
The firm, which Mitchell Zwaik began with himself and a part-time secretary now has 8 attorneys, four offices, a support staff of over 20 trained professionals who speak eight languages, including Spanish, Urdu, Punjabi, Hindi, Ukrainian, Turkish and Russian. Although Mr. Zwaik currently devotes most of his time to Business Immigration, he has built a formidable reputation for success in many other areas of immigration law, including asylum, Cancellation and waiver cases before the immigration courts, appeals to the federal courts, the Board of Immigration Appeal’s, and the Administrative Appeals Office and family law issues. Mitchell was admitted to the New York bar in April of 1980 and is currently admitted to the United States Supreme Court and the Federal Circuit Courts of New York and Pennsylvania.
The firm slogan: “Counseling Immigrants. Growing America” is not just a catchy phrase. They are the foundation on which this firm is built- the belief that America continues to grow stronger every day due to the contributions of immigrants from all over the world.
Mitchell practices out of the Ronkonkoma office.
Mitchell C. Zwaik
Senior Partner

Michael graduated Magna Cum Laude from SUNY Brockport, with a major in Philosophy. He received his Juris Doctor from SUNY Buffalo. He is admitted to practice in the U.S. Supreme Court, Court of Appeals 2nd Circuit, Supreme Court of New York, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York and the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. He is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), the Phi Beta Delta Honor Society for International Scholars, and he was the recipient of the Departmental Scholar Award in Philosophy at SUNY Brockport. Michael divides his time between the Ronkonkoma and Hampton Bays offices.
Michael A. Gilbert
Partner

She has been a member of the NYS Bar since 1993. Melinda directed her own practice from 1995 until 2015, practicing immigration, criminal and real estate law. In 2015, her firm merged with Zwaik, Gilbert and Associates and she is now part of a group of lawyers dedicated to ensuring their clients receive the best advice and best service possible. Her areas of expertise include, but are not limited to criminal immigration, asylum, SIJ and asylum for children. Melinda works out of our Hampton Bays office and looks forward to meeting and working with you to develop the best strategy to ensure you win your case. Melinda has been a proud member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association since 1996.
Melinda Rubin
Senior Attorney

In 2020 Diego graduated Cum Laude from Touro Law obtaining his Master of Law (LL.M) in American Legal Studies. Diego is working at the firm in the area of immigration litigation.
Diego feels identified with our clients and takes each case with responsibility since he personally had an immigration case. His commitment to the clients is to always be persistent and innovative with each case.
In his free time, Diego loves playing Latin Jazz and learning how to play new instruments. He likes kayaking and hiking with his wife and son.
Diego Sponza Mata
Law Clerk

Alexa Betancourt
Paralegal

Ana was born and raised in Lima, Peru. In 2020 she immigrated with her family to New York. Ana went on to attend Universidad de Lima where she received her Juris Doctorate. She has been admitted to practice law in Peru since 2012 and worked in Civil Law for more than 5 years in one of the main telecommunications companies in Peru.
Since 2010, Ana has been part of different NGO’s that support children and work to eliminate and prevent all forms of child labor with the aim of protecting the rights of the children in Peru.
Ana is working at the firm in the area of Special Immigrant Juvenile applications. Her commitment to the clients is to provide confidence and accompany them throughout the Special Immigrant Juvenile process to achieve a new beginning in the United States.
Ana is planning to start her Master of Law (LL.M) in American Legal Studies this fall. This degree will allow her to become an attorney in New York.
In her free time, Ana loves spending time with her family, and she enjoys painting and cooking.
Ana Contreras Arrieta
Law Clerk

Jackie Romero Cruz
Director of Communications

Cristina has been with Zwaik, Gilbert & Associates since August 2014. Cristina specializes in Family based immigration law and Special Immigrant Juvenile Status cases.
In her free time, Cristina loves recording music with her father and reading books. She enjoys traveling with her two daughters. The daughter of Chilean immigrants, Cristina is fluent in English and Spanish.
Cristina Sandoval
Law Clerk

As part of the practice of law, Anand remains an avid writer and has also published multiple articles on business immigration topics for various outlets, including the Thomson Reuters’ Immigration Briefings series.
He is a 2013 graduate of the Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University, where he has previously served as the Co-Chair of the Hofstra Law School Alumni Association’s Diversity Committee. Anand obtained a Master of Arts in Public Policy and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Stony Brook University in 2010 and 2009 respectively.
In his free time, Anand enjoys playing tennis and basketball. He is also an amateur photographer and hopes to visit more National Parks over the coming years
Anand G. Sinha
Associate Attorney

Gaby Sagastume
Receptionist

Jennifer Lemus
Receptionist

Wendy Gonzalez
Receptionist

Justine Becker
Administrative Assistant

Leslie Zwaik
Office Manager

Sajad started working with Zwaik, Gilbert & Associates in 2020 as a Legal Assistant.
Sajad is fluent in Kashmiri, Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi and English.
Sajad Sheikh
Law Clerk

William Cruz
Paralegal

As an Immigrant herself, Nancy has great empathy and understanding of our clients’ difficult circumstances. Nancy works closely with our attorneys in almost all facets of Immigration Law. She is dedicated and feels immense satisfaction when her efforts help our clients achieve “The American Dream”.
In her spare time Nancy enjoys reading, cycling, and spending time with her family, preferably at the beach.
Nancy is fluent in English and Spanish.
Nancy Martinez
Work Flow Management

Xiomara Lucas
Legal Assistant

Shari Friedwald
Accountant
