Overview
With 30 years of experience in business immigration law, Scott Wright is recognized nationally for his proficiency in I-9 and immigration compliance matters. Scott also counsels on immigration issues that arise in employment decisions, mergers and acquisitions, government audits and investigations, and labor law disputes.
Foreign Investor & Entrepreneur Advice
Scott advises businesses and investors on immigration, business and employment issues related to foreign investment options connected with the federal EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, EB-5 regional centers, and temporary work visas available through investment and the establishment of new businesses and corporate entities in the U.S.
HR Training
Scott trains human resources and administrative personnel on establishing I-9 recordkeeping and adhering to I-9 and immigration compliance procedures. He supports clients converting to electronic I-9 recordkeeping and evaluating the use of E-Verify and other federal employment verification programs.
HR Support & Counseling
When questions arise in the hiring and re-verification processes, Scott provides legal support to human resources personnel. Scott manages investigations and company responses to reports of possible illegal alien employment, identity theft in the workplace and reports of Social Security no-matches.
Audits, Investigations & Enforcement
Scott represents employers who are subject to I-9 audits, investigations and enforcement actions before federal agencies, including:
- Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
- Citizenship & Immigration Services (CIS)
- Customs & Border Protection (CBP)
- Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE)
- Department of State (DOS)
- Department of Labor (DOL)
- Department of Justice (DOJ) and its Immigrant & Employee Rights (IER) Section Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
Scott has successfully defended clients against charges of Unfair Immigration-Related Employment Practices.
M&A
During corporate transactions, Scott conducts immigration compliance due diligence. Scott and his team have developed auditing tools that help buyers more effectively assess and address immigration compliance risks both pre- and post-closing.
National Security-Related Compliance
Scott advises employers on federal and state rules on the citizenship status of workers and employment eligibility verification. He supports clients whose contracts or services require compliance with the DOS' International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and the Transportation Security Administration's Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) requirements.
Personal Interests
Scott is an emerging playwright. His first work, Regulation 18B: No Free Man, premiered in England and Wales in 2015. His second offering, The Unfinished, debuted with a reading at the Playwrights' Center in Minneapolis in late 2016. In 2019, Scott wrote his first screenplay, On Three, which is currently in production, with an anticipated release for a short film festival in 2020.
Services & Industries
Credentials
Bar Admissions
Minnesota
Languages
Spanish
Education
University of Minnesota Law School
J.D. cum laude (1988)
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
B.A.
Insights & Events
Latest
Insights
Other Perspectives
- Zombie Attack! Return of Social Security "No-Match" Letters Co-author, AILA Insight, 2019
- The New I-9 Form and E-Verify: Best Practices
Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute, St. Paul, Minnesota 2017 - Immigration & Global Mobility in the Trump Era
Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute, St. Paul, Minnesota 2017 - The Precarious State of the Rule of Law in Tumultuous Times
Lecture, University of Reading School of Law, Reading, England, 2016 - Immigration Executive Action: The Impact on U.S. Companies and Their Employees
Co-presenter, Faegre Baker Daniels Webinar, 2014 - Employment Law Series: Why Companies Should Prepare Now for E-Verify
Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, 2014 - I-9 & Immigration Compliance
Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute, St. Paul, Minnesota, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, 2014 - Global Mobility: The Realities, Strategies & Opportunities for Managing (and Moving) Talent Across Borders
Food & Agriculture National Conference, Faegre Baker Daneils, Minneapolis, 2014 - The I-9 & Immigration Primer: 10 Things All Employers Should Know
20th Annual Indiana Chamber Employment Law Seminar, Indianapolis, 2014 - Current Issues in Employment Verification: What Employers Need to Know to Be in Compliance and to Avoid Costly Errors
Minnesota CLE, Minneapolis, 2013
Honors
- Lawdragon, Leading U.S. Corporate Employment Lawyer, 2020
- Human Resources Executive magazine and Lawdragon.com — Nation's Top 20 Immigration Lawyers, 2011-19; Nation's Top 100 Corporate Labor & Employment Lawyers, 2010-12
- Best Lawyers®— Immigration Law, 2007-22 (Lawyer of the Year - Immigration Law, 2013, 2017)
- Minnesota Super Lawyers — Immigration, 2003-04; 2006-07; 2011-14