Matthew L. Kolken

PRO

Matthew L. Kolken

5.0
Rating: 10.0

Licensed for 28 years

Immigration Lawyer at Buffalo, NY
Practice Areas: Immigration, Asylum, Criminal Defense

135 Delaware Avenue, Suite 101, Buffalo, NY

About Matthew

Biography

Kolken & Kolken is a full-service U.S. immigration law firm handling cases in all 50 States.

Immigration, Deportation Defense, Waivers, Family and Employment Based Visas, and Asylum

Practice Areas

3

Practice Areas

Immigration 90%

90%
Asylum 5%

5%
Criminal Defense 5%

5%

Fees and Rates

We have not found any cost information for this lawyer

Awards

Client's Choice
Client's Choice
2025 2024 2023
...
+ 9
Top Contributor
Top Contributor
2013
AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating

Licenses

Licensed in New York for 28 years

State: New York

Acquired: 1997

Currently Registered

No misconduct found

Location

Kolken & Kolken

135 Delaware Avenue, Suite 101, Buffalo, NY, 14202

kolkenandkolken.com/

Online Presence

Other places you can find Matthew online.

Matthew L. Kolken's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

5.0 /5.0

131 Client Reviews

Filter Avvo Reviews (131) Refine reviews to match your needs. Use the filters to quickly surface reviews that align with your case or priorities.

Showing 46 - 50 of 131 reviews

Posted by Sabrina | April 17, 2020 | Hired Attorney | Immigration

Hire Kolken for the win!

Matthew Kolken has saved my beautiful family! I can't begin to express what this man and his outstanding and dedicated team have done for my husband. The best decision I made after receiving the awful news about my husband's case was hiring this brilliant and compassionate immigration attorney.My hus...band was facing the possibility of deportation and I had no hope left for myself and our two little babies. From the first moment I met both Matthew and Rob I knew my family was in great hands. He never stopped fighting for my family and for that I am forever grateful to Mr. Kolken and his amazing staff. Some moments during this nightmare I would call three and somedays four times a week and both Mr. Kolken and Rob always always treated me with respect and I knew he was fighting with everything in him to keep my children with their father. Mr. Kolken did exactly what was necessary in my husband's difficult and almost impossible case. Kolken did it. Never did I lose hope with Matthew as our attorney and of course HE WON!!! My families experience with Kolken and his Law Firm was beyond exceptional. Hiring Kolken is the only way to handle any immigration case. You will not be disappointed hiring the best immigration attorney! Again and always Kolken and team thank you for keeping my family together you have given me a miracle today! No matter the specifics of your case I promise KOLKEN will advocate for you until he wins! Sabrina and family.

Posted by Nancy | April 08, 2020 | Hired Attorney | Immigration

Successful Release of Stateless Friend from ICE

Matt and his team took on the challenge of working toward the release of friend detained by ICE who is not a citizen of any country. They worked smart, efficiently, compassionately, and diligently in securing her release from the Batavia Detention Center. Uniquely, they worked with us to understand a...nd make decisions based on the cost and benefit of specific legal steps, and never went beyond the agreed upon price up front for a specific scope of work. I recommend them highly.

Posted by jeffrey | February 14, 2020 | Hired Attorney | Immigration

Saved my family and future!!!!!

My wife was facing deportation and our future was uncertain. We had our court day set, but it had to be rescheduled. Matthew had personal family matters he was dealing with. God bless his soul he never stopped fighting for us. Anytime we had questions, we got answers. I trusted him because he told ...us the truth from the start. He never sugar coated anything and that is what I needed in my lawyer. He was actually our second lawyer our first lawyer almost got my wife deported and messed up our case badley. Matthew was honest from the start and has fire and passion in him you could feel. I knew he was the right man to help us. I am so grateful to him, he saved me my wife our family our future. The weight of uncertainty has been removed from our lives thanks to Matthew and his wonderful team. When I say wonderful team, I mean never once did I feel not welcome or like I was a bother to them. The one thing I regret is that we did not find him first. GOD BLESS ALL THE STAFF AND FAMILY OF THE KOLKEN FIRM. My family can not be more grateful to him and all of his hard work. Robert, MaryJo and Benjamin Thank you.

Posted by Jasdev | February 04, 2020 | Hired Attorney | Immigration

Amazing Lawyer! Highly recommend!

Mr. Matthew Kolken is an excellent immigration attorney. He is extremely knowledgable and one of the best in his field. Hiring him for my case was the best decision my wife and I ever made. I am a client with a very complicated case, which Mr. Kolken was able to win by his attention to detail, and kn...owledge of the law. His entire office, especially Robert is also very helpful. I highly recommend Mr. Matthew Kolken. Thanks once again.

