Overview

Ms. Dhinojwala's areas of focus include the following:

• Family-based Immigrant Visa or Permanent Residency: including immediate family members, spouses and fiancées.
• Employment-based Immigrant Visa or Permanent Residency: EB1-First Preference, Persons of Extraordinary Ability, Outstanding Professors and Researchers, Multinational Executives and Managers; EB2-Second Preference, Members of Professions holding Advanced Degrees or Aliens of Exceptional Ability; EB3-Third Preference, Skilled Workers, Professionals and other Workers; EB4-Fourth Preference, Special Immigrants; EB5-Fifth Preference, Employment Creation Investors including investments in Regional Centers.
• Nonimmigrant Visas: Visitor Visas, B-1-for Business/B-2-for Tourist; E-1-Treaty Trader/E2-Treaty Investor E Visas for Traders and Investors; F-1 or J-1-Academic Student Visa; H1B Visa-Specialty Occupation; H2A-Agricultural Labor or H2B-other Temporary Labor Visa; H-3-Trainee; K-Fiancé or Fiancée of U.S. Citizen; L-Intra Company Transferee; M-Vocational Student; O-1 or O-2-Extraordinary Ability; P-1, P-2 or P-3-Athletes and Group Entertainers; Q-International Cultural Exchange Program; R-Religious Vocation or Profession; TN-Trade NAFTA Professionals.
• All aspects of I-9 Compliance, including employer’s rights and responsibilities.
• Extensive experience in Creditor's Rights, Collections and Bankruptcy litigation.

Representative Cases

• Oglesby v. Sunrise Coop., Inc., 2014 Bankr. LEXIS 4104 (Bankr. N.D. Ohio, 2014)
• Vincent Clemens Trust v. Levengood, 2014-Ohio-2922, 2014 Ohio App. LEXIS 2858, 2014 WL 2980948 (Ohio Ct. App., Knox County, 2014)
• First Knox Nat'l Bank Div. of PNB v. Welling (In re Welling), 2013 Bankr. LEXIS 2890, 2013 WL 3760112 (Bankr. N.D. Ohio, 2013)
• HHL Group, Inc. v. Ken's Auto Serv. Ctr., 2011-Ohio-1153, 2011 Ohio App. LEXIS 993, 2011 WL 860427 (Ohio Ct. App., Medina County, 2011)
• Joe Hand Promotions v. Himmelberg, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 48124, 2012 WL 1142939 (S.D. Ohio, 2012)
• Found. for Moral Law, Inc. v. Infocision Mgmt. Corp., 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 108117 (N.D. Ohio, 2008)
• Dodd v. Keybank, 2006 WL 62432, 2006-Ohio-93 (Ohio App. 8th Dist., 2006)
• Flexsys Am., LP v. Kumho Tire, U.S.A., 2005 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 48947, 2005 WL 1126750 (N.D. Ohio, 2005)
• In Re World, Metals, 313 B.R. 720 (2004)

Courts & Bar Associations

• Ohio State Bar Association
• Medina County Bar Association
• Akron Bar Association
• American Immigration Lawyers Association
• U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio
• U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit

Presentations & Publications

• Immigration Attorney Talks Crisis in Ukraine, Community Legal Aid, April 2022
• India News International (Ohio's Asian-Indian Newspaper) Article (July 2020)
• BMD Webinar presentation on bankruptcy and workout options under COVID19, May 2020
• BMD Client Alert on H-1B new registration process, March 2020
• I-9 Compliance and Conducting Internal Audits for Healthcare Providers, Marietta Memorial Hospital, January 2018

• Invited Speaker, I-9 Compliance, E-verify and Audits, Ohio Attorney General’s Conference on International Students and Workforce, November 2017, Columbus, Ohio

• Don’t Let Your Subpoena Fall Through the Cracks (published in the OSBA magazine, Ohio Lawyer) March/April 2008
• Group Presentation: How to Build a Successful Law Practice from a Female Perspective, October 2007, Scanlon Inns of Court
• Group Presentation: Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, November 2006, Scanlon Inns of Court
• Practice Tips, Complying with Civil Rules 33 and 36 (published in the OSBA magazine, Ohio Lawyer) January/February 2006
• Commentary on the 2004 Amendment to Ohio Civil Rules 33 and 36 (published in the Akron Bar Association magazine, Examiner) September 2005.

Professional & Civic Affiliations

• Crain's Cleveland 2022 Notables In Law
• Ohio Super Lawyers (2022)
• 2021 Elam Pro Bono Attorney Award, given annually by the Ohio State Bar Foundation to one attorney who selflessly donates his or her time and talent to pro bono causes
• American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) Advocacy Committee Member (2021)
• Indian Cultural Association of Greater Akron, Pro Bono Legal Counsel and Board Member (2021)
• Sound of Ideas, WVIZ 90.3 radio channel, covered on July 29, 2020
• 2020 Women of Note, Crain’s Cleveland Business (June 29, 2020)
• 2019 Community Legal Aid (North East Ohio) Pro Bono Attorney of the Year
• Akron Bar Association Foundation Fellow (nominated and selected in 2019)
• Community Legal Aid, Board Member since 2014
• Community Legal Aid Investment Committee Chair (2015 to 2019)
• BMD Pro Bono Committee, Co-Chair since 2016
• Selected as the 2012 rising star by the Super Lawyers magazine based on peer review
• Special counsel to Ohio Attorney General’s Office, 2010 to 2013 and 2016 to present
• Cali Award for Student Excellence, 2001, Commercial Law II, Top A
• Cali Award for Student Excellence, 2001, Employment Discrimination Law, Top A
• Basic Legal Research, Top A
• Dean’s List: Spring 2002, Fall 2001
• Akron Municipal Court Mediation Certificate
• India Sunday School in Akron (non-profit entity), Past Chair and Vice Chair