Practice Areas
Practice Accolades
Recognized as leading firm for immigration law in Chambers USA 2008
The American Lawyer Magazine's Litigation Department of the Year - Labor and Employment Law Finalist 2004, Winner 2006, and Finalist 2008
Listed in the highest tier for National Labor and Employment Practice in Chambers USA 2008
Ranked #1 for "Most Prestigious" Labor and Employment Practice, Vault 2008 Associate Survey
Honors + Affiliations
Second Vice President, American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA)
Recipient, Award for Service Provided as a Trustee of the American Immigration Law Foundation (AILF)
Treasurer, AILA (2007)
National Secretary, AILA (2006)
Trustee, American Immigration Law Foundation, Chair, Immigration Curriculum Project
Invited Speaker, conferences sponsored by AILA, the Society for Human Resource Management, The American Payroll Association, The American Society for Payroll Management
Listed, The Best Lawyers in America (2007–2009)
Listed, Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business (2006–2008)
Listed, Chambers Global: The World's Leading Lawyers (2006 & 2007)
Selected, Top 10 Immigration Lawyers in Washington, D.C., Legal Times (2006)
Bar Admissions
- District of Columbia
- Pennsylvania
Court Admissions
- U.S. Supreme Court
- Washington, D.C.
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1111 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20004-2541
Phone: 202.739.5050
Fax: 202.739.3001
Eleanor Pelta is a partner in Morgan Lewis's Labor and Employment Practice. With her practice focused on immigration and nationality law, Ms. Pelta assists corporate clients in various industries with the international transfer of key personnel. She is particularly knowledgeable about managing high-volume employee transfers, as her background includes assisting employers in gaining temporary and permanent visas for all types of business, scientific and executive personnel. Additionally, she advises clients on strategic issues involving movement of staff internationally, including the use of blanket visa programs and qualification of companies as "treaty investor" or "treaty trader" entities.
Ms. Pelta provides further support on the immigration implications of corporate changes, including mergers and acquisitions, downsizing, reductions in force and salary level changes. Likewise, she has developed corporate immigration policies and procedures. Ms. Pelta counsels clients on employer obligations related to temporary transfers, employment eligibility verification and avoiding immigration-related unfair employment practices. She has also developed and performed nationwide I-9 compliance training for human resources personnel, and has assisted clients during I-9 and H-1B audits. In particular, Ms. Pelta frequently counsels tax and payroll managers regarding U.S. tax obligations of foreign nationals.
In 2007 and 2008, Chambers USA recognized Morgan Lewis as a leading firm for immigration law, based on the views of clients, peers and other industry professionals. Chambers ranked Ms. Pelta in Band 1, its highest honor, calling her "the backbone" of the firm's immigration practice and crediting her with "really driving the practice forward." Chambers has also noted that clients appreciate that Ms. Pelta "remembers every individual and knows their story" and praise her as "a tremendous resource, whose level of service is outstanding."
Ms. Pelta helps clients think and work proactively by providing them with traditional compliance policy reviews and audits, case management and litigation technology and international executive travel and foreign resident worker visa processing.
Ms. Pelta is also a prolific writer on Immigration issues. She is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia and Pennsylvania.
Education
- Harvard Law School, 1986, J.D., Cum Laude
- Princeton University, 1982, A.B., Cum Laude