(Memphis, TN/May 1, 2008) The law firm of Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC, will present "Navigating Immigration Compliance and Enforcement: E-Verify and Beyond," a series of roundtable events focused on immigration compliance and reform. The program, which is recommended for general counsel, compliance officers, human resource officers, business owners and labor and employment managers, will address the challenges of the current environment of worksite enforcement and verification and will present the available solutions. The events will be held at various Baker Donelson offices during May.

The roundtable discussion will be led by Robert Divine, chair of the Firm's Immigration Group and former Chief Counsel and Acting Director of U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS). The USCIS is the agency within the Department of Homeland Security that runs E-Verify, the Internet-based system that allows participating employers to electronically verify the employment eligibility of their newly hired employees, and cooperates with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the same department. Mr. Divine testified to Congress about E-Verify as USCIS Acting Deputy Director; represented the ethics officer of a major company in its successful defense of federal criminal immigration charges; and provided expert testimony for a major company's RICO lawsuit by union workers. He is the author of Immigration Practice, a practical treatise on all aspects of U.S. immigration law that has been annually updated and reprinted since 1994.

"Employers are in the vortex of Congress' failure to enact a comprehensive immigration solution and the Administration's efforts to demonstrate credible enforcement as a basis for reform," said Mr. Divine. "Business owners, general counsel and human resources managers are understandably struggling for the best approach in this environment."

Participating with Mr. Divine at the events will be various members of the Firm's Employment, Immigration and White Collar Crime practice groups who have real-world experience handling immigration and criminal enforcement cases.