of his fellowship. He was subsequently employed as a trial attorney with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and then became the executive director of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights of Texas where he litigated several class action and individual civil rights cases on behalf of immigrants. Since March 1996, Javier N. Maldonado has been in private practice and regularly presents at state and national conferences on civil rights and immigration matters.

Tasha N. Cripe, Of Counsel

Tasha N. Cripe began practicing U.S. immigration law in 2013 with a London-based law firm, concentrating on business-related immigration matters with an emphasis on non-immigrant visa applications and petitions for individual and corporate investors, entrepreneurs, and corporate employees as well as employment-based immigrant visa petitions.  Upon returning to the United States in 2016, Mrs. Cripe focused her practice on business-related immigration matters.

Prior to her to move to London, Mrs. Cripe worked with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office of the Chief Counsel where she analyzed state penal codes to identify crimes involving moral turpitude and also assisted with the preparation of documents regarding asylum claims and cancellation of removal.  Mrs. Cripe graduated cum laude from John Marshall Law School and received her B.A. in Psychology, Criminal Justice, and Spanish from the University of Indianapolis.

Bijoy Mani, Accountant

Mr. Mani earned his Bachelor’s degree in Commerce and Accounting from Mahatma Gandhi University of Kerala, India. He joined Azarmehr Law Group in 2007 and has worked in various departments of the firm including Case Management, Legal Assistance, and Office Administration. Currently Mr. Mani is working in the Accounts department of the firm. He is a detail-oriented Accounting professional, dedicated to his work.

Georgia Santos Laurent, Of Counsel

Georgia is a licensed attorney in the United States, where she found her true calling in the immigration law area. In the U.S., she graduated from Florida State University College of Law, where she obtained a Masters in American Law (LL.M.) in addition to her Juris Doctor, graduating with honors (Magna cum Laude).

She first gained experience in immigration law as a volunteer at the Center for Advancement of Human Rights, representing clients in asylum, domestic violence, human trafficking, and refugee cases. After that, she enrolled in various internships and externships in the public interest law field. She directly assisted a family law judge at the Second Circuit Court, who was an excellent mentor, leading her to the next experience at the FSU Law’s Children’s Advocacy Clinic.

At the clinic, she learned about the foster care system and handled adoption and special immigration juvenile cases. The work she did there solidified her commitment to stand up and advocate for underrepresented people in vulnerable situations, but also enabled her to be in contact with immigration again.

Upon becoming a licensed attorney in Florida, she applied for jobs in Austin, TX to be reunited with friends & family members who live in the area. After being an associate for more than five years, she decided to apply her experience towards her own firm. She has experience with family-based petitions, removal defense, waivers, humanitarian visas, and representation before USCIS & bond proceedings. Her work experience, language skills, and passion enabled her to create SanLaurent Law Group.