Jonathan A. Grode Esq.
U.S. Practice Director (Managing Partner)
Philadelphia (U.S. Headquarters)
1524 Delancey Street, 4th Floor Philadelphia PA 19102 US
Providence (New England)
400 Westminster Street, Suite #49 Providence RI 02903 US
jgrode@gands-us.com
(215) 395-8959
vcard
Bio
Jonathan Grode serves as the U.S. Practice Director and Managing Partner for Green and Spiegel. Jonathan has worked continuously in the U.S. business immigration law field since 1999 and has amassed considerable experience obtaining nonimmigrant and immigrant visas for new company start-ups, professional workers, artists and entertainers, athletes, physicians, and scientific researchers. In addition, Jonathan has significant experience dealing with Department of Labor and Department of Homeland Security enforcement actions as well as immigration related aspects of Mergers and Acquisitions.
Jonathan has been a panelist and moderator on immigration law topics for numerous organizations, including the American Bar Association, Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, French Chamber for Commerce and Industry (Paris, France), and the American Immigration Lawyers Association. He also writes regularly for industry publications and academic journals. In addition, Jonathan is an Adjunct Faculty at Temple University’s Beasley School of Law where he teaches Business Immigration Law, Advising Global Corporations, and Law Practice Management. In 2020, Jonathan Grode was named Adjunct Faculty of the Year by Temple University.
Notably, Jonathan has been listed as one of SuperLawyers Rising Stars from 2012-2019 and since 2020 continuously been named a Super Lawyer. He has also been honored with the 2014 Pennsylvania Bar Association Special Achievement Award for “Dedication and Commitment to the High School Mock Trial Competition”, for which he has served as Lead Author since 2007. Jonathan was also the recipient of Lexology’s Client Choice Award in 2019 and was named in the 2020 and 2023 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Jonathan graduated first in his class from Temple University Beasley School of Law in 2008.
Practice Areas
Education
- Temple University Beasley School of Law, Magna Cum Laude, 2008
- Case Western Reserve University, Magna Cum Laude, 1999
Affiliations
- ABA Labor and Employment Law Section Immigration and Human Trafficking Administrative Committee
- Management Co-Chair: 2015 – Present
- Annual Conference Track Coordinator: 2016
- Liaison to ABA Business Section: 2015 – Present
- AILA Philadelphia Chapter CBP Committee
- Co-Chair: 2015 – Present
- ABA Labor and Employment Law Section Immigration Committee
- Member: 2009 – 2015
- Co-Chair: 2011 – 2015
- Annual Conference Track Coordinator: 2011 – 2015
- ABA Labor and Employment Law Section Human Trafficking Task Force
- Member: 2013 – 2015
- Liaison to ABA Business Section: 2014 – 2015
- Assisted in drafting State Model Law on Employer Liability for Human Trafficking on behalf of Uniform Law Commission: 2013
- Assisted in vetting Corporate Self-Governance Policies for Labor Human Trafficking: 2013
- Working Group Leader for Database of Anti-Human Trafficking Resource Material: 2014 – present
- ABA Labor and Employment Law Section Host Committees
- 2015 Annual Conference – Philadelphia: 2014 – 2015
- Annual Mock Trial Philadelphia Regional Tournament: 2014 – Present
- ABA Leadership Development Program
- Participant: July 2014
- AILA Philadelphia Chapter New Member Divisions
- Co-Chair: 2010 – 2014
- Chair Emeritus: 2014 –2015
- AILA National Chapter Student Outreach Committee: 2014 – Present
- Board Member French American Chamber of Commerce (Philadelphia Chapter): 2014 – Present
- Pennsylvania Bar Association Young Lawyers Division Statewide High School Mock Trial Competition. Executive Board Member: July 2009 – Present.
- National High School Mock Trial Association. Case Writing Committee: 2013 – Present.