Posted by Shav | December 17, 2019 | Hired Attorney | Immigration

The Best in USA

when I first met Mr. Matthew Kolken , I knew he was very knowledgeable on any side of immigration law and I knew he was that attorney who knows how to handle everything perfectly. I’m glad I met him on the first place. he was very sharp , he even told me how to face on an immigration interview and h...ow to dress and even gave us a trial of an interview. he is the best lawyer I have ever come across in my whole life he is not only a lawyer but also a great human being who is dedicated an very intelligent in his field .not to mention the whole office Including Mrs. Mary Jo and Mr. Rob was very kind and was always very helpful and was always available to speak at any given time and was always looking after us and giving feedback during the whole process. I would highly recommend Mr. Matthew Kolken and his staff to any person on Immigration matters. Again thank you so much Mr . Kolken

See All Client Reviews

Matthew L. Kolken's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse Matthew
Carl Michael Shusterman headshot
Carl Shusterman

Immigration lawyer | Mar 07

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Matt Kolken is a knowledgeable and experienced immigration attorney. He stands up for the rights of immigrants and is unafraid to challenge the Federal Government when they wrongly deny an immigration benefit to one of his clients. I strongly endorse him."

Charles Kuck headshot
Charles Kuck

Immigration lawyer | Mar 07

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Matt Kolken has distinguished himself as a tenacious, eloquent and clear thinking attorney who is unafraid to take on the federal government in the most difficult of immigration matters. He is a fierce defender of our constitution and exactly the type of lawyer you will need at your side when ICE wants to deport you. I am proud to call him a colleague and a friend."

Elliot Amir Rahimi headshot
Elliot Rahimi

Immigration lawyer | Dec 12

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Molly Full headshot
Molly Full

Unknown lawyer | Jul 18

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Sunil C Patel headshot
Sunil Patel

Immigration lawyer | May 26

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Matthew Borowski headshot
Matthew Borowski

Immigration lawyer | Aug 22

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I proudly endorse Mr. Kolken for his excellent work fighting for the rights of immigrants. I respect him for all the hard work he puts into giving back to the community, from taking on pro bono matters to standing up and crying foul when immigration authorities exercise their powers in unjust ways. Mr. Kolken is an asset to the immigration bar in Buffalo."

Sean Cleary headshot
Sean Cleary

Immigration lawyer | Apr 24

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. A brilliant and highly respected attorney in the legal community."

John Spyros Fotopoulos headshot
John Fotopoulos

Immigration lawyer | Oct 16

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Brad Michael Micklin headshot
Brad Micklin

Administrative law lawyer | Sep 02

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Matthew Lindsay Kolken is an experienced attorney whose participation and comments in Avvo show his commitment to serving clients as well as his level of experience. He is an excellent attorney that I recommend wholeheartedly."

Susan Renee Bond headshot
Susan Bond

Immigration lawyer | Jul 16

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Matthew is very well respected by the legal community, is an excellent immigration attorney and contributes a great deal to our practice area both as an outstanding member of the bar and a mentor."

Tatiana Kadetskaya headshot
Tatiana Kadetskaya

Unknown lawyer | Jul 04

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Excellent lawyer. Very well respected."

Joshua Richmond Lippes headshot
Joshua Lippes

Immigration lawyer | May 29

Relationship: Friend

"I have known Matt for many years, he has always conducted himself as a knowledgeable professional. I refer all my clients with immigration matters to him. I endorse Matthew Kolken."

Neil F. Lewis headshot
Neil Lewis

Immigration lawyer | Mar 21

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Matthew Kolken is leader among immigration lawyers. His grasp of the law and regulations is incredible."

Susan Kyong-Lee Pai headshot
Susan Pai

Immigration lawyer | Mar 21

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Attorney Kolken is a passionate advocate for his clients and has a national reputation for excellence. He is at the forefront of cutting edge immigration issues."

Ana Maria Schwartz headshot
Ana Schwartz

Immigration lawyer | Mar 21

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Extremely knowledgeable, hard working, and effective immigration attorney."

Pieter G. Weinrieb headshot
Pieter Weinrieb

Immigration lawyer | Mar 06

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Wendy Renee Whitt headshot
Wendy Whitt

Immigration lawyer | Jan 18

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Matthew is a sharp, hardworking and caring attorney. He is a zealous advocate for his clients and the immigration law professional as a whole."

Scott D. Pollock headshot
Scott Pollock

Immigration lawyer | Jan 14

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Meredith Riley Brown headshot
Meredith Brown

Immigration lawyer | Jan 10

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. It is hard to find attys who really go to bat for their clients, but Matthew is one of those lawyers."

Laurel Deborah Scott headshot
Laurel Scott

Immigration lawyer | Jan 10

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. Matt is personable and professional at the same time, in addition to being highly comptent on immigration matters. He is respected in the community and is asked to speak at conference and write in professional publications. Matt's passion for immigrants' rights is well known."

