Immigration & Criminal Law Sections: Crimmigation Webinar

Presenters

Ronald L. Greenblatt, Partner

Ronald L. Greenblatt has successfully litigated more than 1,000 trials involving allegations ranging from serious criminal offenses to civil rights violations, family law disputes, consumer fraud claims, and employment issues.

Since the age of 20, Mr. Greenblatt has protected the rights of individuals and groups. In 1981, he became one of the youngest union shop stewards in U.S. history when he was elected shop steward for New Jersey Restaurant Local 54 (now Local 33). In this position, he fought grievances brought against his fellow union members and filed grievances on behalf of union members. Upon his graduation from law school in 1987, Mr. Greenblatt joined the Defender Association of Philadelphia. There, he handled the defense and trials of hundreds of accused people and was one of only two lawyers appointed to the prestigious Special Defense Unit. He became adept in media relations in connection with successfully trying some of the area’s highest profile cases.

In employment cases, Mr. Greenblatt investigates and litigates claims of discrimination and other employment-related claims. He has recovered millions of dollars for his clients in state and federal court actions.

Ron has been named a Super Lawyer in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey, making him one of the few lawyers to be named a Super Lawyer in both states. He has also rated as a Best Lawyer in Pennsylvania in both criminal and employment law-individuals. He has an AV rating (the highest rating offered) by Martindale-Hubbell for his legal ability and ethical standards.

Mr. Greenblatt is often asked to lecture to judges, criminal defense lawyers, new prosecutors, and Rutgers and Temple law students on adult and juvenile criminal law subjects. He also serves on the advisory board of Ohlbaum on Evidence and on Criminal Law Practice and Procedure in Pennsylvania.

Mr. Greenblatt is the Treasurer for the Atlantic Center for Capital Representation, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping attorneys and individuals facing the death penalty and other unjust sentences. Mr. Greenblatt is a founding Master of the Philadelphia Criminal Law Inn of Court, where he has served on the Executive Committee since the Inn was founded in 2011. Ron is a member of the Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, where he previously served as Vice-President of the Eastern Region and was on the Board of Directors.

Mr. Greenblatt graduated Rutgers University School of Law in 1987. He also received his B.A. from Rutgers University in 1984, where he majored in economics and minored in accounting.

Peter Thompson, Esq.

Peter Thompson, Esq. is an unwavering, determined, and reliable immigration and criminal law attorney known for his tireless efforts in handling critical legal issues. A trial attorney with over 25 years of trial and appellate experience, Peter actively represents individual clients in both the immigration and criminal courts. He is passionate about his work and clients and, through careful and rigorous preparation, confident in his representation. He is devoted to the success of his clients and their protection within our legal system.

In 1999, Peter joined the Defender Association of Philadelphia. A public defender, he represented children and adults in criminal court. Peter then joined the appellate unit, all the while actively working with clients in the criminal trial courts. In 2008, he was chosen for and accepted the Director of the Defender’s Immigration Project position. An industry leader, this unique collaboration between immigration specialists and criminal trial attorneys works tirelessly to advise non-citizen (immigrant) clients of the immigration consequences of criminal charges and convictions. In 2010, Peter and his team joined in an amicus brief for the (ultimately successful) Supreme Court case Padilla v. Kentucky. This important case granted to non-citizen (immigrant) defendants the right to accurate immigration consequences advice from their criminal defense attorneys. Since then, Peter, in addition to direct representation of private clients, is sought after by fellow criminal trial attorneys across the nation for advice and guidance regarding the immigration consequences their clients with criminal convictions face. He has co-authored legal guides, taught in both University and Law Schools, and regularly teaches both lawyers and judges regarding his legal specialties or immigration and criminal law. He is a recognized member of the Criminal Justice Act Panel for the EDPA, where he serves as a court appointed immigration expert. Most important for Peter is his crafting of the individualized, creative and comprehensive legal services he provides his clients with immigration and criminal matters.

In addition to his robust immigration and federal criminal defense practice, Peter actively defends parents and their children facing allegations of improper removal under the International Child Abduction cases (Hague Convention). Combining his unique and comprehensive skill set – a federal trial attorney well versed in both immigration and criminal law with international law experience – Peter supports parents and children who flee abusive relationships and seek protections in the United States. Peter is first and foremost a trial attorney – when others concede, Peter and his team fight to protect his clients in federal court. The U.S. judicial and court system provides a unique opportunity to shed light upon and challenge allegations of child and spousal abuse. Accessing the protections of the courts through creativity and tenacity is the hallmark of Peters practice in this specialized and demanding area of the immigration, criminal and international law.

Peter, a devoted lawyer for his clients, also serves an essential role in training other attorneys, judges, and aspiring lawyers in the areas of immigration and criminal defense law. He frequently lectures locally and nationally on immigration consequences, Criminal Defense, and Trial Advocacy. He is an Honors graduate of the Temple Law Trial Advocacy program, a respected law school clinician in immigration law, a published author, and a valued legal colleague in the Philadelphia area.

It is critical to collaborate with an attorney and legal team who have the knowledge and experience to provide accurate and lasting legal solutions to your immigration, criminal defense, and international law needs.