A lawyer’s Crusade

Bringing families together

LOS ANGELES — “Magandang umaga. Halika na,” says a smiling Atty. Michael J. Gurfinkel to a client visibly surprised by this greeting. He invites the client into his office and leads them to a round conference table, for the consultation.

Always cheerful, Atty. Gurfinkel breaks the ice with a light banter in Tagalog, and soon, the worried and nervous client feels relaxed and ready to get off his chest his immigration problem that has bothered him for so long. As the client relates his story, Atty. Gurfinkel patiently listens.

Once the client is done with his story, Atty. Gurfinkel explains, in plain, simple language, the client’s situation, including the laws which apply to his case, and gives the client the various options available. Atty. Gurfinkel would point out the best alternative, based on the facts the client had just presented. This way, the client knows what is going on with his case, and the choices he has.

Atty. Gurfinkel has every reason to be confident in his job. He may look young for a highly-successful immigration attorney, but he has been an attorney for over 20 years. He is able to present clients’ cases persuasively to the INS or Embassy, proving their entitlement to a visa or green card. This ability to convincingly present, and champion his clients’ cases, is one of the reasons Atty. Gurfinkel has been very successful in handling cases.

In addition to his natural friendliness, and ability to pinpoint issues and make convincing presentation of a client’s case, Atty. Gurfinkel has strong academic and professional credentials. He has always excelled in school – valedictorian in high school, cum laude at UCLA, and law degree honors and academic scholar at Loyola Law School, which is one of the top law schools in California. Atty. Gurfinkel is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association and the Immigration Section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association.

He has been known as the “Attorney of Last Hope” and “Miracle Worker”. He has helped thousands of clients, many of them Filipinos, obtain immigration benefits, such as green cards and non-immigrant visas, in extremely difficult and emergency situations. In many of these cases, the clients had been turned down by other attorneys, who deemed the cases “impossible” or “hopeless.”

But clients know Atty. Gurfinkel’s accomplishments are not real “miracles,” but instead are the result of hard work, dedication, careful planning, strategizing, and compassion for his clients.

Driven by a strong desire to help people, Atty. Gurfinkel and his wife, Millie Sta. Ana Gurfinkel, start their day early in the office. Before 8 a.m., they are already behind their desks, with Atty. Gurfinkel reviewing and monitoring clients’ cases, or updating himself on the latest immigration laws, trends, and procedures. Their office is equipped with the latest in office technology, including computers, scanners, fax machines, computer software, and printers, to help speed up processing of documents.

Atty. Gurfinkel sees clients almost throughout the day, and undertakes phone consultations from as far as Hawaii, New York, San Francisco, Las Vegas, and even in the Philippines. But he always remains relaxed and patient with his clients and their questions. “I know people have problems, and part of my job is to set their mind at ease by answering their questions and concerns.”

Every day, Atty. Gurfinkel makes it a point to check various websites for the latest updates, decisions and rulings on immigration law. Almost every day, there are new decisions, requirements, or procedures that may be applicable to certain cases that he is handling, and Atty. Gurfinkel wants to make sure that he is updated.

Once Atty. Gurfinkel handles a case, he is a picture of seriousness and determination. He makes sure documents and forms are submitted properly and on time to the government agencies concerned. He calls the INS, U.S. Embassy, or clients (whether in the U.S. or in the Philippines), to inform them of developments in their case, or to brief the clients on what documents to submit, and most of all, on how to truthfully answer questions during interviews.

But Atty. Gurfinkel and his Glendale staff are not alone in their task of making dreams come true. Dedicated to serving the needs of intending immigrants from the Philippines, he opened a branch office in Makati. Just like his Glendale office, Atty. Gurfinkel saw to it that his office in the Philippines was well equipped and staffed by caring, reliable, and competent employees. Having the Makati office makes Atty. Gurfinkel very accessible to clients in the U.S. and their families still in the Philippines. Clients feel more at ease, knowing that if there is an emergency regarding their case, they have somewhere local to go. It also makes it easier for his Glendale staff to obtain necessary documents from the Philippines. The office has even become a sort of “one-stop shop” for clients in the provinces, who do not have access to a telephone, fax machine, or Internet E-mail, to send their important documents for a speedy resolution of their
immigration case.

Atty. Gurfinkel’s devotion to his job and his compassion for his clients are legendary. He routinely goes the extra mile to ensure success for his clients. One father, Jesus Mariano, said after Atty. Gurfinkel helped reunite him with his daughter, Joanne, after 16 years of separation: “I thought that after the American Embassy issued a visa to my daughter, Atty. Gurfinkel’s job was done. He had delivered. Yet, his office went the extra mile of helping me with my daughter’s airline booking, to make sure she arrived in the U.S. before she turned 21. Atty. Gurfinkel didn’t have to do that. He really cares for his clients.”

Going the extra mile is not unusual for Atty. Gurfinkel.

Emelinda Nimo was able to obtain her green card just three days before her 21st birthday, despite previous misrepresentation and submission of fake birth certificates. The parents gratefully wrote to Atty. Gurfinkel, saying: “Miracles in the legal profession don’t just happen. A good lawyer makes it happen through hard work and dedication. You make miracles happen because you care.”

Another woman, whose daughter, Marybeth, got her green card just two days
before her 21st birthday, after the mother was accused by the INS and Embassy of attempting to bring in two other children not her own, said that unlike her previous lawyers who seemed disinterested and detached, Atty. Gurfinkel was “very sympathetic and very dedicated. Atty. Gurfinkel believed in me. Without his help, my child wouldn’t be in America.”

“He told me he could not guarantee on the outcome of the case. But he laid out his strategy, and kept me informed of every development in the case,” the woman said.

“I know what these people have gone through, and are going through,” Atty. Gurfinkel says. “I am married to a very compassionate Filipina, and I know how close Filipino families are. Many Filipinos leave behind their families, including young children, to pursue a dream in America and to provide a better future for them. They work very hard to earn more and go through the pain of separation from their loved ones, and constantly keep the hope alive that someday, they will be reunited in America.”

But Atty. Gurfinkel emphasizes that visas are given only to those who truly fulfill the requirements set by the U.S. laws. He has heard all the usual stories, and knows all the tricks Filipinos resort to in order to reach the “Promised Land”, called the United States. But he warns, that the “best way to legalize your status is to do it legally”.

Indeed, Atty. Gurfinkel is successful because he truly cares. “My office is dedicated to bringing families together,” he says. “We will always try to succeed, and do our best to achieve that goal.”

These qualities are shared by his lovely wife, Millie, who takes care of non-legal matters in the law office. Millie, a business graduate of Ateneo de Manila University, takes care of the day-to-day operations of the law office. Together, they turned the Law Offices of Michael J. Gurfinkel into one of the biggest and most successful law offices in Southern California.

The law office’s success is phenomenal. Satisfied clients refer friends and families to Atty. Gurfinkel. He and Millie share the fruits of their success with the Filipino community. They led the way in sponsoring numerous Filipino projects and causes, such as trade expositions, live concerts, TV shows featuring Filipino entertainers from the Philippines, and other projects. They have also supported Independence Day celebrations, calamity fund-raising activities, essay writing contests, and many others. Atty. Gurfinkel even hosted a television show about immigration, in his desire to
keep the community informed.

But all of Atty. Gurfinkel’s hard work and effort boil down to these goals: “bringing families together” and “helping make the American Dream come true.” This desire has become his personal crusade.