Meet Our Team

Heidi Elliott

Heidi has been working in the immigration field since 1986. She started her career working for Ron Gotcher for several years and then 20 years later after working for a large immigration firm, came back to GIP. Heidi brings her management experience and vast immigration knowledge she has gained over the years and her experience in all aspects of non-immigrant, employment-based matters and family-based processes and procedures. With a keen eye for detail and her extensive knowledge of immigration, she is key to the firm’s review process prior to filing applications with the USCIS and DOL.

Heidi attended California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo CA and majored in Business Administration.

Heather Goodfried

Heather has practiced exclusively in immigration law since 2006. She regularly advises individuals and companies on a wide range of immigration matters, including nonimmigrant and immigrant cases with a specific focus on O-1A, O-1B, P-3, EB-1A, EB-1B, EB-2 NIW, and AOS. She provides counsel to ensure employees and companies of varying sizes across different industries have plans and procedures to achieve short and long-term immigration goals and to ensure compliance with immigration processes and procedures. Heather is well versed in petitions across several professions, such as scientific research, medical, engineering, artificial intelligence, machine learning, business and entrepreneurship, design, music, acting, graphic art, virtual reality, screen writing, and film and television production, among many others.

Heather graduated from University of California, San Diego with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and a minor in Law and Society and she earned her Juris Doctor from Southwestern University School of Law. In her free time, Heather enjoys spending time with her family.

Heather is admitted to practice law in the State of Washington.

Danielle Gotcher

Danielle has been practicing law since 2005, and has practiced exclusively in immigration law since 2012, with expertise in corporate and employment-based immigration matters. A graduate of Boston University, she received a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a Bachelor’s degree in Communications, both awarded Magna cum Laude. Before joining GIP, Danielle’s practice focused on litigation, defending large retail chains, partnerships, insurance companies, employers, and professionals against liability claims. With her litigation background, she has a unique perspective and experience in guiding employers and business owners on liability and compliance matters.

She joined GIP in 2012 and now focuses her advocacy experience and skills on the business immigration needs of her clients. Danielle specializes in the Labor Certification (PERM) process, employment-based immigrant preference petitions, and worksite enforcement (I-9), and compliance issues. She enjoys and values the relationships she has created with her clients.

Prior to law school, Danielle was selected to work in the White House, serving in the Office of Communications and Press. She earned her law degree from Southwestern University in Los Angeles and is admitted to practice law in the State of California and the Central District of California.

Danielle has been invited to speak at numerous HR professional conferences and has been selected as an expert for panels and seminars at attorney conferences and continuing education courses.

Danielle was born and raised in Southern California, and she lives in Thousand Oaks, CA with her husband and daughter.

Jim Gotcher

A co-founder of Global Immigration Partners, Jim has been practicing immigration law since 2006. He is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, and he initially worked in the front office of the Oakland A’s baseball club. Subsequently, he graduated from Southwestern University School of Law.

Since 2001, he has worked in various positions learning the fundamentals of business immigration law. Over the years, he has developed highly advanced skills in the area of non-immigrant visas for various professionals including engineers, professors, doctors, nurses, professors and IT professionals. Valuing customer service and having successfully filed tens of thousands of immigration petitions, Jim enjoys the strong relationships he has built through his career.

Andrew Greenwood

Andrew has practiced exclusively in immigration law since 2015. He has experience advising individuals and companies on a wide range of immigration matters with a specific focus on nonimmigrant work visas such as the H-1B, TN, and O-1. Andrew has also gained significant experience in advising third-party placement cases. His clients operate in a variety of industries and range in size from small startups to well-established companies with hundreds of employees.

Andrew graduated from the University of Southern California with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and a minor in Gerontology, and he obtained his Juris Doctor from The University of North Carolina School of Law. In his free time, Andrew enjoys running and cycling.

Andrew is admitted to the Bar in the State of California.

Carlyn Hankins

Carlyn has practiced business immigration law since 2014. She has assisted companies of all sizes, from new start-ups to well-established multinational corporations, and across all industries, with their immigration needs. She provides immigration counsel to ensure companies, and their professional employees, have immigration plans and procedures in place to achieve both their short and long-term immigration goals. Carlyn is well versed in both nonimmigrant and immigrant petitions, including H-1Bs, L-1s, O-1s, TNs, E-3, PERM, I-140/EB-1, and AOS petitions.

Carlyn graduated from Tarleton State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in English and a minor in Spanish. She obtained her Juris Doctor from Texas A&M University School of Law (formerly Texas Wesleyan University School of Law). In her free time, Carlyn enjoys being outside with her family.

Carlyn is admitted to practice law in the State of Texas.

Richard Harding

Richard has focused his practice on immigration and nationality law matters since 2014. Since then, Richard has prepared and overseen thousands of immigration matters, primarily nonimmigrant work visas such as the H-1B, L-1, TN, and E-3. Richard is also an expert in handling third-party placement cases. Richard’s clients have included software and engineering startups, IT staffing companies, engineering consultancies, CPAs, and physical therapy practices, among many others. His clients have ranged in size from tiny startups to several thousand employees. Richard believes that a strong compliance program is an employer’s only reliable defense, and regularly discusses how employers can meet their obligations under the immigration laws.

Richard graduated from California State University, Northridge with both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s Degree in History, and he earned his Juris Doctor from University of California, Los Angeles School of Law in 2013.

Monica James

Monica began working as a Paralegal in Immigration Law in 1986. After a 20-year career in Immigration Law, she transitioned her focus to Human Resources and began her career as a Human Resources Manager in 2006.

Monica oversees all HR related functions, including recruitment and onboarding of our staff, benefits and leave management, payroll administration and implementation of company policies and procedures.

