Clara Mager, Butzel Long Photo

Clara DeMatteis Mager is a shareholder based in Butzel's Detroit office. She is a Vice President of Butzel and serves on the firm’s Board of Directors. Ms. Mager focuses her practice on business and family immigration issues including all aspects of the international movement of personnel, inbound and outbound work-authorized nonimmigrant (temporary) and immigrant (permanent) status, immigration consequences of mergers, acquisitions and corporate restructuring, employer sanctions, and immigration law audits (e.g. labor condition applications and I-9). Ms. Mager serves on the Firm’s Board of Director and is a member of the Firm’s Compensation Committee. She is also Chair of the Macomb County Committee and a member of the Firm’s Global Automotive Industry Group.

Overview

Clara DeMatteis Mager is a shareholder based in Butzel's Detroit office. She is a Vice President of Butzel and serves on the firm’s Board of Directors. She is a graduate of Wayne State University (B.S., 1978) and of the Detroit College of Law (J.D., cum laude, 1987) where she was a member of Law Review. Ms. Mager focuses her practice on business and family immigration issues including all aspects of the international movement of personnel, inbound and outbound work-authorized nonimmigrant (temporary) and immigrant (permanent) status, immigration consequences of mergers, acquisitions and corporate restructuring, employer sanctions, and immigration law audits (e.g. labor condition applications and I-9). Ms. Mager serves on the Firm’s Board of Director and is a member of the Firm’s Compensation Committee.   She is also chair of the Macomb County Committee and a member of the Firm’s Global Automotive Industry Group.

Ms. Mager is a frequent speaker on business immigration to professional, educational and business organizations including Wayne State University Law School, International Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan, French American Chamber of Commerce, The German American Chamber of Commerce, Japan PAK, and APROMEX. She also provides training sessions to business clients on numerous topics including U.S. nonimmigrant visas, U.S. permanent resident processing and strategy building to streamline the process, Form I-9 completion and compliance training, outbound non-U.S. immigration general strategic planning, and workplace compliance related to immigration.

Ms. Mager has helped organize and has presented at Butzel Long's full-day Immigration Seminar for the past 18 years. She has also participated as a speaker in Butzel Long's Annual Labor and Employment Forum. Ms. Mager has coordinated and presented numerous programs in the last 20 years. The most recent include programs for the Federal Bar Association, Genesee Area Human Resources Association, the French American Chamber of Commerce, Wayne County Family Lawyers, and the Michigan Institute for Continuing Legal Education.

Ms. Mager is a member the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), American Bar Association, Federal Bar Association (previous member of the Leadership Council of the Immigration Committee), State Bar of Michigan (Past Chairperson of the International Law Section and previously held positions of Chair-elect, Secretary, Treasurer, Council Member and Chairperson of the Immigration Committee), Women Lawyers Bar Association and Italian American Bar Association (Board Member). She is also active in Lex Mundi's Immigration Group (Regional Chair and former Chairperson), the J.D./L.L.B. Advisory Board, University of Detroit Mercy School of Law/University of Windsor Faculty of Law (Board Member and past Chair), and the Italian American Alliance for Business and Technology (Board Member). Ms. Mager is a graduate of the Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce Leadership Detroit XXII Class. She is listed in The Best Lawyers in America (Immigration) and Michigan Super Lawyers (Immigration). Ms. Mager is a Martindale-Hubbell featured AV Peer Review Rated Lawyer.

Ms. Mager is active in the community working on pro bono immigration matters, and assisting the Michigan Chapter of AILA in activities associated with naturalization ceremonies and community based outreach programs.

Primary Practice Areas

Credentials

Education

Detroit College of Law 1987, J.D.

Wayne State University 1978, B.S.

