To Whom It May Concern:

Some times you never think you need help and then a crisis occurs that breaks your heart and soul.  This is what happened to us.  We thought there was no reason to have a lawyer to get through the immigration process and gain permanent residency.  This was a simple case of an American citizen marrying a woman from China.  We are honest people and were trying to follow the rules.  Events happened such that we found ourselves facing the direst of circumstances and deportation.  We were in China at the time and faced a difficult road simply to return to the United States to attempt to have a hearing to reopen the case.  An honest mistake stemming from a single letter that did not reach us had led to a personal and very emotional crisis.  A friend found David through a series of connections and it was our lifeline to some hope.  His caring attitude and willingness to help in every way possible made us feel we would somehow be all right.  We kept saying “our lawyer will” and we believed it sincerely until after step-by-step we had the case reopened and ultimately had the permanent residency.  It was a combination of aggressiveness and politeness that we saw in David and that helped bolster both of us. 

We returned home from China and an excruciating experience with Custom and Border Protect at the Los Angeles Airport.  After a twelve hour flight, eight hours held until CBP could make some determination on our case, and about two hours of sleep over a two day period, we were blessed with a humanness of a lawyer who drove to our home to meet with us.  In an otherwise insane world of CBP and BCIS, we had someone who understood what it meant to care.  In the darkness of that moment, we felt we had a person who believed we were going to be able to “fix” things. 

We will always be grateful for the service that David provided.  We have a marriage that was real and as honest people we never believed the government of the United States could treat us to badly.  Yet, in all of that there was a man who was kind and not only provided legal advice but cared for us as people knowing that we deserved to be treated fairly by the process.  We have begun to tell our story of “uncharted waters” in a blog.  We welcome people to read about us and our experiences with immigration.  A story that is bitter and painful for us to share but we feel compelled to do so because it illustrates why immigration reform is so necessary.  However, it is a reform far deeper in terms of what the United State government must do.  It must turn a program from where it is today into one that has a sense of humanness.  There is a wonderful Chinese word.  It is “ren” and it is the heart of what Confucius taught several thousand years ago.  It means humane, benevolence and humanness.  That is the nature of reform we believe is necessary for immigration to be meaningful in the global world today.  If anyone encounters the immigration process and feels the bitterness and pain that we felt, we encourage them to find David and his character of “ren” and it will change their outlook.

Read our blog: http://web.mac.com/reffland/iWeb/

A Good Lawyer is Hard to Find

If all lawyers were like David Asser, bad-lawyer jokes would cease to exist. Not only is he an expert in the field, David is one of those increasingly rare to find individuals who actually do what he promises.

In the end it is not important how many accolades I will heap on him. Yes, he is courteous and decent, besides being an extremely bright, reliable and competent lawyer. But all that needs to be said is that he provides the best service anyone could wish for.

By sheer luck David was recommended to us at a time when we had given up on lawyers. Our first one had taken our money and for one year had kept telling us that he was “working” on our case. He seldom answered our phone calls, and when he did, he proceeded to instruct us not to worry. I worry when people tell me not to. And I this case my worries were not justified.

Our second lawyer listened to our tale of woe and listed the things she would do for us. But her quoted flat fee soon turned into a growing fat fee. She too seemed far more interested in signing up new clients than actually representing our interests. If it had not been for David Asser’s intervention, she would have neglected to file crucial paper with the INS on time, meaning our request would have been rejected.

Where two lawyers before him had dawdled, David Asser wasted no time. Within hours he advised us which course of action should be taken. And thanks to this advice we received our green cards.

If only we had run into him before.

Elisa and Pum Rote
Prescott, 2005

To Whom It May Concern:

I am proud to recommend an excellent lawyer, David Asser, for your Immigration Matters.

David helped us through the difficult process of obtaining a E2-visa for the US. He did this with great effort, an excellent insight on procedures and with great result. David Asser is consistent, dedicated and passionate, enthusiastic, cheerful, and a pleasure to work with. He has incredible creative energies and a refreshing idealism tempered only enough to accomplish what needs to be done.

I highly recommend him.

Sincerely Yours,

Hans Perukel, CEO
HVDG LLC
New York USA
www.hvdg.com

Thank you, is certainly the best way for me to start this short statement. I was pleased and honored to be represented by Mrs. Fabienne Fitzpatrick who filed my application for a green card. In comparison with other people who went through similar process, I was extremely lucky to have a regular follow-up and all the help I needed (anytime) on my case. Fabienne did a terrific job, and thanks to her full dedication and efficiency I got approved in a very short period of time. I HIGHLY recommend her assistance for any immigration matter. Thank you again.

- Dr. Mehdi Bettahar

It was a sad day that I had to call David. Having to leave the US to attend a funeral was hard but it was even harder, because I was going at a moment that my Visa had expired and there was no way anybody could guarantee my return. If I couldn’t come back I also risked losing my job at the same time. I even got in touch with a US Senator in order to assist me with the INS to no avail.

David, not only a great attorney but also a compassionate person at all times, was of great help to me. He verified all the paperwork that was needed and even created a back-up plan with an immigration attorney in The Netherlands. Thankfully, my new L1 Visa was issued within 4 hours after I entered the US consulate in Amsterdam. David totally came through and every time I speak to friends and colleagues who have immigration needs I tell them that David Asser is the man to call, no matter what country you are from.

Based on my initial experience with David I also consulted him on the proceedings to obtain my permit for permanent residence or “Greencard”. With David’s help I was able to get permanent residence status for myself and my family within a year-and-a half. I can hardly wait for the moment that I will call on him for my citizenship.

- Eric Buitenhuis
General Manager Sofitel

In April, 2003, when I was denied entry into the U.S. after a short trip abroad to attend my mother's final hours and funeral, my husband and I hired David Asser to advocate both my daughter's and my complicated immigration cases with the BCIS.

Through his dedicated and thorough work, both my daughter and I were able to obtain permanent residency despite all the obstacles.

David Asser is well-versed in immigration law, adept at creating a rapport with immigration officials, and thorough and well prepared at every step of the process. In addition, he shows real concern for his clients, and, therefore, works very hard to advocate their cases.

I highly recommend David Asser to anyone needing assistance with their immigration process.

- Alexandra de Vos van Steenwijk