Managing Partner Michael Wildes wishes our client and friend Edson Arantes Do Nascimento, better known to millions as soccer icon Pelé, good health, and a speedy recovery.
During his magnificent playing career, Pelé led Brazil to three FIFA World Cup championships, scored over 1,200 goals, and helped catapult the sport of soccer and the New York Cosmos to new heights in the United States, where Pelé and the Cosmos drew record crowds and boosted the sport’s popularity. Often called “The King of Football,” Pelé played for the New York Cosmos until his retirement in 1977. Since retiring as a player he has won several lifetime achievements awards, worked with numerous charities, and served as a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador.
With Pelé’s help, in 2011, the Cosmos re-established a team in Major League Soccer, acquired a home field at James M. Shuart Stadium, formerly known as Hofstra Stadium, in Hempstead, New York, and have continued to create partnerships abroad with soccer institutions of worldwide renown.
Michael Wildes traveled with Pele and his team to Europe on many occasions developing a close and personal relationship. Pelé often referred U.S. immigration-related legal matters to Michael and even graciously offered words of praise for Michael Wildes’ book Safe Haven in America: Battles to Open the Golden Door, which draws on over quarter of a century of his practice in the Immigration field.
“ I appreciate Leon Wildes and his son Michael from when they handled my friend John Lennon’s green card, right up to Michael’s handling of my very own visa. Their legend as champions of international immigration is well-deserved.”
It was the firm’s honor to secure an O-1 “extraordinary ability” visa on Pelé’s behalf.
Wildes & Weinberg was founded in 1960 by Senior Partner, Leon Wildes. Nearly three quarters of a century later, the firm continues to concentrate its practice in all aspects of U.S. immigration and nationality law, servicing the immigration requirements of prominent American and International firms, banks, industrial, financial, and manufacturing concerns, as well as law firms in connection with the personnel needs of their foreign national employees.
In addition, the firm has a distinguished clientele and has done substantial immigration work for performing artists, directors, writers, models, actors/actresses, athletes, fine artists, art dealers, curators, and literary agents. Most notable was Leon Wildes’ successful representation of former Beatle John Lennon and his artist wife, Yoko Ono in their deportation proceedings, the basis of which has inspired legislation, and has been portrayed in films, plays, and literary works worldwide. Some of the firm’s other distinguished clients include scholar Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks (z”l), as well as soccer icon Pele, Master Chef Jean-Georges and Former First Lady Melania Trump and her family.
Michael Wildes, the firm’s Managing Partner, is also currently serving his fourth term as Mayor of Englewood, New Jersey, is the author of Safe Haven in America: Battles to Open the Golden Door (which draws on over a quarter of a century of his practice in the immigration field), is an Adjunct Professor at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in New York, and serves as Counsel to Lincoln Center and several international/corporate law firms.
Despite difficulties currently being encountered in dealing with U.S. immigration authorities, the firm has maintained an extraordinary track record for success in its cases. The firm’s litigation group has expanded its efforts in filing Mandamus Actions and other Actions in Federal Courts throughout the nation.
In addition, Wildes & Weinberg’s multilingual staff is spread throughout its offices in New York City, Englewood, New Jersey, Miami, Florida, and by appointment only in Los Angeles, California and Tel Aviv, Israel, and are known for their experience and special expertise in processing each foreign national’s case with nothing less than the highest level of professionalism.
For more information on our firm please visit www.wildeslaw.com or contact Michael Wildes at michael@wildeslaw.com.