Seth Robert Leech

Seth Robert Leech

4.9
Rating: 8.9

Licensed for 30 years

Immigration Lawyer at Albany, NY
Practice Areas: Immigration

1 Commerce Plz, Albany, NY

About Seth

Biography

Practice Areas

1

Practice Area

Immigration 100%

Employment-based (EB) and Family based (FB) Immigration Law. In EB area: H1B, L visas, O & P visas, PERM labor certification, National Interest Waivers, Aliens of Extraordinary Ability, Outstanding Researcher cases. In FB: immediate relative petitions, consular processing, naturalization. Also specialize in Affirmative Asylum.

30 years

100%

Fees and Rates

We have not found any cost information for this lawyer


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Licenses

Licensed in New York for 26 years

State: New York

Acquired: 1999

Due to Register within 30 Days of Birthday

No misconduct found

Licensed in District of Columbia for 29 years

State: District of Columbia

Acquired: 1996

Administratively Suspended - Non-Payment of Dues

No misconduct found

Licensed in Florida for 30 years

State: Florida

Acquired: 1995

Administrative - Not Authorized to Practice

No misconduct found

Location

Whiteman Osterman & Hanna, LLP

1 Commerce Plz, Albany, NY, 12260-1000

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Seth Robert Leech's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

4.9 /5.0

17 Client Reviews

5 star (16)
4 star (0)
3 star (1)
2 star (0)
1 star (0)

Posted by anonymous | March 7, 2024 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

An immigration journey full of frustration, loss of time, money and energy

Seth is a responsive lawyer and appears to be a good person. However, my immigration journey with his office has been riddled with frustration, misjudgments, additional costs, and loss of time. To summarize a long and arduous experience: 1. His office failed to update my address during my initial ...application process, resulting in critical Request for Evidence (RFE) documents arriving months late. 2. When I pursued the marriage-based application route, Seth suggested transferring my initial case to supposedly streamline the process with USCIS. However, this decision only complicated matters further. It became evident that Seth underestimated USCIS practices, causing significant setbacks to both of my cases. Despite the setbacks, Seth only offered to continue the process at a reduced price, without acknowledging the inconvenience or offering compensation (not to mention additional application fees). After enduring a delay of at least two years, I eventually received my green card. Determined to avoid further complications, I chose to handle my naturalization application independently, which proved to be a smoother process. Unfortunately, it seems that for lawyers, clients are just one of many cases, while for us, our immigration journey is a matter of livelihood and security. Although no one can restore the lost years, financial resources, and energy expended, I had hoped for Seth to advocate for my case with the same dedication as he would for a family member. Overall, while Seth may be responsive and well-intentioned, the shortcomings in communication, understanding of USCIS procedures, and lack of acknowledgment for the difficulties faced during the process leave much to be desired in terms of client advocacy and support.

Seth Leech

Replied last April 23, 2024

Good afternoon. Thank you for sharing your review. We take any critique seriously and we work hard to make sure that clients are happy with our work and that we are constantly improving our services. This is the first negative review in AVVO or any other online forum that I have had in my 27 year career. So, I very much take your critique to heart. I would like to respond to your review with details, but I am unable to do so unless you can let me know who you are. I would be grateful if you could identify yourself. I can then provide a detailed and effective response. Feel free to reach out to me in person. Addition to my earlier response : Almost 2 months have passed since this review. We cannot find any case in our system that matches what was described above. The individual has not identified themself or contacted me. This posting is inaccurate, 'suspicious' and potentially fraudulent

Posted by Mustafa | July 30, 2019 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

Simply the best.

I had a chance to work with Seth and his great team. It was an amazing experience for me and I can't thank enough . They are very professional and very good at what they have been doing. If you need a professional legal assistance on your immigration matters , I would highly recommend Mr. Leech & hi...s office.

Posted by Jasmine | November 25, 2017 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

Great attorney

Seth is a great immigration attorney. He was hired by the school district I work for to file an H1B petition. He always replied emails quickly and always kept me in the loop. I would strongly recommend him to anyone looking for an attorney to file an H1B visa petition.

Posted by anonymous | August 5, 2015

successful green card

I worked with Seth for green card application last year. He had a lot of experiences and very strong strategy to acquire green card. He also has a lot of resources. His response is very quick. I got green card in about six months last year. I strongly recommend him to anyone who want to apply for per...manent residence!

Posted by Recai Yucel | January 9, 2015

Excellent Lawyer

Without any doubt, I can easily state that Seth has been the best lawyer I have ever worked with. He always had an answer for my questions, knew exactly what would solve my problem. He was amazingly quick to get back to me. I can absolutely recommend him without any hesitation.

