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

132 Client Reviews

Showing 1 - 5 of 10 reviews | Cost of Services

Posted by Saif Odah | February 25, 2025 | Hired Attorney | Immigration

Green Card application well done and approved

The laywer and his staff especially Mr. Benjamin, are very professional, reasonable and compassionate about their job and interaction with the client. Mr. Kolken price was much lower than the other options we had. The time to complete our case was super! I am very pleased with Mr. Kolken and his staf...f. If you need something done with no pain, hire this lawyer with no hesitation. I recommend them for my family and friends, and I recommend him for you because dealing with immigration is tough. I wish them the best of the best and God bless them!

Posted by anonymous | July 08, 2024 | Hired Attorney | Immigration

Exceptional Legal Team for Complex Immigration Issues

I received some amazing news today, and I couldn’t be happier. For the longest time, there seemed to be no solution in sight. I have waited for a decade for my complex immigration issues to be resolved. After consulting several lawyers, I felt hopeless since none could offer a resolution. When it was... time to try again, I contacted another recommended lawyer who didn't answer my calls on time. That's when I reached out to Atty. Matthew for a consultation. During our conversation, I was amazed at how confident he was and he agreed to handle my case. Mind you, Atty. Matthew wasn’t my first choice; it was the other lawyer who didn’t return my call. Perhaps that lawyer wasn’t confident enough to handle the complexity of my case. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise, allowing me to talk to Atty. Matthew and retain his services. The fee was reasonable considering the amount of work and attention to detail that went into handling my case. Atty. Matthew’s team, including Rob and Ben, were incredibly helpful. They answered all my questions and assured me that everything would be dealt with, regardless of the responses we received. They were compassionate and attentive to detail, and we were able to win my case. I’m over the moon right now and can’t contain my happiness. I am so thankful to Atty. Matthew, Rob, and Ben for an amazing job. I couldn’t have asked for a better team to handle my case. I went from hopelessness to happiness, and that’s what I’m feeling right now. If you have immigration issues, don’t look elsewhere. Atty. Matthew and his team will take care of you every step of the way. You just have to believe and trust that the result will be favorable to your situation. Two thumbs up to this amazing team—I highly, highly recommend them!

Posted by anonymous | November 18, 2021 | Hired Attorney | Immigration

He is the best!

Mr Kolken is a great immigration lawyer. He is straight forward, honest and confident. Just trust him and do what he tells you to do. I have worked with several immigration lawyers and spent thousands of dollars and all they did was nothing. I can’t even compare Mr Kolken and his team with other imm...igration lawyers.

Posted by anonymous | August 31, 2020 | Hired Attorney | Immigration

Lawyer with a Mission

Matthew L Kolken of Kolken & Kolken is very knowledgeable about his craft. He is straightforward, professional, assertive and very passionate about what he does. He likes to win, a quality every client needs. At first, he may appear a bit overconfident but careful observation discloses that what you... see is his passion oozing out. He believes that “no man is an island” and so he seems well-connected with his community. My predicament started in the early months of 2019 when I was arrested at my home by ICE and spent a month in detention. I met Matthew while in detention where I was facing deportation. Prior to Matthew, I had attained legal counsel services over the years by immigration lawyers whose advise did not have favorable outcomes - my money was taken knowing that the process they were recommending were not congruent to the immigration laws. Matthew’s honesty in the meeting was convincing enough for me to allow him to represent me at the hearing. The immigration judge granted the petition for removing conditions, hence stopping my deportation.

Posted by anonymous | April 22, 2016 | Hired Attorney | Immigration

Canadian Citizen with history of US overstay and failed marriage to US citizen

I am a native of an African country. I had entered the US on a J-1 visa and successfully converted that to an H1-B visa. But somewhere along the line, I overstayed my visa and fell out of status. To make matters worse, I had gotten married during my stay in the US, and my marriage had been deemed ...a pretense by the immigration authorities. I was able to leave the US for Canada after my Canadian residency was obtained, but my overstay caused a 10-year ban on re-entering the United States. After I became a Canadian citizen, Kolken and Kolken were recommended to me by an award-winning firm in Vancouver that dealt with US visa waivers and pardons. They told me that my failed marriage to a US citizen made mine a complicated case. I would have to hire a top law firm with proven credentials. They happily recommended Kolken and Kolken to me. My dealings with Matthew Kolken's firm have left me very impressed. Working with Mr. Kolken and his staff was smooth and professional. Calls are always returned promptly, and there is no delay in attending to issues as they arise. Documentation and instruction are very thorough, and even if there are mistakes, they are never more than one or two in a thousand possibilities. Most of all, they get the job done: in my case, my waiver (of the 10-year ban) arrived in under 3 months, and my waiver renewal in 6 months. I had no problems whatsoever with the immigration authorities. I have extensive experience with lawyers and have seen the ugly side of the immigration law pool, on the US and Canadian sides. I have also worked with other top immigration firms, a few of whom tried to fleece me. Kolken and Kolken are, by far, the best of the US immigration law firms. You may have to pay high charges but you'll get your money's worth. I very strongly recommend them.

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