Class action claims Ohio law firm adopted a business model developed by former Washington attorney Alexandra Lozano and used similar abuse-based immigration filings.
SEATTLE — A newly-filed federal class action lawsuit in Ohio alleges an immigration law firm there adopted a business model developed by former Washington immigration attorney Alexandra Lozano and used similar practices that are now at the center of lawsuits, complaints and disciplinary action in Washington state.
The 52-page lawsuit was filed against Ohio-based attorney Angel Lisinski and her law firm. The complaint accuses Lisinski of steering immigrants into abuse-based immigration pathways, including applications under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and T-Visas, which are reserved for certain victims of human trafficking.
The lawsuit alleges clients were not fully informed that their immigration cases were being filed under those programs and that non-lawyers played a significant role in developing abuse narratives used in applications.
Attorney Rachel Zupan, who represents plaintiffs in the Ohio lawsuit, said many former Lisinski clients only discovered the nature of their cases after problems emerged.
“They have absolutely no idea what VAWA means. They don’t know what T-Visa means,” Zupan told KING 5. “And I don’t mean in a legal sense. They don’t understand it even in layman’s terms. It’s devastating to see that.”
Lawsuit alleges Lozano’s system was copied
The most striking allegation in the Ohio lawsuit is that Lisinski did not develop the model independently.
According to the complaint, Lisinski paid to acquire or license what plaintiffs describe as a high-volume immigration processing system developed by Lozano, a former Tukwila-based attorney who resigned from the Washington State Bar Association earlier this week in lieu of discipline.
The lawsuit alleges the model relied on assembly-line style case processing and focused heavily on VAWA and T-Visa filings.
Attorney Robert Anthony Alvarez, who also represents plaintiffs in the Ohio case, told KING 5 he believes Lozano actively promoted the model to other immigration attorneys around the country.
“She had an educational arm to her practice, and that arm was traveling across the country and marketing this system to immigration attorneys, especially female immigration attorneys,” Alvarez said. “And we believe Ms. Lisinski was one of those individuals.”
KING 5 has not independently verified the allegations regarding any licensing or mentorship agreement between Lozano and Lisinski.
Similar allegations surfaced in Washington
The Ohio allegations closely mirror complaints KING 5 uncovered during its months-long investigation into Lozano.
Prior reporting by KING 5 found former clients alleged they were encouraged to pursue abuse-based immigration claims despite saying abuse was not part of their circumstances.
KING 5 also obtained complaint records filed with the Washington Attorney General’s Office dating back years. Some complainants alleged they were encouraged to pursue VAWA claims despite not reporting abuse, while others raised concerns about signatures, filings and legal fees.
Earlier this month, a federal lawsuit filed in Washington accused Lozano and her law firm of steering immigrants into abuse-based immigration claims they allegedly did not qualify for and filing applications clients did not fully understand.
Lozano has denied wrongdoing.
Following that lawsuit and KING 5’s reporting, attorneys involved in the Washington case said they received hundreds of additional inquiries from former clients concerned about their own immigration filings.
Attorneys expect more clients to come forward
The attorneys behind the Ohio lawsuit say they believe the number of affected clients could be far larger than what is currently reflected in the complaint.
“I’ve even had clients come back and ultimately retain me to assist with their case when they got put into deportation proceedings because their cases were denied,” Zupan said.
Alvarez said the allegations outlined in Ohio resemble concerns that have already surfaced in Washington.
“If you look at the allegations that were made and compare them to the allegations in our complaint, they’re eerily similar,” he said.
The Ohio lawsuit is not filed against Lozano. Instead, it targets the Ohio law firm that plaintiffs allege adopted her methods.
Lozano is no longer licensed to practice law in Washington after submitting a resignation in lieu of discipline to the Washington State Bar Association on May 26. The resignation permanently bars her from practicing law in Washington and prevents her from seeking readmission in the future.
