Counseling Employers Through ICE Audits, IRS Summonses, and Worksite Raids

John earned his J.D. from Drexel University's Thomas R. Kline School of Law and his B.A. from Ursinus College.

John was appointed to Law360's 2025 Editorial Advisory Board, representing the immigration topic on the strength of his extensive knowledge of Form I-9 and employment eligibility verification law. In 2024, he was appointed Vice-Chair of the American Immigration Lawyers Association's Verification and Documentation Liaison Committee after serving as a Member from 2023 to 2024 — one of only twenty attorneys appointed to the selective committee. During his committee tenure, he authored multiple thought leadership pieces relied on by thousands of attorneys advising companies on Form I-9 and E-Verify compliance and was instrumental in responding to proposed regulatory changes.

Through the AILA liaison committee, John liaises with representatives of the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the DOJ's Immigrant and Employee Rights Section, and the Office of the Chief Administrative Hearing Officer on employment verification, Form I-9 requirements, enforcement efforts, and adjudication issues. He is also an active member of the Association of Corporate Counsel, where he has served as Vice-Chair of the Corporate and Securities Law Network. An accomplished speaker and author, John has presented at national conferences including SHRM, AILA, ASHHRA, and HR Florida; his insights have appeared in publications such as the ACC Docket, HR Florida Newswire, and HR Pulse; and he is frequently quoted by outlets including Bloomberg. He will serve as a panelist at AILA's 2026 Annual Conference, presenting on Form I-9 and E-Verify compliance pitfalls and discrimination liability.

John brings a rare 360-degree perspective to worksite compliance. He began his enforcement career as Assistant Chief Counsel in the Office of the Principal Legal Advisor at DHS-ICE in Philadelphia, where he reviewed and litigated Form I-9 violations and worksite enforcement investigations across Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Delaware, and served on an interagency Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force alongside Homeland Security Investigations, the Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate, and the Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service. At ICE, he served as team lead for Form I-9 compliance and document fraud litigation, tried removal cases in Immigration Courts nationwide, and argued multiple cases before the Board of Immigration Appeals. He then moved in-house, serving as Senior Director and Associate General Counsel at Vertical Screen, Inc., where he led the design and implementation of electronic Form I-9 and E-Verify solutions and directed the company's identity verification and fingerprinting businesses. Now at Seyfarth, he counsels employers on employment eligibility verification, ICE audits and Notices of Inspection, and enforcement defense from the firm's nationally recognized Immigration Compliance & Enforcement practice.