Teodora Dentcheva Purcell

Teodora Dentcheva Purcell

Immigration Attorney
  • Immigration Law
  • California
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Biography

An immigrant myself, I have a passion to help people and advise on corporate immigration and compliance. I help companies with work permits and permanent residence to the US for their talented employees. I will guide you through your immigration journey and connect you to other professionals, as needed. I represent companies in a broad array of industries with focus on the science, biotechnology, IT and engineering sectors. I advocate for the rights and opportunities of people of diverse backgrounds. I counsel corporate and individual clients on immigration compliance and devise strategies for bringing and retaining foreign talent to the U.S. Having attorney licenses from both Europe and the USA, I also assist individuals in complex family immigration and citizenship matters.

I obtained my LLM in Comparative Law degree from the University of San Diego School of Law and my JD and LLM degrees from the Sofia University in Bulgaria. I am dedicated to pro bono work and am a recipient of the KPBS Local Hero Award (2016), the Casa Cornelia Distinguished Lawyer of the Year “La Mancha” 2015 Award, the Wiley Manuel Pro Bono Award of the State Bar of California (2002, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018). I have served the legal community as a member of committees or Boards of various organizations and have been active in several SDCBA, Lawyers Club San Diego, AILA and BIOCOM committees. In recognition of my in depth immigration knowledge and the impact of my work, I am recipient of many professional accolades, among which Top 25 Women San Diego Super Lawyers (2020, 2019), Super Lawyers List, Immigration Law (2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016).
I am a faculty member of the UCSD ABA approved paralegal program where I teach an Immigration Law class

Practice Area
Immigration Law
Jurisdictions Admitted to Practice
California
State Bar of California
ID Number: 220058
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Professional Experience
Special Counsel
Duane Morris Llp
- Current
Business and family based immigrant
Senior Attorney
Tafapolsky Smith Mehlman LLP
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Business and family based immigration
Senior Associate Attorney
Fragomen Worldwide
-
Immigration law
Education
Foreign School
Undergraduate Degree
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University of San Diego School of Law
Law Degree / LLM in Comparative Law
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Professional Associations
California State Bar  # 220058
Member
- Current
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Contact & Map
Tafapolsky Smith Mehlman LLP
4350 La Jolla Village Dr
Ste 370
San Diego, CA 92121
Telephone: (858) 412-6300
750 B ST
STE 2900
SAN DIEGO, CA 92101
Telephone: (619) 744-2266