In 2005, Rosanna Berardi did the unthinkable: she left a highly coveted big-firm job to hang a shingle for herself in the legal world. Starting with a single client and a desk in a small apartment, Rosanna has grown her practice into an award-winning, multinational, full-service business immigration law firm headquartered in Buffalo, NY, with offices in New York City, Newport Beach, Toronto, and London. Today the firm serves thousands of clients across countless industries, supported by a team of skilled attorneys, paralegals, and professionals.

Rosanna, a first-generation Italian-American, built her practice around the vision of “unreasonable hospitality,” delivering an exceptional client experience at every stage, anticipating each client’s needs, and treating every case like family. That same philosophy shapes the firm’s culture: Berardi Immigration Law has repeatedly been named one of Buffalo Business First’s Best Places to Work and is certified by New York State as a Woman-Owned Business Enterprise.

Rosanna’s path to private practice runs directly through government service, giving her a perspective few immigration attorneys can offer. She began her career as an Immigration Inspector for the former Immigration & Naturalization Service (INS) at the Peace Bridge while still in law school, then was hired as a full-time Immigration Trial Attorney in INS’s New York City office. She went on to serve as Immigration Counsel at the State University of New York at Buffalo, preparing hundreds of submissions on behalf of the university’s international faculty and staff, before entering private practice in 1998 and founding Berardi Immigration Law in 2005. Today, as Managing Partner, Rosanna continues to track emerging trends in USCIS adjudication and translate them into strategic advantages for her clients.

A Trusted Voice in the Media

Rosanna is one of the most visible and sought-after voices on U.S. immigration policy today. She has been interviewed and featured by Forbes, The New York Times, Newsweek, Inc. Magazine, The Huffington Post Mexico, and The Los Angeles Times, and appears regularly as an on-air legal analyst for Buffalo’s News 4 (WIVB), breaking down developments ranging from international student visa policy to the Supreme Court’s review of birthright citizenship. She regularly participates in livestreams on YouTube, translating complex immigration law and policy into plain, practical terms for a general audience, and is a frequent speaker at legal, business, and entrepreneurship events including recent presentations for the Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York on business development for lawyers.

Rosanna’s recent recognitions include the Immies Awards’ Thought Leader of the Year (2026), a place on the Inc. Female Founders 500 List (2023 & 2025), a 2025 C-Level Executive Honoree distinction from Buffalo Business First, continuous Super Lawyers selection since 2019, and inclusion in Best Lawyers since 2020. She was previously named Woman Entrepreneur of the Year by Women Owned Law (WOL).

Beyond the office, Rosanna is deeply invested in the Buffalo community and in supporting women in business. She is the founder and driving force behind Luxury Purse Bingo, an annual charitable event that has raised over $200,000 for local causes in just four years. She also launched Women’s Entrepreneurship Day, an annual celebration of women in the Buffalo community featuring a female-owned vendors’ market, guest speakers, and a full day of learning and connection. Despite the pace of running a growing practice, Rosanna makes time for her family and her Havanese pup, Lola, channeling the same attention to detail she brings to her legal work into travel, hosting, reading, and journaling.