See All Client Reviews

Seth Robert Leech's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse Seth
Mark Issa Murad headshot
Mark Murad

Unknown lawyer | Mar 21

Relationship: Other

"I endorse this lawyer."

Judd S Nemiro headshot
Judd Nemiro

Unknown lawyer | Jan 30

Relationship: Other

"Great representation. I endorse this lawyer."

Moseley Cary Collins III headshot
Moseley Collins

Immigration lawyer | Dec 30

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. Seth has an excellent reputation in the legal community."

Dmitriy Shakhnevich headshot
Dmitriy Shakhnevich

Immigration lawyer | Sep 28

Relationship: Other

"I endorse this lawyer."

Lilian Demonteverde-Hoats headshot
Lilian Demonteverde-Hoats

Immigration lawyer | Sep 22

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

George Anthony Munoz headshot
George Munoz

Immigration lawyer | Sep 11

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Mr. Leech, is an asset to the legal profession and is well respected by his peers and his clients. He has gained an excellent reputation as a top tier advocate and he exemplifies all of the characteristics of a top quality lawyer. I recommend to anyone looking for an attorney who knows the law and truly cares about protecting the rights of clients and achieving the most favorable result possible. I endorse this attorney. –Anthony Munoz, Esq."

Simon Kabzan headshot
Simon Kabzan

Immigration lawyer | Sep 11

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this individual as a highly respected and knowledgable lawyer in their practice."

Richard Geller headshot
Richard Geller

Unknown lawyer | Sep 08

Relationship: Other

"I endorse this lawyer. Highly respected in the legal community with a strong reputation for client advocacy and dedication."

Richard Todd Rosenstein headshot
Richard Rosenstein

Unknown lawyer | Sep 08

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. Mr. Leech is a zealous advocate for the rights and interests of his clients."

Christian K. Lassen II headshot
Christian Lassen

Unknown lawyer | Sep 06

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Top-notch attorney. Highly respected in the legal community."

View All Endorsements
Siana Jody McLean headshot
Siana McLean

Immigration lawyer

George Anthony Munoz headshot
George Munoz

Litigation lawyer

Simon Kabzan headshot
Simon Kabzan

Unknown lawyer

Richard Geller headshot
Richard Geller

Family lawyer

Richard Todd Rosenstein headshot
Richard Rosenstein

Unknown lawyer

Christian K. Lassen II headshot
Christian Lassen

Car accident lawyer

Andrew Robert Safranko headshot
Andrew Safranko

Criminal defense lawyer

Experience

Rating:  8.9 (Excellent)

Honors

2018

Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell

2013

Pro Bono Service Award, Albany Law School

Work Experience

2006 - Present

Partner, Whiteman Osterman & Hanna, LLP

2004 - Present

Adjunct Professor, Albany Law School

1998 - 2006

Attorney, Whiteman Osterman & Hanna, LLP

1996 - 1998

Attorney, Weiss Hernandez & Cordero

Associations

1995 - Present

American Immigration Lawyers Association

American Immigration Lawyers Association (Southern Florida chapter)

Co-chair

American Immigration Lawyers Association (Upstate New York chapter)

Treasurer

Sample of Legal Cases

Villa, et al v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Granted

See More Legal Cases

Education

1995

University of Miami School of Law

JD - Juris Doctor

1992

University of Vermont

BA - Bachelor of Arts

Speaking Engagements

2014

Turkish American Frienship Dinner

Master of Ceremonies

2014

Congressman Tonko Immigration Roundtable

Immigration Reform

Publications

2010

, Albany Government Law Review, Vol 3 Keeping America Competitive: A Proposal to Eliminate the Employment-Based Immigrant Visa Quota

2009

The Business Review, 9. “Immigration Policy drives out some of America’s most skilled,”

2009

Inside the Minds: Immigration Strategies for Companies Navigating the Challenges of Professional Immigration: Understanding Employment-based Visas and Creating a Successful Company Immigration Policy

Languages

Spanish

Activity

Avvo Rating

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  • Experience & background Years licensed, work experience, education
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Avvo Rating Levels
10.0 - 9.0 Superb8.9 - 8.0 Excellent7.9 - 7.0 Very Good6.9 - 6.0 Good5.9 - 5.0 Average4.9 - 4.0 Concern3.9 - 3.0 Caution2.9 - 2.0 Strong Caution1.9 - 1.0 Extreme Caution