About Carolyn Lee, Principal and Founder – Authority in EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act (“RIA”)

Carolyn Lee is the Founder of Carolyn Lee PLLC. Carolyn has represented regional centers, developers, funds, and investors for over a decade, helping U.S. project clients raise $2.5 billion in EB-5 capital. She holds leadership positions in the EB-5 bar and industry and is considered a preeminent authority on EB-5 law.

Carolyn has served four terms as Chair of American Immigration Lawyers (AILA) national EB-5 Committee and she has served as Chair, Vice-Chair, or Co-Chair for 6 years. In these capacities, Carolyn has authored key EB-5 legislative commentary since 2012 advocating for workable reform. Her current advocacy focuses on long-term EB-5 program reauthorization and expansion.

Carolyn is Legislative Counsel to Invest in the USA (IIUSA), the premier EB-5 trade association founded in 2005 to represent the interests of stakeholders participating in the regional center program.

Lindsay Schoonmaker is a Senior Attorney at Carolyn Lee PLLC, focusing her practice on helping international entrepreneurs to navigate the complex US immigration system. Previously, Lindsay was a Supervising Attorney at Philadelphia VIP, a legal aid organization that matches low-income Philadelphians with pro bono volunteers on a variety of civil legal issues, including housing, preserving income, and family law issues. In particular, Lindsay focused on recruiting, training, and supporting volunteer attorneys in the areas of homeownership, estate planning, and civil litigation. Prior to that, Lindsay was an associate at a large Philadelphia-based law firm in a Commercial Litigation practice group, focusing primarily on complex contractual issues, antitrust, and international arbitration. Lindsay started her career as a Legal Researcher/Writer for an immigration law firm, helping to represent clients in a wide variety of business immigration visa applications, including EB-5. Lindsay graduated from Temple University’s Beasley School of Law in 2013 and Cornell University with a degree in Science and Technology Studies in 2005. Lindsay is licensed to practice in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Joel Hankin is an experienced litigator and former Special Counsel at Kelley Drye Warren LLP in New York, where he practiced for more than two decades with a focus on complex commercial litigation, internal investigations, and alternative dispute resolution. His work has spanned high-stakes matters in state and federal courts, multidistrict proceedings, and regulatory investigations involving the SEC and DOJ.

At Kelley Drye, Joel managed cases from inception through trial, overseeing motion practice, discovery, and witness preparation in disputes involving securities, financial services, employment, and technology sectors. He has represented clients ranging from major financial institutions and fintech companies to entertainment agencies and bankruptcy trustees, securing successful outcomes in multimillion- and multibillion-dollar actions. Joel earned his J.D., with honors, from The George Washington University Law School and his B.A., cum laude, from the University of Pennsylvania. He is admitted to practice in New York and New Jersey, as well as the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Second and D.C. Circuits.