Michael Gary Kohler

Michael Gary Kohler is a highly experienced attorney specializing in immigration and customs law, with over 28 years of legal practice. He brings a unique perspective to his private practice, having served for 12 years as a government immigration attorney. Mr. Kohler is admitted to practice in New York and New Jersey, as well as before the United States District Courts for the Eastern District of New York, Southern District of New York, and the District of New Jersey.

Mr. Kohler's distinguished career began with research into asylum law for the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights, followed by a Ford Foundation Fellowship in Public International Law at the Ministry of Justice in Israel. He then joined the U.S. Department of Justice through the Attorney General Honors Program, serving as a law clerk for the Executive Office for Immigration Review at the U.S. Immigration Court in New York. For seven years, he was an Assistant District Counsel for the Immigration and Naturalization Service, representing the government in administrative exclusion, deportation, and removal proceedings. Following the creation of the Department of Homeland Security in 2003, Mr. Kohler was instrumental in establishing a new legal division within U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), focusing on customs and law enforcement matters. He is a graduate of the State University of New York at Albany and the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.

Drawing on his extensive government background, Mr. Kohler offers clients unparalleled insight into complex immigration and customs enforcement issues. He is adept at assisting individuals and companies facing investigations related to customs border search and seizure, forfeiture, misclassification of goods, undervaluation, and NAFTA fraud, ensuring compliance with all relevant import and export laws. A respected voice in his field, Mr. Kohler is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association and a past Chair of the Immigration Law Committee of the Nassau County Bar Association, frequently lecturing and presenting at legal education classes and training conferences. His philosophy centers on providing knowledgeable, strategic, and comprehensive legal guidance to achieve the best possible outcomes for his clients.