BRIAN E. PENDLETON

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SENIOR ATTORNEY
contact:
510-649-9333bp@obrienimmigration.com

Mr. Pendleton joined The O’Brien Immigration Firm in 2012. He has extensive appellate experience. Prior to joining the Firm, Mr. Pendleton spent twelve years in insurance litigation and for an in-house legal group for a major corporation handling a variety of legal matters including patent litigation, anti-trust, and complex litigation.

EDUCATION | J.D. University of San Francisco School of Law, B.A. Middleburry College (History)
ADMITTED | California, New York, The US District Court, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
AFFILIATION | American Immigration Lawyers Association

EVELYN RAMIREZ

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legal assistant
contact:
510-649-9333evelyn@obrienimmigration.com

Ms. Ramirez joined The O’Brien Immigration Firm in 2018. As a Mexican-American, she concentrates on International human rights and enthusiastically assists those looking to live provide a better life for themselves and their families. Ms. Ramirez holds a bachelor’s degree in Law, from University of Guadalajara Mexico and a Master’s Degree in International Transactions and Comparative Law, with a specialization in Human Rights, from the University of San Francisco School of Law. While earning her Master’s Degree, she interned in the International Human Rights Clinic, and served as a volunteer for La Raza and Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach. 

EDUCATION | B.A. University of Guadalajara Mexico,
M.A. University of San Francisco School of Law
LANGUAGE | Spanish

ISMAEL DA COSTA MENDOZA

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legal assistant
contact:
209-284-1216ismael@obrienimmigration.com

Mr. Da Costa joined The O’Brien Immigration Firm in 2018. A native of Venezuela, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Law, from Santa Maria University in Caracas, Venezuela. He has practiced law in several courts in Venezuela. During his career has worked at several law firms in various capacities, He has been designated as a Auxiliary Justice and Private Defender.
Mr. Da Costa founded a civil society, IDCM Associates, dedicated to providing legal services to people in civil, commercial and labor areas.

EDUCATION | B.A.  Santa Maria University, Caracas, Venezuela
LANGUAGE | Spanish

FRANCIS RUANO

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legal assistant
contact:
510-649-9333francis@obrienimmigration.com

Ms. Ruano joined The O’Brien Immigration Firm in 2018. As the daughter of naturalized United States citizens, she has a strong passion in assisting others obtain legal status. Ms. Ruano is a student at Berkeley Community College and enrolled in the cross course transfer program at University of California at Berkeley. She has volunteered at the East Bay Sanctuary, a Board of Immigration Appeals recognized non-profit organization. While there, she translated declarations and supporting documents, and assisted in filling out asylum applications. Ms. Ruano is planning to continue pursuing a career in immigration law.

LANGUAGE | Spanish

JOE NEWMAN

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ATTORNEY & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
contact:
510-649-9333joe@obrienimmigration.com

Mr. Newman joined The O’Brien Immigration Firm in 2017. He is responsible for managing the operations of the firm and executing the firm’s long range growth strategy. Prior to joining the Firm, Mr. Newman maintained a solo law practice. Prior to practicing law, he held several marketing and financial positions in a variety of businesses.

EDUCATION | J.D. University of San Francisco School of Law,
B.S. Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley
ADMITTED | California, The US District Court

DASKA BABCOCK

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ATTORNEY
contact:
209-284-1215daska@obrienimmigration.com

Ms. Babcock joined The O’Brien Immigration Firm in 2016.  She launched the firm’s Central Valley office in 2017 and focuses on asylum cases before the San Francisco EOIR (immigration court) and Special Immigrant Juvenile Status petitions in family or probate court.  Before joining the Firm, Ms. Babcock practiced civil litigation in federal and state courts throughout California for fourteen years.  She has worked on a pro bono basis representing women seeking asylum after suffering domestic violence or sexual abuse in their home countries. Her pro bono work was recognized with the Father Cuchulain Moriarty Award from The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area in 2006.

EDUCATION | J.D. UC Berkeley School of Law,
B.A. University of Chicago (Anthropology and Latin American Studies)
ADMITTED | California, The US District Court, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
AFFILIATIONS | American Immigration Lawyers Association
LANGUAGES | Spanish

ADRIANA VALDEZ

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LEGAL ASSISTANT
contact:
510-649-9333adriana@obrienimmigration.com

Ms. Valdez joined The O’Brien Immigration Firm in 2017. She passionately supports defending all people's immigration and education rights. Ms. Valdez holds an undergraduate degree in Peace and Conflict Studies, with a concentration in Human Rights, from University of California at Berkeley. Adriana is Mexican-American, with family roots in Guadalajara, Mexico.

