Meet Our Attorney

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For the past two decades, Chris has devoted his legal practice to immigration law, providing comprehensive legal representation to non-immigrants and permanent residents. His firm assists non-immigrant clients with visa petitions such as H-1B, L-1A, L-1B blanket petitions, and E-2 investor visas. For those seeking permanent residency, the firm handles employment-based green card processes such as National Interest Waivers (NIW), EB-1A for individuals of extraordinary ability, and EB-1C for multinational executives and managers. In addition, the firm supports clients pursuing family-based residency, filing for inadmissibility waivers, seeking asylum and other forms of humanitarian protection. 

Chris also represents employers in worksite enforcement matters, including I-9 compliance and protecting companies from DHS/ICE excessive overreach. He represents companies facing Notice of Inspection (NOI) investigations by DHS/ICE for lack of immigration compliance (I-9 compliance). He has successfully negotiated reductions in fines for numerous clients, saving local businesses hundreds of thousands of dollars. Chris also represents companies in OCAHO proceedings, the court that handles cases related to employer sanctions, document fraud and unfair immigration-related employment practices. He has defended companies in numerous precedent-setting published OCAHO decisions. 

Chris previously worked for two national refugee resettlement agencies, supervising the provision of immigration legal services to refugees, asylees, SIVs and parolees. He has also presented at the US Capitol to congressional staff on various topics of immigration law, including the legality of re-parole. 

In recent years, Chris was contracted to provide legal services to government-operated programs for recent arrivals. He spent most of the COVID years working at US military bases, managing a team of legal providers and overseeing applications for immigration benefits. In 2022, the Department of the Army awarded Chris the Public Service Commendation Medal.

Chris actively participates in the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) as a member of the Carolinas chapter and leader of the Afghan Evacuation Interest Group. He is a proud recipient of the AILA Michael Maggio Pro Bono Award: in recognition of outstanding efforts in providing pro bono representation in the immigration field. 

Chris earned his bachelor’s degree from Macalester College, majoring in Asian Philosophy. He then received a master’s degree from the University of Hawai‘i’s Center for Chinese Studies, followed by a law degree from the University of Hawai‘i School of Law. During his undergraduate studies, he spent a semester at Yunnan Normal University. While pursuing his master’s, he worked at the Office of International Relations at Peking University. During law school, he externed at the University of Hong Kong.

Chris frequently travels to China to visit family and friends — and to rekindle his love affair with Sichuan hot pot, one spicy bite at a time.

Christopher P. Chaney, Esq.

Attorney and Founder

Licensed in FL

Practice Limited to Immigration Law

J.D., University of Hawai‘i – Law
M.A., University of Hawai‘i – Chinese Studies
B.A., Macalester College – Asian Philosophy