James R. Mayock is Of Counsel with JSPBC, serving a global roster of clients. With over forty years of experience practicing immigration law in San Francisco, he has established himself as a leading authority in the field.

During the 1980s, he served as immigration counsel for Bill Graham Presents, where he pioneered the process of obtaining visas for “rock stars” across various disciplines. Notable recent cases include securing visas for the SalsaSwing band of Ruben Blades for Panama and the acclaimed adult circus act Infamous from Australia. Mr. Mayock’s expertise extends beyond the realm of entertainment. He played a pivotal role in facilitating speaking tours for political figures such as Mikhail Gorbachev and Boris Yeltsin under the O-1 Outstanding Individual visa when the category was carved out from H-1Bs in 1990.

Mr. Mayock began his career handling Deportation Defense and pursuing litigation in the federal courts. He handled many cases of political asylum, including Pavlo Lazarenko, the former Ukrainian prime minister. Notably, Mayock was Yelp’s first immigration counsel, providing visas for their personnel from startup phase to IPO. In the early 2000s, Mayock helped create a nurse recruiting firm that brought thousands of Filipina RNs to American hospitals. Today’s corporate clientele includes one of the country’s leading health care systems, providing visas and green cards for doctors, nurses, allied health, and IT personnel from around the world.

Mr. Mayock studied political philosophy at the University of Toronto, then returned to the United States to attend law school at Indiana University, Mauer School of Law in Bloomington. He clerked for a prominent Senator of the Virgin Islands in St. Croix. There, he met Thomas Elliott, who was to become his partner in the formation of the nationwide immigration firm of Elliot & Mayock LLP in 1995. It was in the Virgin Islands that Mayock developed a passion for sailing.

Mr. Mayock’s early encounters with the immigration system left a lasting impression on him. In 1979, David Crosland was the Acting Commissioner of the Immigration & Naturalization Service (INS). President Jimmy Carter ordered the roundup of Iranian foreign students protesting the Shah of Iran in Los Angeles. Mayock made his first visit to INS at age 25, to present an Iranian F-1 student for Inspection. A decade later, Jim became a partner in Crosland, Strand, Freeman & Mayock from 1990-1994.

Mr. Mayock speaks English, fluent Spanish and minimal Russian. He understands the challenges and stress of immigrating to other countries firsthand, having personally immigrated to two different nations in his lifetime.

With his extensive expertise, Mr. Mayock brings a wealth of knowledge and deep commitment to providing exceptional legal representation to clients navigating the complexities of the immigration system.