Zachary Nightingale

Zachary Nightingale is a prominent immigration attorney based in San Francisco, California, and serves as the managing partner at Van Der Hout, Brigagliano & Nightingale LLP. He has been practicing immigration law since 1996 and is certified as a specialist in Immigration and Nationality Law by the California State Bar. Nightingale graduated from Stanford Law School in 1996, following an undergraduate degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Master’s degree in Mathematics from Stanford University.12

His legal practice primarily focuses on deportation defense and federal court litigation, with particular expertise in the immigration consequences of criminal convictions. He also handles cases involving asylum, naturalization, and family-based adjustments of status. Nightingale is known for advising non-citizens and their attorneys regarding the immigration implications of pending criminal charges.123

Nightingale has received several accolades for his work, including the Jack Wasserman Memorial Award for excellence in litigation from the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) in 2003 and recognition from the National Immigration Project for outstanding contributions to immigrant justice in 2014. He has been actively involved in various AILA committees and has spoken at numerous local and national conferences.123

In addition to his legal practice, Nightingale contributes to the community by mentoring other immigration attorneys and serving on the boards of nonprofit organizations such as the American Immigration Council and the New Breath Foundation.13 His reputation as a skilled attorney is reflected in his recognition as one of Northern California's top immigration lawyers from 2008 to 2022.2