Michael Ruttle

California

- Partner

About

Michael Ruttle | Partner & Chair of Immigration & Global Mobility

Michael Ruttle is an award-winning immigration attorney with more than a decade of experience helping individuals, families, startups, and global enterprises navigate the complexities of U.S. immigration law. As Partner and Chair of the firm’s Immigration & Global Mobility Practice, Michael represents extraordinary talent and international organizations across industries including technology, sports, media, and entrepreneurship. His practice focuses on high-skill visa categories such as EB-1, O-1, E-2, L-1, and NIW, as well as comprehensive strategies for corporate immigration compliance and global mobility.

Michael’s career is defined by a blend of legal excellence and international perspective. Before founding his own immigration practice, he lived and worked abroad in Spain and Costa Rica, serving as a translator and consultant for organizations including NATO. This experience, along with his academic concentration in International & Comparative Law, gives him a rare global fluency that informs every client relationship. Known for his clarity, empathy, and responsiveness, Michael approaches each case with the understanding that immigration is not just a legal process—it’s a deeply personal journey.

At Omnus Law, Michael leads the firm’s nationwide immigration practice, collaborating with attorneys across corporate, tax, IP, and litigation to provide holistic solutions that align with both personal and business goals. He continues to offer the same personalized service that defined his boutique firm, now enhanced by the scale and resources of a multidisciplinary legal team.

Fluent in Spanish and Portuguese, and currently studying Czech and Mandarin Chinese, Michael brings cultural fluency to every engagement. He is passionate about helping clients not only achieve their immigration goals, but also build lasting success in the U.S. and abroad.

Experience

Senior U.S. business immigration attorney with 13+ years of experience advising companies, executives, creatives, and highly specialized talent on complex immigration matters across industries and jurisdictions.
Partner and Chair of Immigration & Global Mobility at Omnus Law, leading immigration strategy, complex case escalation, and development of standardized workflows to support consistent outcomes at scale.
Founded a boutique immigration practice focused on high-complexity corporate and individual immigration matters, including discretionary and senior-level cases requiring nuanced legal judgment and risk assessment.
Extensive experience designing and refining immigration processes, advising on prioritization and escalation, and partnering cross-functionally with HR, leadership, and business stakeholders.
Deep substantive expertise in employment-based and extraordinary ability immigration, including EB-1, O-1, L-1, E-2, and National Interest Waivers, with a focus on aligning immigration strategy with business and talent objectives.
Proven track record handling highly discretionary and sensitive matters, including securing EB-1A permanent residence in challenging fact patterns where long-term status, timing, and risk considerations were critical.
Globally informed perspective shaped by living and working abroad in Spain and Costa Rica, supporting clients with cross-border mobility and international operations.
Frequent speaker and published author on immigration law, global mobility, and the intersection of legal judgment, technology, and business strategy.
Fluent in Spanish; conversational proficiency in Portuguese, Czech, and Mandarin Chinese.

Speaking

Presenter, “Immigration Law Compliance Fundamentals for Business Owners,” South Bay Bar Association (SBBA), Torrance, CA — November 13, 2025

Panelist, “Civility in Legal Practice: California’s New CLE Requirements,” American Inns of Court, Redondo Beach, CA — October 15, 2025

Presenter, “Working with Interpreters: Enhancing Access to Justice Through Best Practices,” Hon. Ben Aranda III American Inns of Court, January 2020

Presenter, “Artificial Intelligence: Specially Appearing for the Human Attorney of Record,” Hon. Ben Aranda III American Inns of Court, May 2019

Panelist, “Money Talks: Best Practices for Fee Development,” Solo and Small Firm Success Academy, Whittier Law School, August 2017

Panelist, “Global Influence on Local Development,” South Bay Association of Realtors (SBAOR), May 2016

Presenter, “Transgender Issues and the Law,” Hon. Ben Aranda III American Inns of Court, April 2016

Panelist, “EB-5 in Real Estate,” Engel & Völkers Real Estate, March 2016

Presenter, “Current World Events and How They Affect Global Real Estate,” South Bay Association of Realtors (SBAOR), February 2016

Presenter, “International Home Buyers: Profile of International Home Buying,” RealtyONE, October 2015

Publications

Author, “To Market, to Market: Learning as You Go,” Family Advocate – ABA Section of Family Law, Vol. 38, No. 3, Winter 2016
Author, “Legal Plans for Niche Practices,” GLSA News Briefs, September/October 2015
Author, “Four Rookie Mistakes for Young Solos – And How To Recover,” GPSOLO Magazine, Vol. 32, No. 3, May/June 2015
Co-Author, “Filling the ‘Mentor Gap’ As a New Solo Attorney,” ABA The Young Lawyer, 2015

Awards & Recognitions

Super Lawyers – Rising Star (2018–2023)
Selected for six consecutive years, an honor reserved for no more than 2.5% of attorneys in California under age 40 or in practice for 10 years or less.
South Bay’s Best – Immigration Attorney
Voted Best Immigration Attorney by readers of the Daily Breeze in the annual South Bay’s Best Reader’s Choice Awards (2018, 2024).
Top 3 Immigration Lawyers in Torrance, CA
Consistently ranked among the top three immigration lawyers in Torrance for over a decade by independent rating service ThreeBestRated.com.
Summa Cum Laude – Whittier Law School
Graduated in the top 5% of class with a concentration in International & Comparative Law.
Outstanding Client Service in Immigration Law
Commended for providing attentive, strategic, and personalized service in complex U.S. immigration matters.

Publications

Practice Areas

Sub-practice areas

Employment-Based Immigration, Family-Based Immigration, Cross-Border Transactions

Industries

Admitted Jurisdictions

California

United States District Court for the Central District of California

Education

J.D., summa cum laude, Whittier Law School, Costa Mesa, CA, 2012
B.A. in Translation & Interpretation Studies, California State University, Long Beach, CA, 2006

Associations

Executive Committee Member, South Bay Bar Association (SBBA), Torrance, CA — 2025 to present
Executive Committee Member, South Bay Bar Association (SBBA), Torrance, California (2025)
Member, American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA)
Executive Committee Member, Immigration Law Section – Los Angeles County Bar Association
Service Member, Southern California Relocation Council

Languages

English
Spanish
Portuguese

Work With Michael

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