Leon J. Snaid, Esq.

Leon Snaid

 

  • AV Rated "pre-eminent attorney" by Martindale Hubbell*
  • Certified Immigration Law Specialist by the State Bar of California's Board of Legal Specialization**
  • Author of The Newcomers Guide to Living in the U.S.A., a finalist for the Benjamin Franklin Award, presented by Publishers Marketing Association and it’s successor: EasyWayUSA, the Smart and Safe Guide to Living in the USA.
  • Who's Who in American Law since 1987
  • Past President San Diego County Bar Association Immigration Committee
  • Author of Best Business Buddy, the Golden Rules and Strategies for Smart Business. The Complete A-Z on Business.

 

*AV rating- “pre-eminent” Immigration Attorney.

Martindale-Hubbell is the leading directory used by lawyers to refer their clients to skilled and ethical lawyers in different cities or in other areas of practice.

For more than a century lawyers have relied on Martindal-Hubbell’s Peer Review Ratings to select other lawyers.The ratings are based on the confidential opinions of attorneys and judges, who can testify to a lawyers ability and ethics.

The review information gathered from these people is strictly confidential, enabling participants to provide completely candid assessments of their colleagues. Under no circumstances are any Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings review materials released. A lawyer must have “V” or “very high” ethical standared before a rating will be granted.

There are 3 possible ratings for a lawyers ability:

CV® Peer Review Rating- is a definitive statement of an attorney’s above-average ability and unquestionable ethics.

BV® Peer Review Rating —reflects that the lawyer has a “High” to Very High” ability.

AV® Peer Review Rating — An AV® certification mark is a significant rating accomplishment - a testament to the fact that a lawyer's peers rank him or her at the highest level of professional excellence. Pre-eminent.

 

**Certified as an Immigration Law Specialist by the State Bar of California’s Board of Legal Specialization.

There are currently (August 2007) only 146 Certified Immigration Law Specialists in the State of California.

There are 1,887 lawyers in California, who are seriously involved in the practice of Immigration Law. They must pay a significant annual membership fee to be members of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) to have access up to the minute information on everything that is happening in the field of Immigration Law.

Then there are hundreds, if not thousands of lawyers in California, who represent clients in general immigration matters.

In order to become certified as an Immigration Law Specialist an attorney must prove that he/she:

  • Pass an all day exam covering advanced, complex questions on Immigration Law.
  • Completed a minimum number of cases in many different areas of immigration law;
  • Completed at least 45 hours of continuing education in Immigration Law in the past 3 years; and
  • Has been predominantly involved in the practice of Immigration law for at least 5 years. An Immigration Law Specialist must apply for recertification every 5 years.

 

Biography

Leon Snaid was admitted to practice in the Supreme Court of South Africa, where he practiced law for ten years. In 1976, he was also admitted as an attorney to the High Court of Lesotho. His practice was concentrated in Corporate and Business transactions.

In 1982, he was admitted to practice in California and has concentrated his practice in the area of Immigration Law, with a strong emphasis on complex Business Immigration law issues.

In addition to writing and lecturing on law, he has spoken internationally at conferences on Immigration, International Business Techniques and Cross-Cultural Understanding. Some of the organizations he has presented programs to include the Australian-American Chamber of Commerce, the Western Maquiladora Trade Association, the California's Employers' Council, the National Association of Health Care Recruiters, the South African Foreign Trade Organization and the Association for Services Management International. After practicing law for 36 years in South Africa and California, he is able to provide clients with the benefits of his extensive and diverse experience as an attorney.

 

He is currently admitted to practice in the following U.S.A. courts:

  • The United States Supreme Court.
  • The Supreme Court of California.
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
  • The United States District Courts for the Central and Southern Districts.