Claudia Baellow

As Managing Attorney of DMCA’s Business Immigration Group, Claudia Baellow leads the firm’s representation of employers, entrepreneurs, foreign professionals, and organizations navigating the complexities of U.S. business and employment-based immigration. A native of Guadalajara, Mexico, Claudia brings extensive experience developing and executing immigration strategies for companies with international workforces. Before joining DMCA, she practiced employment-based immigration at law firms in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.

Born and raised in Guadalajara, Claudia brings a personal understanding of the opportunities and challenges involved in building a life, career, or business across borders. Her bicultural perspective allows her to connect with international professionals, entrepreneurs, and business leaders while helping them navigate the U.S. immigration system with clarity and confidence.

Claudia earned dual bachelor’s degrees in History and Latin American Studies from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). She received her Juris Doctor from American University Washington College of Law, where she served on the Administrative Law Review and represented clients as a student attorney with the International Human Rights Law Clinic. She also completed internships with the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF).

Throughout her career, Claudia has represented companies of all sizes—from start-ups and small businesses to multinational corporations—across industries including energy, engineering, infrastructure, information technology, education, and nonprofit services. Having practiced in both boutique and large law firm environments, she understands the operational and legal challenges employers face when recruiting, transferring, and retaining international talent.

Claudia advises clients on a wide range of employment-based immigrant and nonimmigrant matters, including E-1 and E-2 treaty visas; H-1B, H-1B1, H-2A, R-1, L-1A, L-1B, TN, and O-1 visas; PERM labor certifications; I-140 petitions; EB-1 classifications; National Interest Waivers; J-1 waivers; 212(d)(3) waivers; consular processing; and naturalization and citizenship matters. She also has significant experience preparing successful responses to complex Requests for Evidence issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and audits conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor.

As Managing Attorney, Claudia provides strategic leadership to the attorneys and legal professionals serving the firm’s business clients. She oversees the development of coordinated immigration strategies aligned with each organization’s workforce, operational, and long-term business objectives. Claudia regularly presents to businesses and professional organizations on immigration compliance, workforce protection, and strategies for managing international employees. She has also spoken at conferences in Mexico, advising business leaders and entrepreneurs on U.S. immigration considerations related to investing and conducting business in the United States. Her approach combines careful legal analysis, practical business insight, and creative strategy to help employers anticipate immigration challenges, reduce compliance risks, and protect their workforce.

Claudia is an active member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association and has volunteered at numerous free legal clinics and naturalization workshops. Her work is grounded in the belief that immigration strategy is ultimately about people—the professionals who build careers, the entrepreneurs who create opportunities, and the organizations that depend on their talent. Her bicultural perspective and practical approach allow her to build lasting relationships with clients while helping them pursue their goals in the United States.

• J.D., Washington College of Law at American University (WCL)
• B.A., University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

ADMISSIONS

• District of Columbia Bar Association

LEGAL/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

• American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA)
• Travis County Women Lawyers’ Association (TCWLA)