WAFA J. HOBALLAH, ESQ., LL.M.
Wafa J. Hoballah, attorney at law, has over twenty years of experience representing clients across the globe in business, commercial and corporate law. She has developed a unique practice in which she tailors her services to the clients need in branching to the United States. She has worked with clients from Europe, the Middle East, West Africa, and Vietnam, focusing on major aspects of international business transactions, negotiations, due diligence investigations, development, financing, and joint ventures. Ms. Hoballah’s practice focuses on international investments and investment and employment based immigration.
Ms. Hoballah is an expert on U.S. Lebanese Comparative laws including religious laws as applied by the Lebanese courts. Her domestic practice focuses on assisting Lebanese Nationals with family, probate and estate matters particularly as it relates to religious and civil laws and its compatibility with local United State laws.
Ms. Hoballah also has an expertise in US Immigration and Nationality Law. Combining her personal and legal experience with her cultural background, she provides legal services sensitive to the ethnic, business and cultural needs of the community including, U.S Permanent Residency based on business and investments specifically EB-5, Political Asylum and Violence against Women Act petitions (VAWA).
Wafa Hoballah has been a keynote speaker and featured panelist on a broad range of topics at conferences, organizational meetings and special delegations, including The NGO Committee on the Status of Women, U.N., Human Trafficking, Kazakhstan Delegation, Comparative Law at the Ministry of Justice, Oman, Department of State’s International Information Programs, Developing Marketing and Business Plans, Pskov, Russia, A Platform for Business and Investment, Annual Africa Growth Conference at UCLA Anderson. Ms. Hoballah has also authored The Visa Processing Guild & Consular Posts Handbook Chapter on Lebanon in 2006/2007 and 2007/2008.
Ms. Hoballah is admitted to practice law in New York, District of Columbia and Lebanon. She received her LL.M. from the University of The Pacific’s McGeorge School of Law of California, a diploma in International Private Law from the University of Salzburg, School of Law, a License en Droit (JD) from the Lebanese University Faculty of Law, and her B.A. from the American University of Beirut, Lebanon.
Education
University of The Pacific’s McGeorge, School of Law of California, L.L.M.
University of Salzburg, School of Law, Diploma, International Private Law
Lebanese University, Faculty of Law, J.D.
American University of Beirut, Lebanon, B.A.
Bar Admissions
New York, Appellate Divisions of the Supreme Courts, Attorney at Law Admitted January 1998
District of Columbia Bar, Admitted 2012
Beirut Bar, Lebanon, Attorney at Law Admitted February 1982
Professional Bar Associations
New York State Bar Association
Los Angeles County Bar Association, International & Immigration sections
American Immigration Lawyers Association
International Bar Association, Business, International Trade, Human Rights sections
Arab American Lawyers Association of Southern California
Organizations / Affiliations
Chair, Member, Board of Directors, Los Angeles Beirut Sister Cities Committee
Chair, Board of Directors, International Visitors Council of Los Angeles, Past President
Member, Board of Directors, Lebanese American Foundation, Los Angeles, California, 1999-Present, Secretary-Executive Committee
Member, Community Based Organizations Committee, a program sponsored by DHS/USCIS to promote better relations between local communities and the District Offices
Member, Advisory Board, Refugee Safe Haven Shelter for Victims of Human Trafficking and Domestic Violence, Los Angeles, California
Member, Board of Directors, Lebanese Ladies Cultural Society established to “Fulfill a Child’s Dream through Education”, Los Angeles, California
Member, Advisory Board, von Grunebaum Center for Near Center Eastern Studies, University of California, Los Angeles