William Benos understands firsthand
the complexities and emotions of immigrating to the United
States. Almost 20 years ago Benos made the life-altering
decision to move to Richmond from his hometown in Canada. "That
was the first experience I had with how stressful that
process can be," says Benos, "because your
whole future depends on filing the right paperwork,
making sure it's complete, and one official reviewing
it all."
Now Benos, who is still a Canadian citizen, is the one
helping individuals and businesses navigate the complexities
of immigration law. Benos, head of the immigration group
at Williams Mullen in Richmond, is one of the top vote
getters in the immigration category in the seventh annual
Legal Elite. Each year, Virginia Business, in association
with the Virginia Bar Association, recognizes the state's
top lawyers in a variety of specialties, as voted on
by their peers.
Benos had graduated from the University of Western Ontario
School of Law and entered private practice in his hometown
of London, Ontario, when he met his future wife at a
charity social event in Florida. After marrying in 1986
they lived briefly in Canada before deciding to establish
their lives and careers in Richmond, where his wife's
family lived. But to practice law in the United States,
Benos needed to attend a school accredited by the American
Bar Association and pass a second bar exam.
Benos spent a year at the University
of Richmond's T.C. Williams School of Law. He earned
his second law degree, passed his second bar exam in
1988 and began working at Williams Mullen. "Looking back, I would have
never imagined [as a student in Canada] that things would
have turned out as they did," says Benos.
Benos first focused on corporate
and complex law. As Virginia officials began pushing
business globalization in the late 1980s and early
1990s, he began helping international companies considering
investments in the United States. "Before
they make an investment they need bring in key personnel,
decision makers, executives, managers and specialists
to the United States in order to set the groundwork and
establish their business," says Benos.
He has specialized in immigration law for 14 years and
primarily helps companies bring employees to the United
States to reside legally and work on a temporary or permanent
basis.
Lynn Rausch, vice president and
general counsel for Brink's U.S., a division of Brink's
Inc., a global security services firm based in Richmond,
has relied on Benos' immigration advice for more than
10 years. "He
explains things very clearly," says Rausch. "Immigration
law is a very specialized area, and there can be serious
consequences for a company if they don't comply, so they
really have to understand what the various requirements
are in any given circumstance. He's always been able
to explain it to us and help us comply."
Thomas Frantz, vice president
and chief operating officer of Williams Mullen, says
Benos provides more than just immigration expertise
to his business clients. "He's
got a great background and knowledge of business transactions
and cross-border transactions, as well as immigration.
He really has an understanding of what business owners
need when they're immigrating executives."
Benos also represents individuals. "There
are cases where I've represented people whose lives
sort of hang in the balance, where if we don't get
a very key decision resolved in their favor, they may
have to end up leaving the country."
Staying attuned to immigration reform issues is one
of the most exciting parts of his work. Earlier this
year, Congress wrangled with competing immigration reform
bills. Thousands of immigrants held protests around the
country and anti-immigration groups mobilized. Comprehensive
reform became bogged down in a debate over what to do
with the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in the
country.
"Right now the two concepts that are at loggerheads
are: How do we reconcile security and the legality of
the work force on the one hand, and on the other hand
enable our U.S. businesses to have a reliable work-force
source that is going to be something that can be easily
and efficiently hired," says Benos.
The only remnant of the scuffle to pass Congress was
the decision to build a $6 billion, 700-mile fence along
the U.S.-Mexico border. Broader immigration reform took
a back seat to the war in Iraq, North Korea's nuclear
ambitions and the November elections.
Outside of the office, Benos is an adjunct law professor
at the University of Richmond. One of his courses is
a spring class he established 14 years ago in which law
school and business students team up to help a Virginia
company enter a foreign market.
The Canadian government also appointed Benos as its
first honorary consul in Richmond in 2004. In this diplomatic
appointment, Benos works to foster closer ties between
Canada and the U.S. and hosted a four-man band from Quebec,
Le Vent du Nord, at the National Folk Festival in October.
Benos also facilitates business interactions for Canadian
and Richmond companies looking to invest in the other
locale.
He and his wife have three children, ages 11, 9 and
7, and most of his charitable work benefits children.
He's also chairman of the Community in Schools Committee
of Chesterfield County, a group that provides programs
for at-risk youth in the county.
Immigration issues promise to
keep Benos busy at the office. The battle over immigration
is expected to resurface soon, as an estimated 408,000
illegal immigrants enter the country each year. "It's going to continue
to be one of the biggest issues for this country, as
it is for many other countries," says Benos. "At
some point in time immigration reform has to bubble up
to the surface again because it's not an issue that's
going to go away, and it's something that has to be addressed."