View All Endorsements
Margaret D. Stock headshot
Margaret Stock

Immigration lawyer

Mona Luddy Benach headshot
Mona Benach

Securities and investment fraud lawyer

Ava C Benach headshot
Ava Benach

Immigration lawyer

Jeffrey M. Zimskind headshot
Jeffrey Zimskind

Immigration lawyer

Jason A Dzubow headshot
Jason Dzubow

Immigration lawyer

Michael Z Goldman headshot
Michael Goldman

Immigration lawyer

Susan Renee Bond headshot
Susan Bond

Immigration lawyer

Joshua Richmond Lippes headshot
Joshua Lippes

Personal injury lawyer

Lory D Rosenberg headshot
Lory Rosenberg

Immigration lawyer

Neil F. Lewis headshot
Neil Lewis

Immigration lawyer

Ana Maria Schwartz headshot
Ana Schwartz

Immigration lawyer

Thomas R. Cassano headshot
Thomas Cassano

Divorce and separation lawyer

Pieter G. Weinrieb headshot
Pieter Weinrieb

Divorce and separation lawyer

William F. Savino headshot
William Savino

Commercial real estate lawyer

Steven Michael Cohen headshot
Steven Cohen

Litigation lawyer

Laura L Lichter headshot
Laura Lichter

Immigration lawyer

Claire Suzanne Hulse headshot
Claire Hulse

Immigration lawyer

Wendy Renee Whitt headshot
Wendy Whitt

Immigration lawyer

Gerald Patrick Seipp headshot
Gerald Seipp

Immigration lawyer

Ari J Sauer headshot
Ari Sauer

Immigration lawyer

Experience

Rating:  10.0 (Superb)

Honors

2025

Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers

2024

Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers

2023

Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers

2022

Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers

2021

Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers

2020

Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers

2019

Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers

2019

Best Lawyer - Immigration Law, Best Lawyers in America

2018

Client's Choice, Avvo

2018

Legal Elite, Buffalo Law Journal

2018

The Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award, Marquis Who's Who in American Law

2018

Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers Magazine

2017

Client's Choice, Avvo

2017

Top Rated Lawyer in Immigration Law, Martindale-Hubbell

2017

Champion of Justice - Immigration Law, Erie County Bar Association

2017

Legal Elite, Buffalo Business First

2017

Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers Magazine

2016

Clients' Choice, Avvo.com

2016

Top Rated Immigration Lawyer, Super Lawyers Magazine

2016

Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers

2015

Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers Magazine

2015

AV Preeminent 5.0 out of 5 Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell

2015

Clients' Choice, Avvo.com

2015

Lawyers who Lead by Example, New York Law Journal

2015

Legal Elite, Buffalo Business First

2015

Peter J. Murrett Pro Bono Award, American Immigration Lawyers Association (Upstate New York Chapter)

2014

Clients' Choice, Avvo.com

2014

Pro Bono Champion, American Immigration Lawyers Association

2013

Pro Bono Guardian, American Immigration Lawyers Association

2013

IMMI, Nation of Immigrators

2013

Legal Elite, Buffalo Business First

2013

Clients' Choice, Avvo.com

2013

Super Lawyer, New York Super Lawyers

Work Experience

1996 - Present

Immigration Lawyer, Kolken & Kolken

Associations

1997 - Present

American Immigration Lawyers Association

Member

1997 - Present

Bar Association of Erie County

Member

1997 - Present

New York State Bar Association

Member

2015 - 2016

Federal Bar Association

Member

Sample of Legal Cases

Deportation Prevented for Missing Soldier's Undocumented Wife

Deportation prevented, Green Card issued.

See More Legal Cases

Education

1996

Western Michigan University - Thomas M. Cooley Law School

JD - Juris Doctor

1993

University of the Pacific

BA - Bachelor of Arts

Speaking Engagements

2013

Removal For Experts Removal Ground and Defenses

2013

ILW.com Seminar Series Comprehensive Immigration Reform

2013

Hard Line Talk Radio Immigration Reform

2013

AILA Media Training

Ethics and Professionalism Questions When Dealing with the Media

2013

AILA Education Department Seminar Seeking Remedies from ICE Post-removal Order

2012

Huffington Post Live More Immigrants, Please

2009

AILA's Annual Conference

Grounds of Inadmissibility

Publications

Languages

English

Activity

Top Contributor

Matthew earned significant contribution points in 2013.

Avvo Rating

Our Rating is calculated using information the lawyer has included on their profile in addition to the information we collect from state bar associations and other organizations that license legal professionals. Attorneys who claim their profiles and provide Avvo with more information tend to have a higher rating than those who do not.

What determines Avvo Rating?
  • Experience & background Years licensed, work experience, education
  • Legal community recognition Peer endorsements, associations, awards
  • Legal thought leadership Publications, speaking engagements
  • Discipline Disciplinary information may not be comprehensive, or updated. We recommend that you always check a lawyer's disciplinary status with their respective state bar association before hiring them.
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