Mary Kate Fernandez

• Mitratech AdvanceLaw DMP Initiative, Class of 2024
• Warren E. Mouledoux Professional Responsibility Award, 2019

• “I-9 and Foreign Workers: Documentation Essentials for Schools,” American Association of School Personnel Administrators (AASPA) Legal Summit, November 13, 2025, Presenter
• “Work Without Borders,” SCG Legal Annual Meeting, Austin, Texas, September 18–19, 2025, Panelist
• “Know Before They Knock: ICE Preparedness,” RCAW Membership Networking, Dinner & Education, Seattle, Washington, September 10, 2025, Guest Speaker
• “MASS Conference,” Mississippi Association of School Superintendents Annual Meeting, Biloxi, Mississippi, July 14-15, 2025, Presenter
• “An Update on U.S. Immigration Policies (Global Spinette),” SCG Legal Global Spin, National Podcast, April 7, 2025, Podcast Guest
• “AASPA Equity in Action Summit,” American Association of School Personnel Administrators (AASPA), Chicago, Illinois, March 31, 2025, Presenter
• “AASA National Conference on Education” AASA Annual Meeting, New Orleans, Louisiana, March 7, 2025, Presenter
• “Immigration Policy and Enforcement in 2025: What Superintendents Should Understand,” AASA—The School Superintendents Association, National Webinar, January 15, 2025, Speaker

2024

• “H-1B Lottery—Update for 2025,” SCG Legal Global Spin, National Podcast, November 14, 2024, Interviewee
• “What Is the H-1B Lottery and How Could It Affect Your Clients?,” SCG Legal Global Spin, National Podcast, April 2024, Podcast Guest
• “Roofing Road Trips—The Ins and Outs of H-1B Visas,” Roofer’s Coffee Shop, National Podcast, April 12, 2024, Podcast Guest
• “Empowering International Students,” A. B. Freeman School of Business (Tulane University), Webinar, March 20, 2024, Presenter
• “Conrad 30 Program: Implementation and Use for Foreign Physicians,” Oregon State Legislature, Salem, Oregon, February 21, 2024, Expert Witness

2023

• “Coming to America: Immigration Options and Tax Implications,” SCG Legal 2023 Annual Meeting, New Orleans, Louisiana, September 21, 2023, Panelist
• “H-1B Visas: An Employer’s Guide to Hiring Temporary Specialty Occupation Workers,” Adams and Reese LLP, National CLE Webinar, January 26, 2023, Presenter

• Led immigration due-diligence for private-equity acquisitions in construction and industrial sector auditing visa populations, successor-in-interest risks, vendor dependencies, and I-9 exposure.
• Built I-9/E-Verify compliance programs for multi-state employers, including written policies, manager training, and remediation plans post-self-audit.
• Drafted employer communications and SOPs for ICE Notices of Inspection and post-closing I-9 reverification strategies.
• Authored comprehensive RFE/NOID responses for cap-exempt H-1Bs including detailed mission-mapping, duty-alignment analyses, and evidentiary roadmaps.
• Delivered workshops and executive briefings for school HR leaders on immigration enforcement trends, cap-exempt hiring, EAD/OPT/STEM OPT planning, and recordkeeping.
• Represented national corporations and other employers in DOL, FDNS, ICE audits.
• Advised numerous public school districts and charter networks on end-to-end teacher and administrator visa and green card sponsorships.
• Structured cap-exempt H-1B programs for hospitals, educational institutions, public entities and political subdivisions.
• Prepared TN applications, mapping duties to O*NET and the USMCA professions list and aligning evidence for consular presentation.
• Counseled executives on L-1A/L-1B eligibility (including blanket petitions), organizational charts, and job-duty scoping; prepared POE packets and manager/specialized-knowledge narratives.
• Guided a global executive through O-1A preparation and evidence strategy for sustained acclaim, sector impact, and leadership across multinational projects.
• Led an agency rulemaking engagement resulting in the addition of a medical specialty to the state’s Conrad 30 designated specialty list in advance of obtaining J-1 waiver and H-1B visa.