Spotlight On: Catherine Macris, Managing Partner – Boston Office, Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, LLP
May 2024 — In the interview with Invest:, Catherine Macris, managing partner of the Boston office at Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, focused on addressing industry-specific challenges and advancements across industries, with particular emphasis on the local biotech sector, amid economic fluctuations and policy shifts.
What is Fragomen’s role in Boston’s legal landscape?
Fragomen is the world’s largest provider of immigration services helping corporations, their employees and individual clients achieve their global mobility goals. Our clientele ranges from Fortune 500, multinational corporations to small startups and individual entrepreneurs. Our primary objective is to assist them in navigating the complexities of immigration law, enabling the global movement of people to meet their business and personal needs.
Our work is crucial for businesses aiming to meet their resource needs by hiring foreign talent or relocating employees globally. I specialize in U.S. immigration law and have been with Fragomen for 17 years. My journey started in our New York City office, followed by a stint in Sydney, Australia, where I oversaw our consular practices team for the APAC region. For the past six years, I’ve been based in Boston, working closely with clients headquartered here, as well as those with offices across the United States and worldwide. This diverse clientele offers a broad perspective on the economic and legal landscapes, particularly in Boston.
What are some of Fragomen’s recent achievements in Boston?
We have a number of accomplishments to be proud of in the Boston office. As one of our many female-led offices, I’m proud to say that we were recently awarded the Lawyer’s Weekly Women Empowerment Award. Additionally, we have also begun a Global Mobility Morning series at the office which brings together our local clients and local global mobility experts for roundtable discussions on solutions to the most pressing challenges facing the industry. We are proud of our client satisfaction scores which remain higher than ever and we look forward to another strong year in support of our many clients.
Which industries look for your services the most?
Our clients span a diverse base of industries, from technology and e-commerce to management consulting and power management. In addition, biotech is a significant sector driving demand in Boston in particular. We’re witnessing an increase in hiring and growth in the small biotech sector. Additionally, the conversion of commercial spaces into lab spaces is noteworthy in Boston, highlighting growth in this area.
What are the common challenges your clients face?
The constant change, especially in immigration, is a pervasive challenge. This includes shifts in government forms and the interpretation of regulations. For us, it underscores the importance of seeing immigration as more than just a transaction — it’s about comprehensive strategy, compliance, and program management. These challenges present opportunities to emphasize the need for a broader, more strategic approach to immigration.
How does Fragomen incorporate technological innovations?
At Fragomen, we’ve embraced technology to enhance efficiency and service quality. Our clients have access to case processing and management systems, which allow them to track their case status. We offer dashboards for monitoring spend and demographics. Additionally, artificial intelligence plays a crucial role in our operations. For instance, the U.S. immigration service uses a chatbot, and other countries employ AI in even more advanced capacities. We’re exploring and adopting advanced technologies, including generative AI, to further our capabilities. Our innovations include chatbots for efficient inquiry resolution, document processing centers utilizing Optical Character Recognition (OCR) for data extraction from government notices, and process mining for workflow optimization and predictive analytics. We’re committed to the responsible use of AI, ensuring a human element remains in critical areas.
How is Fragomen attracting and retaining top talent?
Fragomen prioritizes our people, regularly conducting surveys to understand employee well-being and business needs. Embracing a hybrid work model has proven valuable for employee satisfaction and retention. Despite the push for returning to office spaces, we’ve successfully implemented and maintained a hybrid work environment globally, which has been positively received by our team. This approach has also allowed us to reduce our commercial footprint.
What is Fragomen’s role and initiatives in the Boston community?
Our community engagement in Boston focuses on pro bono work, especially with immigration-related organizations. We collaborate with groups like MIRA, KIND and the International Institute of New England, conducting citizenship and temporary protected status clinics. I personally serve on the board of the local YMCA, aligning our efforts with broader community initiatives. Additionally, we’ve partnered with the Petey Greene program, further extending our community involvement.
What advice would you give aspiring lawyers, particularly women, looking to enter the sector?
For women, the differentiation between mentors and sponsors is crucial. In my journey, having both a mentor and a sponsor was transformative. They not only guided me but also actively promoted and encouraged me, pushing me to seize every opportunity. My primary advice would be to view every obstacle and challenge as a potential opportunity. Maintaining a positive outlook is key. Even when one door closes, another opens. Embrace each experience as a learning opportunity, even if it diverts from your initial plan. This mindset can significantly influence your career trajectory and help you remain enthusiastic about unforeseen changes.
How have economic challenges impacted your sector and organization?
The tech industry, particularly big tech companies, was significantly affected by the economic downturn last year. This downturn also impacted our clients in the small to midsize sector, though not to the same extent. Interestingly, this period presented an opportunity for these smaller and midsize clients to capitalize on the available talent that emerged in the market because of the downturn. We observed this trend particularly in the Boston area, illustrating how setbacks for some can create opportunities for others. It’s a reminder of the dynamic nature of the market and the potential for growth even in challenging times.
I see two primary trends across industries: focus on employee satisfaction and cost containment. The challenge lies in balancing the efforts to keep employees happy and engaged with the need to manage costs effectively. This balance is critical, given the economic caution many organizations are practicing. To navigate this, companies must carefully consider their strategies, which include their policies on sponsorship, covering costs for dependents, offering rotational programs, and providing development and training opportunities. These factors are crucial not only for managing costs but also for ensuring employee satisfaction, retaining talent, and attracting top professionals.
What are Fragomen’s top priorities for the next two to three years?
Focusing on the future, understanding and leveraging technology will be central to Fragomen’s evolution. We’re committed to aligning with our clients’ needs by deeply understanding their business and what’s important to them. Given the upcoming election year, political shifts and potential regulatory changes are certainly on our radar. We’re also closely monitoring hiring trends, feeling cautiously optimistic based on current data and projections. Furthermore, considering the growth sectors in regions like Boston helps us target our support effectively. Lastly, the hybrid work model and its implications, including immigration, are areas we’re watching closely. This is crucial for advising our clients on employment models that promote employee satisfaction and meet legal requirements. These priorities will guide us as we adapt and support our clients through change.
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