SAMIYA (SIMI) MIR (PARTNER)
Ms. Samiya (Simi) Mir handles a wide variety of cases in the areas of business law, commercial and civil litigation, criminal defense, and employment. Her practice includes counseling both U.S. and multinational businesses, entrepreneurs, and individuals on a wide variety of matters including commercial and civil rights litigation, employment, corporate compliance, contract negotiation, copyright and licensing, and criminal defense.
Ms. Mir earned her bachelor's degree in political science at Colgate University and graduated cum laude from American University, Washington College of law. Upon graduation from law school, she served as a judicial clerk for the Honorable Vanessa Ruiz, D.C. Court of Appeals. Simi worked at the law firm of Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver and Jacobson from 2001 to 2004, where she practiced trial and appellate litigation and represented businesses and individuals on cases involving securities and white collar crime. She also served as a staff attorney at The Legal Aid Society, Criminal Defense Division where she defended indigent individuals on cases involving various types of criminal conduct.
Ms. Mir has taught classes on immigration consequences of criminal conduct, and has also taught contracts and business law in Milan, Italy. She currently serves as an Adjunct Professor at the prestigious Fordham University School of Law. Ms. Mir is on the executive committee for the South Asian Women's Leadership Forum, Women in the Law, and is a member of Asian Women in Business.
DAVID G. KATONA (PARTNER)
Mr. David Katona specializes exclusively in the area of immigration and nationality law and heads our business and family immigration practice. Mr. Katona earned his bachelor's degree from Wake Forest University, his Master of International Affairs degree from American University's School of International Service and graduated cum laude from American University, Washington College of Law. David Katona has worked as a senior attorney in the Immigration Department at Hodgson Russ LLP and has practiced as an immigration attorney at Bondy & Schloss LLP and at Susie Kim & Associates, PC. In addition to being a partner at Katona & Mir, Mr. Katona also currently serves as Of Counsel to law firms in New York City and Palo Alto, CA.
Mr. Katona is highly experienced in all aspects of business and family immigration as well as removal (or deportation) defense and federal appeals, and he has experience representing all types of business, from Fortune 500 to small- and mid-size companies, as well as individuals from all over the world.
Mr. Katona is an active member of the American Immigration Lawyers Assocation (AILA) and the NYC Bar Association. Notably, he currently serves as the Chair of the New York Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and a member of AILA's NY District Office Liaison Committee. Previously, he served as the Vice Chair and Treasurer of the NY Chapter of AILA, the American Immigration Council (AIC) Ambassador to New York, the Co-Chair of the Corporate Practice Committee of AILA's NY Chapter and a member of the Immigration Committee of the NYC Bar Association. Additionally, Mr. Katona regularly conducts seminars and guest lectures on various immigration related topics. Recent lectures given by Mr. Katona include a talk on business immigration law at a local law school and leading a seminar at AILA's annual conference in Washington, DC. Mr. Katona also regularly authors articles on various immigration articles. Two articles by Mr. Katona were recently published by Aspatore Books, a division of Thomson Reuters.
JOEL NEGRIN (OF COUNSEL)
Joel Negrin has been engaged in the practice of general corporate and business law, contracts, corporations, limited liability companies, partnerships, finance, securities, and real estate development and finance since 1971. He has served as Vice President – General Counsel of Damson Oil Corporation, an American Stock Exchange listed company and leading national syndicator of financial products. Mr. Negrin was also a Corporate Partner at Goodkind Labaton Rudoff & Sucharow LLP from 1998 to 2003. He has also been an Adjunct Professor at Pace University, Lubin School of Business.
Mr. Negrin is a graduate of Cornell University, College of Arts and Sciences, and the New York University School of Law. He is a member of the American Bar Association, Business Law Section, Committee on LLCs, Partnerships and Unincorporated Entities, and of the NYC Bar Association.
Mr. Negrin acts as Of Counsel to Katona & Mir on a variety of complex business law matters including mergers and acquisitions, investment agreements, corporate compliance, and corporate structuring.
DIANE ABOUSHI (OF COUNSEL)
Diane Aboushi earned her bachelor’s degree in political science from Barnard College at Columbia University and graduated cum laude from the College of Law at Syracuse University. She worked at the law firm of Loeb & Loeb LLP where she maintained a general corporate practice including mergers and acquisitions, private equity transactions and other business combinations, business law and securities. Ms. Aboushi was also a consultant to the Open Society Institute.
Prior to attending law school, Ms. Aboushi worked as a financial analyst in the investment banking division of Merrill Lynch where she valued companies and assessed strategic opportunities for private equity firms.
Ms. Aboushi is near fluent in Arabic and proficient in Spanish.
Ms. Aboushi acts as Of Counsel to Katona & Mir on a variety of business law matters including various contracts, mergers and acquisitions, corporate structuring, investment agreements and other corporate matters.