George Akst received his B.A. in Economics from Boston University in 1972. He attended The Hague Academy of International Law in the Netherlands in 1973 and received his J.D. from Fordham Law School in 1976 where he was a member of the Urban Law Journal. He was admitted to the New York State Bar in 1977 and is admitted to practice in the New York Federal Courts and US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

He has been a Member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association since 1985, as well as the Consular Law Society. He is also on the referral list of the NYC Commission on the United Nations, Division of International Business.

Mr. Akst is a former Adjunct Professor of Business and Real Estate Law, at both Long Island University and at the Borough of Manhattan Community College from1979-1981. He is also the Founder and President of the Real Estate Institute of Greater New York.

gakst@akstlaw.com    tel: 212.308.3999 x101 | fax: 212.317.2946

Leslie Akst earned her B.A. degree in Psychology from Wellesley College in 1973. She graduated from Princeton University with an M.A. in Psychology in 1975, and from Fordham Law School with a J.D. degree in 1978 where she was also on the Law Review. As a member of the Fordham Law Review she published an article on the New York Art Market. Mrs. Akst is admitted to the New York State and Federal Bars. Before joining Akst & Akst, she clerked for the Surrogate of New York County. Upon joining Akst & Akst, she acted as a closing counsel for Chemical Bank’s residential mortgage department for four years where she represented the bank in numerous mortgage closings.

lakst@akstlaw.com    tel: 212.308.3999 x103 | fax: 212.317.2946

A 1984 graduate of Pace University School of Law, Katherine Ziavras is admitted to the New York State Bar. She was an educator for over 30 years and earned her law degree while teaching in Scarsdale, New York. The emphasis in education during her tenure in Scarsdale was on multiculturalism, and she has brought with her the experience of working with people from very diverse parts of the world. Ms. Ziavras also holds a Masters Degree in Counseling from Fordham University and is very adept in dealing with clients, whether they are seeking information or guidance and reassurance. Using her Congressional and other governmental contacts, Ms. Ziavras maximizes our communications with government agencies at the State and Federal level. Although English is her first language, she also speaks Greek, having grown up in a traditional Greek family with strong ties to Greece.

kziavras@akstlaw.com   tel: 212.308.3999 x106 | fax: 212.317.2946

Ashley Klugman graduated from Brandeis University in 2003 with a B.A. in Politics and American Studies, and a minor in Legal Studies. She earned her J.D. from New York Law School in 2009. She is a member of the New York Bar. Prior to joining Akst & Akst, Ms. Klugman worked at several immigration firms in New York, as well as the General Counsel’s Office at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the U.S. Department of State, Visa Office. Ms. Klugman is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

ashley@akstlaw.com  tel: 212.308.3999 x105 | fax: 212.317.2946

Aviva Meerschwam Glass graduated from Princeton University in 2002 with a B.A. in Psychology. She earned her J.D. from Santa Clara University School of Law in 2008. She is a member of the California Bar. Ms. Glass has worked with clients in California at a community law center on immigration matters. As a native of The Netherlands, Ms. Glass is fluent in Dutch.

amglass@akstlaw.com  tel: 212.308.3999 | fax: 212.317.2946

Gizella Lopusanszky graduated from Lviv National University in the Ukraine in 1992 with an M.A. Summa Cum Laude, in German Philology and Comparative Linguistics. In 1999 she received her First Law Degree from the same university. In 2000 she earned her LL.M. in International Business Law from the Central European University in Budapest, Hungary where she was the recipient of the prestigious Soros Foundation Scholarship. Before moving to the US in 2001, Ms. Lopusanszky worked for law firms in both Budapest and Kiev using both her impressive language skills and knowledge of European commercial law to advise businesses throughout Eastern Europe. She is fluent in English, Ukrainian, Russian, Hungarian, German and Polish. At Akst & Akst Ms. Lopusanszky primarily focuses on athletes, artists and business professionals (O, P, H, L, EB-1 and EB-3).

glopu@akstlaw.com    tel: 212.308.3999 x107 | fax: 212.317.2946

Mrs. Plaza received her Law Degree from the Caldas University Law School in Colombia in 1993 and graduated in Public Law from the Externado University in Bogota Colombia in 1999. She is also certified as a Mediator by the Department of Justice in Colombia, the Cauca University and the Javeriana University. As an attorney, Mrs. Plaza worked for six years for the City of Popayan and two years as Regional Disciplinary Prosecutor of the Social Security Institute of Colombia before joining the law firm of Akst & Akst. She received her LL.M degree in International Business and Trade Law from Fordham Law School in February 2010.
She is bilingual in Spanish and English. As an International Law Consultant, Mrs. Plaza specializes in H-1B visas for business professionals and is proficient in Employment and Family Based Green Card Petitions.

splaza@akstlaw.com  tel: 212.308.3999 x104 | fax: 212.317.2946