Immigration Law
Mary E. Pivec
Recognized in Best Lawyers since 1991 Awarded Practice Areas
Biography
Mary Pivec, based in Woodbridge, Virginia, brings over 45 years of experience as a dedicated management-side immigration and employment attorney at Pivec & Associates PLLC.
Mary's immigration law practice is centered on the vital connection between immigration enforcement and labor protections. She represents employers in various cases, including worksite enforcement, I-9 compliance, and investigations by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division. Her work encompasses civil and criminal proceedings, immigration-related discrimination investigations, and administrative hearings.
Mary is committed to defending employers in complex matters involving employment, immigration, discrimination, and wage and hour issues. She has extensive experience serving as first chair in diverse administrative hearings and appeals on behalf of employers.
For more information about Mary's practice and her role at Pivec & Associates PLLC, visit her profile.
Overview
- English
- University of Maryland, J.D., graduated 1981
- American Bar Association, Section of Labor and Employment Law - Member
- American Immigration Lawyers Association, Documentation and Verification Committee - Member
- National Association of Women Lawyers - Member
- U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Labor & Employment Committee - Member
- Women Lawyers Association, Board of Advisors - Member
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
- U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland
- English
- American Bar Association, Section of Labor and Employment Law - Member
- American Immigration Lawyers Association, Documentation and Verification Committee - Member
- National Association of Women Lawyers - Member
- U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Labor & Employment Committee - Member
- Women Lawyers Association, Board of Advisors - Member
- University of Maryland, J.D., graduated 1981
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
- U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland
Client Testimonials
Awards & Focus
Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2026 for work in:
- Immigration Law
Additional Areas of Practice:
- Employment Law - Individuals
- Employment Law - Management
- Labor Law - Management
- Labor Law - Union
- Litigation - Labor and Employment
Special Focus:
- Anti-Discrimination
- Business
- Defendants
- Employment
- Labor
Awards:
- Fellow, ABA College of Labor and Employment Attorneys
- "Baltimore and Washington DC's Top Attorneys," by The Washington Post
- "Washington, D.C. Super Lawyers" in Employment Litigation-Defense by Super Lawyersmagazine
- The Best Lawyers in America – Immigration Law
- AV® Preeminent Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
News & Media
Additional Information
- DOJ/OSC Investigations
The Office of Special Counsel for Immigration Related Discrimination, a subdivision of the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, has exclusive jurisdiction to investigate complaints and government tips and referrals relating to perceived violations of Section 274B of the Immigration Reform and Control Act by employers, including I-9 and E-verify document abuse and and disparate treatment in selection, hire and termination based on citizenship and national origin status. Mary routinely represents employers in OSC investigations and hearings before the DOJ Office of the Chief Administrative Hearing Officer, a division of the Executive Office for Immigration Review.
- Employment Verification Compliance Training, I-9 Audit Defense, and Fine Appeals
For more than 25 years, Mary has represented employers in all aspects of the employment verification and enforcement process. She regularly counsels employers in structuring I-9 and E-Verify employment verification programs, in migrating to electronic I-9 platforms, in guiding employers and protecting their rights during ICE worksite audits and investigations, in negotiated resolutions of proposed civil money penalties, and in litigation of contested liability and fine determinations before the Office of the Chief Administrative Hearing Officer. From 2007 to 2014, Mary served as Vice Chair of the AILA Verification Committee. She has authored numerous publications on I-9 compliance and defense strategies and is considered to be a leading practitioner in the area of worksite verification compliance and defense.
- H-1B/LCA Compliance Advice, DOL Enforcement - Employer Audit Counsel, and Litigation Defense
Mary has counseled and defended H-1B dependent employers in the IT services industry for more than 20 years in all phases of the DOL Wage and Hour Division's LCA enforcement process, from investigation to determination, from determination through the DOL administrative hearing and appeal stage, and through juridical review of final DOL orders.
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