Hari Heerekar

I normally don’t leave public reviews like this, but I feel I must share my experience so that others can make informed decisions when choosing legal representation — especially in sensitive cases like asylum, where someone’s life and safety may be at stake. I hired this firm to represent me in my... asylum case. Unfortunately, I experienced repeated negligence and disorganization throughout the entire process. ❌ Important documents were either submitted late, submitted incorrectly, or never submitted at all — despite the fact that I had provided everything in advance. ❌ My divorce certificate was never sent to the court, which led the judge to question whether I was even divorced. ❌ A witness was scheduled to testify without any immigration status, which the judge said made him ineligible. I was never warned, and as a result, I lost the opportunity to bring someone else. Not only was my case weakened — but my witness was also put at risk. ❌ I was advised that a non-certified translation of my passport was sufficient, but during the hearing, this was challenged and reflected poorly on me. ❌ Just two days before my first hearing, they suddenly replaced my attorney with someone who knew absolutely nothing about my case — not even the basics. He arrived late to court, kept turning off his camera during the hearing (which the judge commented on), and did not say a single word in my defense. There was no closing argument, no support, no professionalism. ❌ Even the judge directly stated that the case had been handled with clear negligence. ❌ At my second hearing, the attorney was again completely unprepared. The government attorney didn’t even bother asking questions — that’s how weak and unconvincing the case was. In addition, there was miscommunication with the court regarding my travel plans (I had only visited family in New York, but the court was told I had “moved”). The judge was visibly confused and frustrated by this misleading information. After everything — after losing my case due to clear mishandling — I received a request from the law firm asking for an additional $4000 to submit a new application. There was no acknowledgment of what had happened. No apology. Nothing. This entire experience left me devastated. I trusted this team to fight for me and protect my son and me — instead, I was left alone and unprepared in one of the most critical moments of my life. I do plan to file a formal complaint with the California State Bar. If anyone else has experienced similar treatment, I would be open to connecting — not out of anger, but out of genuine concern that this doesn’t continue happening to other vulnerable people. I sincerely hope the firm uses this feedback to reflect, improve, and take more care with the lives placed in their hands. No one deserves to go through what I went through.