Monica attended California State University, Northridge and majored in Business Administration and Psychology. She is currently a member of SHRM, PIHRA and the National Human Resources Association (NHRA). In her free time, Monica enjoys watching all types of sporting events, cooking, and hosting get-togethers with her friends and family.

Derick Kruger

COMING SOON

Shannon Naylor

Shannon joined Global Immigration Partners in 2013. She entered the field of immigration law in 1991 and has worked for several well-known law firms in the Southern California area. She was promoted to Team Manager at GIP in May 2022 where she applies her extensive knowledge and experience in handling casework as well as assisting clients. She also assists in training support staff and Case Managers in both NIV and IV. She is committed to ensuring clients receive prompt assistance with their cases and helping them navigate through the immigration system.

Brandon Neuman

Brandon has practiced law since 2017 and has multi-faceted experience in immigration, business, political, administrative, non-profit, and national security legal issues. His practice focuses on complex business and treaty-based immigration matters for investors, executives, managers, and people with specialized knowledge or extraordinary abilities. He also addresses visa consular processing issues, including visa expedites and national interest exceptions. He is the firm’s principal litigator and has successfully pursued lawsuits against USCIS and the Department of State for unreasonable processing delays and improper denials.

He graduated summa cum laude from the George Washington University with a B.A. in history and political science (double major) and philosophy (minor); he received his Juris Doctor with a Graduate Certificate in Business Law from the University of Southern California. In law school, he served as the Editor-in-Chief of the Southern California Interdisciplinary Law Journal. He volunteers with the Boy Scouts of America in Ventura County and the American Conservation Coalition.

Brandon is admitted to the Bar of the Supreme Court of the United States, the State of California, and for US federal courts including the Central and Northern Districts of California and the US District Court for the District of Columbia.

David Raft

David has practiced law since 1989, with a focus on immigration and nationality law matters since 1991. 

Since 1991, David has worked in various positions where he learned the fundamentals of both business and family immigration law. In the years since, he has developed highly advanced skills in nonimmigrant visa categories, including B-1, B-2, E-1, E-2, E-3, F-1, F-1 STEM OPT, H-1B, H-2A, H-2B, H-3, J-1, K-1-4, L-1A, L-1B, O, P, R and TN non-immigrant visas for various investors, specialty occupation workers, multinational transferees, etc. as well as the full spectrum of immigrant visa categories (family and employment based case types, as well as special worker categories)

David specializes in representing companies, regardless of size, with respect to their immigration programs while also representing individuals with respect to their business or family-based immigration matters. David also provides clients with strategic advice as it relates to immigration policy development as well as conducting in-house I-9 audits, and he has represented clients before the Immigration and Customs Enforcement branch of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

David graduated from University of California, Los Angeles with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science and he obtained his Juris Doctor from Southwestern University School of Law (Los Angeles) in 1989. David is the former Chair of the Orange County Bar Association’s Immigration Section as well as having written articles for industry publications and has spoken regularly at various Bar Association meetings. 

In his free time, David is an avid music enthusiast, listening to a variety of genres and also attends 10 to 20 concerts per year (time and weather permitting!). David also enjoys spending time with his family (human and canine). A sharp eye when speaking to David on a video call may find that David is a Manchester United fan and has a Lego model of Old Trafford on his credenza.

Lupita Rynott

Lupita Hs been working in the immigration field for over 30 years and she joined Global Immigration Partners in August of 2014. Over the course of her career, she has worked for several law firms on a variety of family and employment-based applications. She applies her extensive knowledge and experience in this area to assist clients as well as training other support staff and case managers at the firm. As a fluent Spanish and Arabic speaker, and from an immigrant family, her commitment is to ensure that the clients are provided with the upmost professional service and to make the process go as smoothly as possible.

April Tu

April has worked exclusively in the field of immigration law since 2014. Before receiving her law degree, she worked as an immigration paralegal at GIP and another worldwide immigration law firm for over 5 years. In 2021, she joined GIP as an immigration attorney.

Her practice focuses on employment-based non-immigrant visas including H-1B, H-1B1, TN, L-1, and E-3. She also has extensive experience preparing employment-based and family-based immigrant intent applications including PERM, I-140, I-130, and adjustment of status.

April graduated from University of California, Irvine with a Bachelor’s degree in International Studies and a minor in Law and Humanities. In 2021, April earned a Juris Doctorate degree, Magna Cum Laude, from Southwestern University School of Law.

April is admitted to practice law in California and U.S. District Court, Central District of California.

Katie Wu

Katie has practiced exclusively in immigration law since 2013. She has experience advising individuals and companies on a wide range of immigration matters, including nonimmigrant and immigrant employment-based visa cases, and investor visa cases. She provides immigration counsel to clients of varying sizes across different industries to ensure comprehension of – and compliance with – each respective immigration process and procedure.

Katie graduated from University of California, Los Angeles with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Sociology and obtained her Juris Doctor from Southwestern University School of Law (Los Angeles). In her free time, Katie enjoys travelling, reading, following Bay Area sports teams, and working out.

Katie is admitted to practice law in the State of California.

Onur Yildirim

Onur has exclusively practiced business immigration law since 2018. He has experience advising clients and companies on a broad spectrum of immigration matters including F-1, B-1/B-2, H-1B, L-1, TN, PERM, and family and employment-based green cards. Additionally, he has experience working as in-house corporate immigration counsel overseeing hundreds of filings. His experience as in-house counsel gives him a keen understanding of the issues faced by many of our corporate clients.

Onur graduated from the University of Georgia, magna cum laude, with a degree in International Affairs and he obtained his Juris Doctor from the University of Georgia School of Law.

Onur is admitted to practice law in the State of Georgia.