Partnering with employers to manage federally compliant immigration programs

Tiana Gierke O’Konek assists clients across a variety of industries with legal issues associated with hiring, transferring and permanently sponsoring foreign-national employees. She works on matters before the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the Department of Labor (DOL) and U.S. consulates. Tiana assists with a full range of employment-based immigration matters, including:

• Preparing non-immigrant visas, including TN, H-1B, O-1, L-1A and L-1B.
• Processing employment-based green card matters, including PERM, multinational managers and outstanding researchers.
• Advising employees on naturalization and citizenship applications.
• Advising clients and their employees on consular issues related to visa applications abroad.
• Responding to requests for further evidence (RFE).

Tiana’s experiences living and working in countries around the world have fueled her passion for representing individuals from all different backgrounds. Throughout her legal career, she has represented Spanish-speaking clients on issues including immigration, labor and employment, public benefits and civil litigation.

Before joining Quarles, Tiana was director of diversity and inclusion for the Minnesota State Bar Association, where she trained and empowered employees and association members on how to integrate DEI strategies into all bar initiatives and their daily work. Tiana draws from prior experience working for law firms, a labor union and legal aid clinics.

Bar Admissions

• Minnesota

Education

• Bowdoin College (A.B., cum laude, 2003)

• The London School of Economics and Political Science (LL.M., 2010)

• University of Iowa College of Law (J.D., 2008)
  • Honors: Order of the Coif, Iowa Law Review