RICHARD M. WILNER

Founding Shareholder

Richard M. Wilner - Immigration Specialist Richard M. Wilner is a founding member of Wilner & O’Reilly, APLC and is Board Certified by the State Bar of California as a Specialist in Immigration and Nationality Law. He is admitted to practice law in the State of California and before the U.S. District Courts for the Central, Northern, and Southern Districts of California, the Northern District of Texas, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and the U.S. Supreme Court. Mr. Wilner holds the prestigious Martindale-Hubbell AV Rating—the highest legal and ethical distinction awarded by peers—and has been recognized as a Super Lawyer every year since 2007.

Mr. Wilner is widely regarded for his work advising middle-market and emerging businesses, entrepreneurs, and foreign nationals of extraordinary ability in athletics, the arts, and the sciences. His practice focuses on the most complex areas of U.S. immigration and nationality law, with particular emphasis on employment-based immigration strategies.

In addition to his advisory practice, Mr. Wilner selectively litigates immigration and federal court matters, primarily involving employment-based immigration issues. His litigation work includes challenges to agency delays, denials, and unlawful adjudications before USCIS and related agencies, as well as matters arising under the Administrative Procedure Act and federal immigration statutes. This focused litigation practice complements his strategic counseling and is reserved for cases presenting significant legal, business, or policy implications.

Committed to public service, Mr. Wilner has served as a Commissioner on the State Bar of California’s Immigration and Nationality Law Advisory Commission. He is a former co-chair of the Orange County Bar Association’s Immigration Law Section and currently serves on the board of the Orange County Jewish Bar Association. He also provides pro bono immigration representation to active-duty members of the United States Armed Forces and previously served as Military Liaison for the Southern California Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

A native of Los Angeles, California, Mr. Wilner earned his Juris Doctor and Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Transnational Business Practice from McGeorge School of Law, University of the Pacific, and the University of Salzburg in Austria. He also holds a Certificate in International Law from the National University of Singapore and Bachelor of Arts degrees in Philosophy and Religious Studies from the University of California. Mr. Wilner has worked internationally, including in Thailand and Vietnam.

Areas of Practice

100% Immigration and Nationality Law

Litigation Percentage

15% of Practice Devoted to Litigation

Certified Legal Specialties

Immigration and Nationality Law, State Bar of California, 2004

Bar Admissions

California, 1996
U.S. District Court Central District of California, 1997
U.S. District Court Northern District of California, 1997
U.S. District Court Southern District of California, 1997
U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit, 2004
U.S. Supreme Court, 2008

Education

McGeorge School of Law, University of the Pacific, Sacramento, California
- Law Review: UC Davis, MLK Hall, 1996
University of California, Riverside, California
- B.A.
- Major: Philosophy
- Major: Religious Studies

Published Works