- AIJA (International Young Lawyers) President, Immigration Commission, 2011, 2012
- ABA Labor and Employment Law Sec. Marketing Committee, 2011, 2012
- AILA Philadelphia Chapter – Annual March CLE Co-Chair: 2012
- AILA NMD National – NMD Nominating Committee: 2011, 2012, 2013
- AILA Philadelphia Chapter – Nominating Committee: 2013, 2016
Awards
- Lead Counsel Verified, Thomas Reuters, 2015-2024
- USA Guide for Immigration in Pennsylvania: Band 2 Lawyer, Chambers and Partners, 2025
- Top Immigration Attorney, The Best Lawyers in America®, 2021-2025
- Clients’ Choice Award, Avvo, 2022, 2024
- Professional Excellence Award: Unsung Hero, The Legal Intelligencer, 2022
- Pennsylvania “Super Lawyer” for Immigration Law, Super Lawyers, 2020-2024
- Client Choice Award, Lexology, 2019
- Pennsylvania Rising Star for Immigration Law, Super Lawyers, 2012-2019
- Law360 “A New and Promising Immigration Tool for Entrepreneurs”
- USCIS Naturalization Ceremony at Abington Senior High School, Guest Speaker, 2015
- Special Achievement Award for “dedication and commitment to the high school mock trial competition”, Pennsylvania Bar Association May 16, 2014
- Quoted in: The P-1 Visa And Suk-Min Yoon: How the Pitcher Will Get His Visa. Global Sports Integration Blog. February 16, 2014. http://globalsportingintegration.com/p-1-visa-suk-min-yoon/
- Quoted in: Immigrant Investor Program Gets Watchful Eye. Legal Intelligencer. May 21, 2013
- Quoted in: H-1B Visas are Hot Again, for Philly Firms too. Newsworks. April 8. 2013 (aired on WHYY). http://www.newsworks.org
- Pennsylvania Bar Association Accommodation: for pro bono efforts related the high school mock trial competition. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. March 31, 2012
- Quoted in: Egg Harbor Township officials see foreign investment as solution for West Atlantic City. Press of Atlantic City. August 12, 2011 and online – http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com
- Graduation Speaker (Evening Division): Temple University Law School Commencement, May 22, 2008
- Albert J. Bricklin Memorial Award for Distinguished Scholastic Performance: given to the 2008 graduating senior with the highest cumulative average in the Evening Division, Temple University – May 22, 2008
- The David Adamany Award: given to the 2008 graduating senior who excelled in the study of constitutional law, Temple University, May 22, 2008
- The Nat N. Wolfson Memorial Award in Real Property: given to the 2008 graduating senior who earned outstanding grades in the field of real property law, Temple University, May 22, 2008
- Greg R. Wiegand ’98 Memorial Fund Award: awarded to a graduating senior who has overcome adversity and demonstrated perseverance and excellence while participating in the John S. Bradway Mock Trial Program, Temple University, May 22, 2008
- Education and Participation Project (LEAP) Huey R. Burkett Service Award Temple University Law School, March 8, 2008
- Louis Matkoff Scholarship for the 2007/2008 academic year, “Outstanding Academic Achievement”, Temple University Law School, October 2007
- Hilary Holloway Scholarship for the 2005/2006 academic year, “Outstanding Academic Achievement”, Temple University Law School, October 2005
- Honor Code Representative, Temple University Law School, 2005 – 2008
- Board Member. Good Shepard Mediation Center. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 2006 – 2008
- Nominated for the Student Choice Award for Student Leader, Temple University Law School, 2007
- Founder: College Scholars Program at Case Western Reserve University
- Showing of authored and produced short films at film festivals
- Winner “I Love New York” Song Writing Contest, 2002
Blog Posts
- Support and Advocacy Following the U.S. Election Results
- Local immigration lawyers weigh in on the election’s hot button issue
- USCIS Issues O-1A and NIW Updates Following January 2022 Policy Guidance
- USCIS Announces Second H-1B Lottery Drawing for Regular Cap
- Bolstering STEM Talent with the National Interest Waiver: How a 2022 update streamlines the green card process
- Pennsylvania Statewide High School Mock Trial Competition History
- Bolstering STEM Talent with the National Interest Waiver
- Department of State Update – Encouraging Trends Worldwide While Canada and Mexico Lag Behind
- The Economics of Immigration: How current law does not meet the reality of business and life in the U.S., a presentation by Jonathan Grode
- Live Online CLE Program at Temple: “The Economics of Immigration”
Events
Feb 12 2025
Canada/U.S. Border: Fact or Fiction
Online
No event found!
