WENDY PADILLA-MADDEN is an Attorney and Lobbyist in the firm's Birmingham and Washington, D.C. offices and practices in the firm’s Governmental Relations Practice Group. Ms. Padilla-Madden was born and raised in Guatemala City, Guatemala.
Wendy’s Governmental Relations practice deals with federal and Alabama campaign finance laws, including corporate campaign activity and also includes gift and ethics laws governing federal and Alabama public officials and public employees, and Alabama, federal and international lobbying laws.
Wendy serves as a link between Latin America and the U.S., assisting her clients navigate the international market helping them identify and capitalize on international business and political opportunities. Along with the rest of the Government Relations team, she helps her clients achieve their goals by providing them relevant information, access to key government officials and private sector business contacts. Wendy has experience in the areas of International Commercial Law, Commercial and Legal Transactions, and Free Trade Agreements, in particular DR-CAFTA. She is very active in organizing special events, including trade missions to Central America and special events and informational seminars relating to free trade agreements.
Wendy’s immigration practice includes assisting clients in obtaining temporary and permanent work visas for foreign workers, providing employers with advice on immigration matters and labor and employment issues regarding the employment of foreign workers and advising businesses on preparing for immigration audits and workplace raids. She is a member of the Governor’s Joint Interim Patriotic Immigration Commission.
Wendy is very active within the Hispanic community. She chairs the Board of the Hispanic Business Council of the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce and is on the Board of the Alabama Latin American Association (ALAS). She also chairs the Alabama Bar’s Spanish-Speaking Lawyers Committee.
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
- Alabama State Bar
- AILA - American Immigration Lawyers Association
- American Bar Association
- Birmingham Bar Association
- Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce, Chair - Hispanic Business Council
- Alabama Bar – Chair - Spanish Speaking Lawyers Committee
- Alabama Latin American Association - ALAS, Board Member
- Specialty Coffee Association of America, Member since 1993
- Beta Gamma Sigma
- AIESEC, Alumni - Guatemala UFM Chapter - 1992
- Governor’s Joint Interim Patriotic Immigration Commission