TIMOTHY PAYNE
Partner

Timothy Payne is a Partner at CROKE FAIRCHILD DUARTE & BERES, where he provides strategic, high-level immigration counsel to corporate clients navigating today’s rapidly evolving regulatory landscape. He advises companies on the strategy and execution of complex work visa, green card, and citizenship matters, helping them manage risk, maintain compliance, and ensure the seamless mobility of foreign national employees.

Tim works closely with clients in STEM-driven industries—including IT consulting, global manufacturing, engineering consulting, research, and design—developing immigration policies and compliance frameworks that are both rigorous and business-focused. He is particularly adept at extraordinary ability filings for C-suite executives and other mission-critical professionals, as well as National Interest Waiver petitions.

In addition to his core immigration practice, Tim counsels companies on immigration implications arising from mergers, restructurings, and other corporate changes. Recognized in Chambers USA for Immigration Law and ranked in Band 3 in Illinois, he is known for delivering responsive, practical, and ethical guidance to clients facing heightened regulatory scrutiny.

A frequent speaker at legal and industry conferences, Tim is a former Chair of the Greater Chicago Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association and has served in multiple liaison roles with U.S. government agencies. He earned his J.D. from Chicago-Kent College of Law and his B.A. from the University of Illinois. He is admitted to practice in Illinois and before the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.