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8 © 2016 Winston & Strawn LLP
ASYLUM
Washington Team Secures Asylum for Honduran Woman Who
Escaped Murderous Husband
A team comprised of partner
Larry Kiern
, of counsel
Michael Woods
, associate
Nathan Thoreson
, and paralegal
Alex Cruz
obtained a trial victory for a
Honduran survivor of domestic violence and her 9-year-old son. The client
is a young Honduran woman who had been subjected to severe domestic
violence at the hands of her husband and father of her child. The husband,
who was an officer in the Honduran national police force, beat her so badly
he nearly killed her. After she escaped, he continued to threaten her and stalk
her through accomplices. Fearing for her life and the life of her son, the client
fled to the United States. The U. S. government sought to deport the client, but
she applied for asylum as a defensive measure to her removal proceedings.
Through extensive briefing and testimony from the client and an expert, the
Winston trial team was able to convince the immigration court that the client
was credible and qualified for asylum.
Houston Team Wins Asylum Trial for Salvadoran Domestic
Violence Survivor
A Houston team led by associate
Robert Green
and including associates
Mike Krill
,
Casey Davis
, and
Bill Collins
, paralegal
Rick Smith
, receptionist
Stephanie Paz
, office services clerk
Letty Alvarez
, and partners
Lydia
Protopapas
and
Eric Schlichter
, obtained a trial victory for a Salvadoran
survivor of domestic abuse. The client, a Salvadoran woman from a low-income
family, was in a domestic relationship with a man from a more affluent family.
During the relationship she was repeatedly subjected to sexual assaults,
beatings, and even death threats from her partner. She reported the abuse to
the local authorities, but they refused to help and instead informed her abuser
of the attempted report. She eventually fled to the United States to escape her
abuser. Through briefing and at trial, the team demonstrated that the client had
suffered persecution due to her membership in a particular persecuted group,
“Salvadoran woman in a domestic relationship who are unable to leave the
relationship,” and refuted the government’s argument that she was a captive
and not in a domestic relationship with her abuser.
San Francisco Team Wins Asylum Trial for Honduran Domestic
Violence Survivor
San Francisco attorneys
Dana Cook-Milligan
,
Scotia Hicks
, and
Whitney
Carlson
, with supervision from partner
Joan Fife
, obtained a trial victory for a
Honduran survivor of domestic violence and her six-year-old son. The client is
a young Honduran women who had been subjected to continuous domestic
violence at the hands of her ex-partner and father of her children, after being
conditioned to accept such abuse as normal due to an abusive childhood.
Fearing for her life and the life of her son, the client fled to the United States.
Through extensive briefing and testimony from the client, the trial team
convinced the court that the client was credible, that she had suffered past
persecution through domestic violence, and that she had a well-founded fear
that if she returned to Honduras she would face future persecution.
Dana Cook-Milligan
Larry Kiern
Robert Green