Admissions

  • Michigan

Memberships

  • American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA)
  • American Bar Association
  • Federal Bar Association - previous member of the Leadership Council of the Immigration Committee
  • State Bar of Michigan - Past Chairperson of the International Law Section previously held positions of Chair-elect, Secretary, Treasurer, Council Member and Chairperson of the Immigration Committee
  • Women Lawyers Bar Association
  • Italian American Bar Association - Board Member
  • Lex Mundi's Immigration Group - Regional Chair Former Chairperson University of Detroit Mercy School of Law/University of Windsor Faculty of Law - J.D./L.L.B. Advisory Board member and past Chair
  • Italian American Alliance for Business and Technology - Board Member
  • Cornerstone Schools Association

Awards & Recognitions

Awards & Recognitions

The Best Lawyers in America® - Immigration Law, 2007-2025

Michigan Super Lawyers, Immigration, 2008, 2014-2017, 2019-2023

Martindale-Hubbell featured AV Peer Review Rated Lawyer

Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce Leadership Detroit XXII Class graduate

DBusiness Top Lawyers in Metro Detroit, Immigration Law, 2011-2024

Chambers USA - America's Leading Lawyers for Business, Immigration, 2021-2023

Experience

  • Assisted with preservation of residency for naturalization purposes for individuals transferred overseas
  • Conducted in-house training on I-9 form compliance and retention, including electronic completion and storage of I-9 forms
  • Managed multi-country projects and obtained work authorizations in multiple jurisdictions for individuals of various nationalities.
  • Analyzed effect of corporate changes, including mergers and acquisitions, on foreign national’s immigration status.
  • Represented clients in complex naturalization matters including restoration of U.S. citizenship, appeals for denied naturalization applications, and evaluate strategies for overcoming grounds of ineligibility.
  • Prepared J-1 waivers of 2 year foreign residency requirement based on no-objection letters, interested government agencies, hardship and other grounds
  • Obtained re-entry permits to maintain permanent residence status in the United States for individuals transferred abroad
  • Consulted with clients regarding special permanent resident card interviews
  • Coordinated the establishment of foreign corporate entities and assistance with multi jurisdictional tax issues
  • Analyzed eligibility for naturalization through parents or grandparents and prepare necessary documentation
  • Represented clients with applications of waiver of inadmissibility due to past legal history or immigration history.
  • Obtained re-entry permit to maintain permanent residency for individuals transferred overseas
  • Represented clients seeking LPR status based on Cuban Adjustment Act
  • Obtained approval of Immigration Petition for Alien of Extraordinary Ability for various professionals including engineers, scientists, corporate executives, professional athletes, entertainers, coaches, and trainers.
  • Represented clients at Port of Entry to process admission to US under NAFTA
  • Assisted employers in obtaining appropriate nonimmigrant classification (TN, H-1B, H-3, L-1A, L-1B, O-1, E-1/E-2, P) and immigrant classification (EB-1, EB-2, EB-3 and EB-5).
  • Conducted in-house training regarding preparing and maintaining H-1B public access files and Labor Certification Applications
  • Obtained permanent resident status pursuant to registry provisions based on residence in U.S. since January 1972
  • Evaluated retention of dual citizenship for U.S. and other countries such as Germany, Italy, Australia, Canada, etc.
  • Conducted internal audits of I-9 forms for clients
  • Represented clients in obtaining visas at various US Embassies and Consulates abroad
  • Advised employers regarding maintenance of employer/employee relationship when foreign national is placed offsite
  • Represented employers during investigations conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement or Department of Labor regarding employment verification issues.
  • Provided preventative counseling on Department of Homeland Security and Department of Labor investigations and employer sanctions.
  • Preparation of J-1 Exchange Visitor and H-3 Trainee applications and petitions for employees of foreign companies with U.S. facilities
  • Represented employers during investigations conducted by USICE and USDOL regarding employment verification issues
  • Obtained removal of conditions on permanent residency
  • Represented employers in investigations conducted by the USDOL concerning H-1B Labor Condition Application public access file including benching and wage and hour issues.
  • Assisted family members in obtaining appropriate fianc
  • Represented employers in USCIS administrative site visit
  • Obtained waivers of inadmissibility including waivers for entry into Canada for individuals who have DUIs/DWIs

News & Events

News

Speaking Engagements

Alerts & Publications

Client Alerts

Jump to Page

By using this site, you agree to our updated Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use.