John L. Pinnix - Founding Partner
Jack Pinnix is Allen and Pinnix’s senior immigration attorney. For the past 30 years he has limited his practice to immigration and nationality issues. Mr. Pinnix’s clients have learned that his background and experience make him uniquely qualified to assist them in this extraordinarily complex area of the law. A nationally recognized authority on immigration law and policy, Mr. Pinnix served as the national president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), 2002-2003, and he was among the very first attorneys in North Carolina to practice immigration law. He was a founding member of the Carolinas Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, and twice served as Chapter Chair. Attorneys and immigration firms, employers and individuals throughout the United States confer with Mr. Pinnix and entrust Allen and Pinnix with their immigration matters. Mr. Pinnix has successfully represented thousands of clients in virtually every area of immigration law. This includes persons seeking immigrant and non-immigrant employment authorization, lawful permanent resident status (a “green card”), and U.S. citizenship. He has been involved in complex cases involving deportation/removal and asylum on both the administrative and appellate levels. Mr. Pinnix has served as an Adjunct Professor at North Carolina Central University School of Law and Elon University School of Law and as a Senior Lecturing Fellow at Duke University School of Law. Since 1991, he has been listed in Best Lawyers in America, in the Immigration Law category. He is listed in Martindale’s Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers.
PRACTICE
Immigration and Naturalization Law
FOCUS
All aspects of Immigration and Naturalization; including Public Policy Issues
EDUCATION
University of North Carolina at Greensboro, MA, History, 1975
Wake Forest University School of Law, JD, 1973
University of North Carolina at Greensboro, BA, 1969
STATE ADMISSIONS
North Carolina, 1973
District of Columbia, 1977
COURT ADMISSIONS
Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts, U.S. District Court
Fourth Circuit, U.S. Court of Appeals
U.S. Supreme Court
SELECTED EXPERIENCE
- Since 1978, represented thousands of clients on immigrant, non-immigrant and citizenship matters, covering every immigrant and nonimmigrant visa classification, including visas for the Information Technology industry, for teachers and other academicians, medical professionals, religious workers, multi-national Executives and Managers, and other professionals; as well as for investors, performers, and non-credentialed essential workers.
- Handles labor certifications (PERM), and represents multinational Executives and Managers, extraordinary ability professionals, persons eligible for national interest waivers, outstanding scientists, and immigrant investors seeking green cards. He provides employment authorization documentation counseling for I-9 and related work place issues.
- Elected first AILA president installed after 9-11; his watch saw the abolition of the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) and the establishment of the Department of Homeland Security (USCIS, ICE, BCP). Since 1993 he has continuously served on AILA’s national Board of Governors.
- Editor in chief of “Ethics in a Brave New World—Professional Responsibility, Personal Accountability, and Risk Management for Immigration Practitioners,” the most widely distributed book in AILA’s 63-year history.
- Author of foreword and commentary for “The Impact of Immigration on the Legal Community in North Carolina,” Campbell Law Review, 2007.
- NC Board Certified Immigration Specialist and a former member of the North Carolina State Bar Board of Legal Specialization’s Immigration Law Specialty Committee.
BACKGROUND
- Past national president American Immigration Lawyers Association, 2002-2003; AILA Executive Committee, 1997-2003; Board of Governors 1987-88, 1993-present.
- The 2006 edition of WHO’SWHOLEGAL; the International Journal of Business Lawyers called Jack Pinnix “outstanding” and said he “possesses a quite phenomenal legal mind;” the 2007 edition noted he “once again emerges as the state’s ‘most highly nominated individual’” in the corporate immigration category.
- When the (Raleigh) News and Observer named Pinnix “Tar Heel of the Week” Judy Golub AILA’s Senior Director for Advocacy and Public Affairs observed: “He is passionate about due-process protection and people getting the services and benefits that they are entitled to under law.”
- Member of the Founding Board of the American Immigration Law Foundation (AILF), and a former Director and Trustee Emeritus. AILF promotes public understanding of immigration law and policy, through education, policy analysis, and support to litigators.
- Published scores of articles on immigration. He is a frequent lecturer at law schools, continuing legal education courses (in California, New York, North Carolina and Texas), and before professional, civic and ethnic organizations. He has been a speaker, moderator or panelist at every AILA Annual Conference since 1993.
- Chaired the North Carolina Bar Association Immigration and Nationality Law Committee.
- Recipient of the prestigious UNC-G Alumni Association’s Distinguished Service Award.
- Member of the American Bar Association (ABA) and the North Carolina Bar Association.*
- Rated AV® by Martindale-Hubbell.*
* CV, BV and AV are registered certification marks of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used in accordance with the Martindale- Hubbell certification procedure’s standards and policies.