Martin Valko
- Managing Partner – Dallas
Contact Me: 214-251-8011
Practice Areas:
- U.S. Immigration and Nationality Law 100%
Biography
Martin Valko is a founding partner of Chavez & Valko, LLP, managing its principal office in Dallas. He has navigated the complexities of the U.S. immigration process for decades-both as an immigration attorney and as an immigrant himself. His diverse practice embraces family, humanitarian, and employment-based immigration, along with the pursuit of temporary nonimmigrant visas.
Martin focuses primarily on representing both individual and corporate clients ranging from small businesses and startups to Fortune companies and transnational corporations. A former collegiate athlete himself, Martin has advised and represented other collegiate and amateur athletes and Olympians as well as professional teams and players from the NFL, NHL, and the USA Cricket Association.
Due to this deep and wide experience and a desire to give back, Martin is a frequent speaker at educational and business seminars on various immigration law topics. He is a former committee member of the AILA National USCIS Field Operations Liaison Committee as well the AILA National USCIS Service Centers Liaison Committee (SCOPS/Texas Service Center). He is also a legal advisor to the Mexican Consulate General in Dallas (2011 – 2027) as well as to the Slovak Embassy on U.S. immigration laws and represents the Slovak Republic as its Honorary Consul to Texas (since 2010).
A testament to his varied skillset and interests, Martin’s career has included forays outside of traditional immigration law, into entertainment law and tech. Through his representation of legendary Slovak pop/rock singer Pavol Habera and his band TEAM, Martin obtained an out-of-court settlement with Sony Pictures regarding the use of the band’s song in the 2005 horror film Hostel, including a written apology from the film’s director, Eli Roth. Martin is also a co-founder of Lawpilot, an immigration case management platform that includes the Lawpilot Guardian, a one-of-a-kind mobile app that alerts attorneys of a client’s encounter with ICE or the police, providing instant GPS location information and an audio recording.
Outside of the office, Martin is husband to a 5-time Olympian (2-time Olympic silver medalist) and a World Champion swimmer, Martina Moravcova Valko, and father to their children, Karolina and Michal with whom he resides in Dallas, Texas. He is an avid cyclist and spends his free time with an interesting book.
Education
- Southern Methodist University School of Law, Dallas, Texas
- Master of Laws (LLM) – 2004
- Oklahoma City University School of Law, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Juris Doctor (JD) – 2002
- Comenius University School of Law, Bratislava
- Bachelor of Law (BL) – 2005
- University of Mary Hardin-Baylor
- Bachelor of Science (BS) – 1997
- Major: Psychology
Bar Admissions
- Supreme Court of Texas
- District of Columbia
- U.S. District Court Northern District of Texas
Professional Associations
- Board Member, National Czech and Slovak Museum & Library (2015-2020)
- Board Member, Consular Corps of Dallas/Fort Worth
- Committee Member, AILA National USCIS Service Centers Liaison Committee (SCOPS/Texas Service Center, 2014-2015)
- Committee Member, AILA National USCIS Field Operations Liaison Committee (2013-2014)
- Member, Dallas World Affairs Council; Dallas Regional Chamber of Commerce; Greater Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; U.S.-Mexico Bar Association
- State Bar of Texas; District of Columbia Bar; Dallas Bar Association; American Immigration Lawyers Association; Dallas and Texas Young Lawyers Associations
- Dallas Bar Association
Languages
- Slovak
- Czech
Classes & Seminars
- International Students in the Workplace (For International Students), Texas Wesleyan University, November 15, 2023
- OPT and STEM Extension – Understanding F-1 Students and Their Employment Opportunities, 46th UTCLE Annual Conference on Immigration and Nationality Law, 09/30/2022 to 09/30/2022
