TOP 10
Laura Foote Reiff
Greenberg Traurig LLP
Laura Foote Reiff has been involved in
EB-5 since the program’s inception in
1990. With roots as a business immigration attorney assisting with EB-5 direct
investments, Reiff has grown to become
co-chair of Greenberg Traurig LLP’s
business immigration and compliance
group, a co-managing shareholder for
the firm, and the leader of The EB-5
Michael Gibson
Bass, Berry & Sims PLC
Michael Gibson is a member in the
Washington, D.C. office of Bass, Berry
& Sims PLC and counsels clients
on traditional finance and real estate
transactions, with a particular focus
on EB-5 funding options working
closely with developers, regional centers
and other intermediaries. Prior to
joining the firm, he was a partner at an
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EB-5 AT TORNE YS SPECIALIZED FIELDS
L IS T ED BY A
Immigration Coalition – a diverse
organization of trade associations and
businesses working to advance the EB-5
program.
A multi-disciplinary international law
firm, Greenberg Traurig is comprised of
more than 1,800 attorneys practicing in
38 offices worldwide. Reiff collaborates
with Greenberg Traurig’s dedicated
EB-5 team, which includes professionals
such as economists and securities
attorneys, to assist both investors and
developers across the full spectrum of
EB-5 matters.
As a founding member of The EB-5
Immigration Coalition, Reiff is actively
committed to reforming one of the
most challenging aspects of EB-5: the
program’s policy complexities. She finds
that the bureaucracy of interfacing with
various agencies is frustrating and works
against the EB-5 program’s underlying
goal of creating U.S. jobs.
Despite the intricacies of navigating
EB-5 policy, Reiff finds that working
towards transparency in business immigration laws and regulations is one of
the most rewarding components of her
job. She has been involved with federal
legislation for more than 15 years, and
her endeavors as a registered lobbyist for
The EB-5 Immigration Coalition allow
her to have a direct effect in promoting
and supporting the continuation of the
EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program.
The ability to see families obtain
their green cards is another reason that
motivates Reiff, and she enjoys seeing
projects flourish from start to finish.
With more than 25 years of experience,
she has gained a close understanding of
how the EB-5 program has changed.
From only allowing direct investments,
to it s revamp with the introduction of
the Regional Center Pilot Program,
to a current industry populated by
better-quality projects sponsored by
reputable names, Reiff feels that EB-5
has developed in an overall positive
direction.
AMLAW 100 firm.
Gibson has worked on transactions
involving EB-5 capital utilized to
finance and develop energy power
plants, hotels and other infrastructure
assets. His first transaction including
EB-5 capital involved the financing of
a parking deck asset and, in keeping
with the industry’s progress, his
subsequent transactions have evolved in
sophistication and complexity. As EB-5
transactions have been underwritten
and documented in a manner similar
to traditional financing and real estate
transactions, Gibson’s background has
helped EB-5 lenders and developers
utilize EB-5 capital while maintaining
a fair and reasoned balance between
the parties. By providing sound and
creative solutions to EB-5 financings, he
hopes to strengthen and grow the EB-5
program in the United States and its
perception abroad.
In addition to his EB-5 experience,
Gibson has represented borrowers and
lenders in a variety of financing arrangements, including senior debt (secured
by assets and/or cash flow), mezzanine
debt, and construction and development
financing. Gibson has assisted companies
in financing and managing real estate
used in their own business operations,
and investors in real estate transactions
involving occupied properties, including
representation of real estate investors in
multiple sale-leaseback transactions in the
United States and abroad. He has worked
with many industries, with particular
focus on the hospitality industry.
Gibson earned his undergraduate
degree from Boston College and a Juris
Doctor from American University’s
Washington College of Law. In 2014 and
2015, he was recognized by Legal500 in
the area of Real Estate and Construction.
Outside of his law practice, Gibson
enjoys tinkering with and keeping old
cars running and fly-fishing.
EB5 INVESTORS MAGAZINE