Media and Presentations
- In the Eye of the Visa Holder American Bar Association Labor and Employment Law Section Newsletter. Volume 44 Number 2. Winter 2016.
- Managing Unintended Consequences of Immigration Reform America Bar Association Labor and Employment Law Section Newsletter. Volume 43, Number 3. Spring 2015.
- Temporary Protective Status and Ebola (with Andrew Rodgers) AILA Law Student Newsletter. December 2014.
- The Politics of Compliance Control Systems Integrators Association Newsletter. www.csia.org. July 2014.
- O-1B: For More than Traditional Artists (with Alex Varghese) AILA New Member Division E-News. Vol. 6. Issue 3 – www.aila.org, July 2014.
- Changing Immigration Regulations Raise Employment Issues America Bar Association Labor and Employment Law Section Newsletter. Volume 42, Number 3. Spring 2014.
- Immigration Action – the Civil Side of Employing Foreign Nationals (with Brian Green, Esq. & Alex Varghese, J.D.) ABA Labor and Employment Law Section 7thAnnual Conference. November 2013.
- Avoiding Stumbling Blocks in Acquiring TN Status (with Karen Jensen, Esq.) AILA New Member Division E-News. Vol. 5. Issue 2 – www.aila.org, May 2013.
- Representing Corporate Clients: Managing Immigration Risk for “Compliant” Employers (with Jane W. Goldblum, Esq.), The Labor Lawyer: A Journal of Ideas and Developments in Labor and Employment Law Spring 2013.
- Opening Pandora’s Box: Immigration Issues Affecting Labor Lawyers (with Wendy Castor Hess, Esq.) Pennsylvania Bar Institute’s 18th Annual Employment Law Institute. April 2012.
- Employer-Related Issues to Spot Before Commencing a PERM Case (with Wendy Castor Hess, Esq. & Maria P. Fritzinger, Esq.), AILA’s PERM Labor Cert Guide. AILA December 2011.
- 3 Practice Pointers for Employment-based Green Card Sponsorship AILA New Member Division E-News. Vol 3. Issue 4 – www.aila.org, December 2011.
- Organizing CLE Events for Your NMD (with Jennifer Hermansky, Esq.) AILA New Member Division E-News. Vol 3. Issue 1 – www.aila.org, February 2011.
- Everything You Didn’t Know You Needed to Know About Performing Due Diligence Regarding Immigration Status in Corporate Acquisitions / Mergers (But Were Afraid to Ask) (with Wendy Castor Hess, Esq.), New York State Bar Annual Conference Publication. April 2010.
- Representing Corporate Clients: A New Union between Labor, Immigration and Criminal Counsel (with Wendy Castor Hess, Esq.), The Labor Lawyer: A Journal of Ideas and Developments in Labor and Employment Law, Vol. 24, Number 2, p.223, Fall 2008 (Updated Spring 2011).
- Employer-Related Issues to Spot Before Commencing a PERM Case (with Wendy Castor Hess, Esq. & Maria P. Fritzinger, Esq.), David Stanton Manual on Labor Certification, 4th Ed. p.113. AILA 2008-2009. (with Employer Questionnaire Practice Aid p. 314).
- CHART: Immigrant Visa Options for Scientists and Researchers (with Jane W. Goldblum, Esq.), David Stanton Manual on Labor Certification, 3rd Ed. AILA 2005.