Benjamin C. Lau
Benjamin C. Lau is a principal in the Los Angeles, California, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. where he represents employers in corporate law matters, including global mobility issues and developing internal immigration policies.
Ben focuses his practice on inbound immigration within the entertainment and technology fields, including film, television, visual effects, video games, and other interactive multimedia entertainment productions. Ben assists these high-value employees in navigating the complexities of US immigration law, including international travel and long-term immigration planning.
Ben got his start working in corporate immigration right out of college, securing a job as an immigration paralegal at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, CA. Ben has always had a fascination with space and space exploration, so for him this job was the best of both worlds. While at JPL, Ben regularly assisted foreign scientists, research scholars, and their families in connection with international travel and relocation issues. During this time, his work focused mostly on J-1 Exchange Visitor and Outstanding Researcher immigrant visa petitions. He considers himself extremely fortunate to have interacted with leading scientists in the field—and for the opportunity to pay regular visits to the JPL Spacecraft Assembly Facility.
Ben then moved to a boutique immigration firm in the Bay Area where his immigration work focused on professions in the biotechnology and technology fields. There, he worked on H-1B Specialty Occupation visas, O-1 Extraordinary Ability Visas, and First Preference immigrant visas.
Working as a paralegal made Ben realize that in order to help people more, he needed to become an attorney.
Honors and Recognitions
- The Best Lawyers in America©, “Ones to Watch: Immigration Law” and ”Ones to Watch: Labor and Employment Law – Management” (2024)
Published Works
- “That counts as work? Work visa options for creatives in the entertainment field,” Daily Journal (August 2023) [Author]