- Presentation with the Slovak Ambassador to Mexico about the Mexico-US relations under President Biden and the students of the University of Matej Bel in Slovakia, University of Matej Bel in Slovakia and the Slovak Embassy in Mexico, 03/25/2021 to 03/25/2021
- International Students in the Workplace, Southern Methodist University Cox School of Business, 10/24/2019 to 10/24/2019
- Employer Workplace Compliance Overview, Northwest Dallas Business Association , 08/15/2019 to 08/15/2019
- International Students in the Workplace, the DEC@Addison Treehouse , 03/20/2019 to 03/20/2019
- Law Firm Management and Best Practices, National Immigration Lawyers Association (CIL), 03/22/2017 to 03/22/2017
- H-1B Specialty Occupation Visas & Alternatives for International Students, Southern Methodist University International Student and Scholar Services, 03/02/2017 to 03/02/2017
- H-1B Specialty Occupation Visas & Alternatives for International Students, Southern Methodist University International Student and Scholar Services, 11/02/2016 to 11/02/2016
- Employer Strategies in H-1B and Immigrant Visa Processes for DFW Metroplex Accounting Firms, SMU Cox School of Business Accounting Department Advisory Board, 04/22/2016 to 04/22/2016
- H-1B Specialty Occupation Visas for Foreign Students, Southern Methodist University International Student and Scholar Services, 03/09/2016 to 03/09/2016
- H-1B Specialty Occupation Visas for Foreign Students, Southern Methodist University International Student and Scholar Services, 10/13/2015 to 10/13/2015
- Speaker, Immigration law and Classroom issues for Educators at the Teacher’s Law School, American Board of Trial Advocates at the UNT Law School in Dallas, 09/26/2015 to 09/26/2015
- H-1B Specialty Occupation Visas for Foreign Students, Southern Methodist University International Student and Scholar Services, 03/13/2015 to 03/13/2015
- Speaker, Presidential Executive Action (DACA II, DAPA), Mexican Consulate General in Dallas, TX, 12/02/2014 to 12/02/2014
- H-1B Specialty Occupation Visas for Foreign Students, Southern Methodist University International Student and Scholar Services, 10/23/2014 to 10/23/2014
- H-1B Specialty Occupation Visas for Foreign Students, Southern Methodist University International Student and Scholar Services, 03/20/2014 to 03/20/2014
- Alternatives to H-1B Classification for Graduating Students, DFW-LINC Leading International Networking Clinic, 03/10/2014 to 03/10/2014
- H-1B Information Session at SMU, Southern Methodist University International Student and Scholar Services, 10/11/2013 to 10/11/2013
- Speaker, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), Mexican Consulate in Dallas, 09/08/2012 to 09/08/2012
- Speaker, Nonimmigrant Derivative Beneficiaries and Household Members, 2012 AILA National Conference, 06/13/2012 to 06/16/2012
- Speaker, Waivers of Inadmissibility (I-601; I-212), University of Texas CLE, 10/20/2011 to 10/20/2011
- Co-chair, AILA Spring 2011 Texas Chapter Conference, American Immigration Lawyers Association, 04/14/2011 to 04/14/2011
- Presenter, The I-9 Form: Employer’s Compliance Responsibility, Dallas Federal Reserve Bank, 01/18/2011 to 01/18/2011
- Presenter, Temporary and Permanent Work Visas, Dallas Federal Reserve Bank, 01/18/2011 to 01/18/2011
- Speaker, “Overview of the Immigration Laws”, Oklahoma City University School of Law, 09/21/2010 to 09/21/2010
- Speaker, “Overview of the Immigration Laws”, The Fort Worth Breakfast Club, 11/25/2009 to 11/25/2009
- Speaker, AILA Fall 2009 TX/NM/OK Chapter CLE Conference (Puerto Vallarta, Mexico), American Immigration Lawyers Association, 11/06/2009 to 11/07/2009
- Speaker, “Federal, State, and Immigration Consequences of Family Violence Convictions”, CLE panel presenter for Tarrant County Mexican-American Bar Association, 11/14/2008 to 11/14/2008
- Presenter, “Know Your Rights” Videoseminar for respondents, American Immigration Lawyers Association, 10/01/2008 to 10/01/2008
- Speaker, “Employers’ Ethical Obligations – Immigration Law & Employer Compliance”, Sterling Institute CLE Seminar, 02/15/2008 to 02/15/2008
- Speaker, “No-Match” Regulations: Employers on “Constructive” Notice that Employee May be Working Illegally and How To Avoid Penalties, Hispanic Contractors Association of DFW, 09/06/2007 to 09/06/2007