Position: Member

TEL: 407-478-1111

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Admitted: 1998, Florida; 2010, U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida; 2011, U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit

Law School: University of Florida, J.D., 1998

College: Florida State University, B.S., 1995

Birth Date and Place: 

Practice Areas: Immigration and Naturalization(100%); Business Immigration; Asylum; Consular Law; Deportation; Family Immigration Law; Investor Visas; Permanent Visas; Removal Proceedings

Additional Information: Rusten C. Hurd is a founding partner at the law firm of Colombo & Hurd, PL. Mr. Hurd has over 16 years of legal experience and practices in the field of Immigration Law exclusively. As a result of his quality legal service, Mr. Hurd has been awarded an AV rating by the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory. An AV rating is the highest such rating available to any single lawyer for skill and integrity and the rating is reserved for attorneys designated as outstanding in their field.

Mr. Hurd is also honored to have been recognized by Super Lawyers, a rating service of outstanding attorneys who have obtained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.

Mr. Hurd’s immigration practice has been focused in the following primary areas:

I. Business and Investor Visas: Mr. Hurd has experience representing clients from throughout the world with all types of business-based temporary and permanent immigration status, including Intracompany Transferees (L-1), Treaty traders and investors (E-1/E-2 & EB-5), specialty occupations (H-1B & TN), labor certification, aliens of extraordinary ability as well as internationally recognized athletes and entertainers.

II. Asylum and Removal: Mr. Hurd has practiced in every Immigration Court in Florida and many Courts throughout the United States utilizing a variety of defenses to protect his clients including Requests for Asylum, Withholding of Removal, Cancellation of Removal and Waivers of Grounds of Removability. Over the years, Mr. Hurd has represented a multitude of asylum applicants both in affirmative filings as well as in Immigration Court. In particular, since 2011 Mr. Hurd has represented a great number of nationals of Syria seeking asylum in the United States as a result of the ongoing Syrian Civil War.

III. Immigration Appeals and Federal Litigation: Mr. Hurd also devotes a substantial portion of his practice to performing appellate work before courts throughout Florida as well as the Board of Immigration Appeals and United States Courts of Appeals and Federal Appellate Courts. Mr. Hurd has had notable appellate success both with the Board of Immigration Appeals and with Florida Appellate Courts. Mr. Hurd is a member of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, the United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit and the United States Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit.

IV. Family Immigration and Fiancé Visas: As the husband of an immigrant, Mr. Hurd is fully cognizant of the importance of this process to his clients. Over the years, Mr. Hurd has filed applications for family members and fiancés in dozens of countries around the world and has dealt with a variety of issues arising at consular posts. Mr. Hurd also frequently represents clients at the Orlando USCIS office in connection with adjustment of status and other immigration benefits.

Mr. Hurd is a frequent contributor to Orlando’s WOFL Fox 35 newscast where he appears to provide guidance on immigration issues. Mr. Hurd has also received a “superb” 10.0 rating from AVVO lawyers rating service. AVVO rates lawyers on a scale from 1.0 – 10.0 based on lawyer’s years in practice, disciplinary history, professional achievements, discipline history and industry recognition – all factors that, in AVVO’s opinion, are relevant to assessing a lawyer’s qualifications.

In addition to his law practice, Mr. Hurd has served as Guardian ad Litem for troubled children and was recognized by the Legal Aid Society of Orange County for his service and contributions. He has also served as an Employment Counselor through the Jobs Partnership of Florida. Mr. Hurd is the husband of an immigrant from Chile and the father of three boys ages 11, 9 and 6.

He is an avid fan of the beautiful game (futbol) as well as Gator sports, Broadway Musicals and traveling the world.

Firm Members: Carlos Colombo