Stephen R. Pattison, a business immigration attorney and former U.S. State Department Senior Foreign Service Officer, has joined Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP as a special counsel in Washington, D.C.

Leveraging the experience and insight developed over the course of his 28-year career with the State Department, Pattison focuses his practice on the representation of corporate and individual clients on business immigration, consular processing and individual immigration matters.

He regularly advises on and helps implement strategies that maximize visa issuances for clients, and assists individual investors and businesses seeking to establish and grow their presence in the United States and move key personnel to their U.S. offices. 

“The consular experience Steve has developed over the course of more than three decades during his impressive career as a Senior Foreign Service Officer and in private practice is an invaluable asset to clients navigating the complex and nuanced immigration system,” said Hunton Andrews Kurth immigration partner Adam Rosser. “We are pleased to welcome Steve to the firm.”

Pattison’s Foreign Service career spanned 1979 to 2007 and included postings abroad in Germany, Belgium, Romania, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Lebanon. He held several high level positions, including serving as Consul General for the U.S. Embassy in Bucharest and as Regional Consular Officer for Africa at the U.S. Embassy in Brussels.

His government service culminated with his appointment as the Minister-Counselor for Consular Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Berlin, where he established and implemented objectives for a staff of 15 and 19 consular officers throughout Germany.

Pattison’s career with the State Department also included domestic assignments in Washington, where he served as Coordination Division Chief for the Visa Office and as Regional Political Officer for the Bureaus of Near Eastern and Inter-American Affairs.

Upon his retirement from the Foreign Service in 2007, Pattison joined London-based Magrath and Co. as a partner, where he managed the firm’s U.S. immigration law practice. In 2010, he returned to Washington, where he practiced U.S. business immigration law, first as a senior counsel with Maggio and Kattar, PC and then as a solo practitioner.

Pattison is licensed in Texas. He earned his undergraduate degree in European History and Political Science from Southern Methodist University and his law degree from University of Texas Law School.

He is an active member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA). He was a founding member of AILA’s Rome District Chapter, where he has served as Treasurer, Secretary, Vice Chair, and Chair, and served for four years as a member of AILA’s Department of State Liaison Committee. He also served on AILA’s Global Migration Steering Group and has for the past two years been a member of AILA’s Business Immigration Response Team. He recently completed an eighth year of service on the Department of State Liaison Committee.

Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP’s immigration practice handles all immigration needs for corporate clients, from sponsorship of key employees for temporary visas and permanent residence in the U.S. and abroad, to I-9 compliance advice, government investigations and due diligence. We represent multinational organizations across various industries including manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, banking, communications and entertainment. We provide clients with the experience, personalized service and resources they need to thrive in today’s competitive business environment and stricter immigration climate.

*Not admitted in the District of Columbia. Admitted only in Texas. Practice limited to federal immigration matters.