LANGUAGES | Spanish

PAULA SCHRUMPF

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SENIOR LEGAL ASSISTANT
contact:
510-649-9333paula@obrienimmigration.com

Ms. Schrumpf joined The O’Brien Immigration Firm in 2016. She works with attorneys to prepare visa petitions and asylum applications. Prior to joining the Firm, Ms. Schrumpf lived in Brazil for five years, where she taught English. She holds a undergraduate degree in Italian Studies from the University of California at Berkeley.

LANGUAGES | Portuguese, Spanish and Italian (conversational)

ROSHANI SITAULA

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SENIOR LEGAL ASSISTANT
contact:
510-649-9333roshani@obrienimmigration.com

Ms. Sitaula joined The O’Brien Immigration Firm in 2013. She works with immigrant communities from Nepal and other countries. Prior to joining the Firm, Ms. Sitaula worked as a freelance translator and interpreter. She also worked as a teacher and research assistant. She holds Master’s degrees in Environmental Management and Geology from Christian Albrechts University and Jacobs University in Germany and a undergraduate degree in Geology from Tribhuvan University in Nepal. 

LANGUAGES | Nepali and Hindi

FABIANO P. VALERIO

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ATTORNEY
contact:
510-649-9333fabiano@obrienimmigration.com

Mr. Valerio joined The O’Brien Immigration Firm in 2016. He regularly represents clients before the EOIR (immigration court) and the asylum office.  His practice includes assisting clients with family-based petitions and waivers.  Mr. Valerio enjoys helping clients navigate the complexities of all aspects of the immigration process. Prior to joining the Firm, Mr. Valerio co-founded Renew Law, an organization dedicated to empowering the next generation of attorneys to drive positive and transformative change. While in law school, he interned at the immigration clinic of the East Bay Community Law Center.

EDUCATION | J.D. UC Berkeley School of Law, B.A. University of Miami (English Literature)
ADMITTED | California
AFFILIATIONS | American Immigration Lawyers Association, American Bar Association
LANGUAGES | Spanish, Portuguese

JUNEKO ROBINSON

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ATTORNEY
contact:
510-649-9333juneko@obrienimmigration.com

Ms. Robinson joined The O’Brien Immigration Firm in 2014. She regularly represents clients before USCIS (asylum office) and EOIR (San Francisco Immigration Court). Ms. Robinson has worked pro bono handling asylum cases for the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area.

EDUCATION | J.D. State University of New York at Buffalo Law School, Masters &  PhD, State University of New York at Buffalo (Philosophy), B.A. Dominican College (Humanities )
ADMITTED | California, The US District Court, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
AFFILIATIONS | American Immigration Lawyers Association
LANGUAGES | Spanish, French (conversational)

ROSANNA KATZ

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ATTORNEY
contact:
510-649-9333rosanna@obrienimmigration.com

Ms. Katz joined The O’Brien Immigration Firm in 2016. She currently focuses on asylum cases before the San Francisco EOIR (Immigration Court) and before USCIS (asylum office) and with family petitions. Prior to joining the Firm, Ms. Katz was a litigator representing public entities. She has worked pro bono assisting immigrant handling asylum cases for the East Bay Sanctuary Covenant.

EDUCATION | J.D. UC Berkeley School of Law,
B.A. University of California, Berkeley( Political Science and Spanish)
ADMITTED | California, The US District Court, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
AFFILIATIONS | American Immigration Lawyers Association
LANGUAGES | Spanish

JEFFREY O’BRIEN

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FOUNDING PRInCIPAL ATTORNEY
contact:
510-649-9333jeffrey@obrienimmigration.com

Mr. O’Brien founded The O’Brien Immigration Firm in 2010 to further his vision of offering exceptional, affordable and respectful legal assistance and protection to people who seek to live in the United States. He has been honored by the East Bay Sanctuary, a non-profit organization, for his pro-bono work and served as a mentor for the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights.

EDUCATION | J.D. University of San Francisco School of LawB.A., Loyola Marymount (Philosophy)
ADMITTED | CaliforniaThe US District Court, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
AFFILIATION | American Immigration Lawyers Association

ATTORNEYS

jeffrey o'brien

lead principal attorney

Rosanna Katz

 attorney

Fabiano P. Valerio

attorney

Daska P. Babcock

attorney

ELENA APPLEBAUM

attorney

SUPPORT staff

Roshani Sitaula

paralegal

EVELYN RAMIREZ

paralegal

FRANCIS RUANO

staff support

SILVIA MENDOZA

MAM INTERPRETER ASSISTANT