About me

Address: Dallas: 2300 N. Field Street, Suite 1800, Dallas, TX 75201-2481

Areas of Focus: Immigration Investigations & Compliance; International Trade; Labor & Employment; Antibribery/Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA); Tariff Enforcement Defense

Biography:
Maka leads the firm’s immigration practice. Maka has practiced immigration law for over 12 years, and she supervises counsel, associates and paralegals who have received training in immigration law and practice. She has been recognized as an Immigration Trailblazer by the National Law Journal and as an immigration law Super Lawyer Rising Star in Southern California and in Texas. She is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and is a frequent speaker at the association’s conferences.
Drawing on her litigation experience and knowledge of export controls and sanctions, Maka’s practice combines litigation capabilities with deep substantive knowledge in immigration and international trade law. Maka and her team defend clients in DOJ and DHS visa fraud and immigration fraud investigations, as well as in DOJ investigations of companies’ hiring practices. She commonly resolves clients’ issues where immigration and international trade law intersect. She leads immigration-related internal investigations and audits aimed at ensuring compliance with United States immigration laws, often in the context of corporate due diligence. Maka develops and implements immigration compliance programs for clients. She also provides detailed advice on employment, student and family visas, consular processing, complex inadmissibility issues, searches of electronic devices at ports of entry and legislative and regulatory immigration policy proposals.
Maka and her team regularly advise clients on various aspects of immigration and nationality law. She has significant experience in U.S. business immigration law and has handled the following types of cases:
- EB-1 (Individuals of Extraordinary Ability, Outstanding Professors and Researchers and Multinational Managers and Executives)
- EB-2 / EB-3 (Employment-based PERM Labor Certification Green Cards)
- NIW (National Interest Waiver Green Cards)
- EB-5 (Immigrant Investors)
- A-1 and A-2 (Diplomatic Visas)
- B-1 and B-2 (Short-Term Visitors)
- E-1 and E-2 (Treaty-Based Investors and Traders)
- G-4 (International Organization Employees)
- H-1B (Specialty Occupations)
- J-1 (Exchange Visitors)
- L-1A and L-1B (Intracompany Transferees)
- O-1A and O-1B (Individuals with Extraordinary Ability or Achievement)
- TN (Canadian and Mexican USMCA (NAFTA) Professional Workers)
Prior to joining Akin, Maka served as Program Coordinator at the University of Texas at Austin for 7 years, advising international students, scholars and faculty on immigration and tax matters.

Representative Work:
- Representing a major manufacturing company in a visa fraud investigation by the DOJ.
- Advised Kering, the luxury group behind renowned houses in fashion, including Alexander McQueen, Gucci, Bottega Veneta and Saint Laurent, in a high-stakes international trade and immigration matter . In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kering faced significant challenges in producing major fashion shows. Akin represented the company before the U.S. government to facilitate the entry of large groups of employees and freelancers, and obtained expedited approvals from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and leveraged their extensive experience with the U.S. Department of State to secure entry for the Kering teams. Akin’s strategic guidance and advocacy made it possible for all of our client’s planned fashion shows to go on.
- Counseling a major fast-food restaurant chain in a Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation of its immigration-related hiring practices.
- Counseling a major manufacturing company in an acquisition of a competitor and transfer of multiple foreign national employees, both on the equity and asset sides of the deal.

Credentials:
Education: J.D., University of Texas School of Law, 2011 (with honors); M.A., University of Texas at Austin, 2001 (with honors); B.A., Moscow State Linguistic University, 1999 (with honors)
Bar Admissions: Texas, 2011
Court Admissions: U.S.C.A., 4th Circuit, 2013; U.S.D.C., Northern District of California, 2017; U.S. Immigration Court (EOIR), 2014

Recognitions:
- National Law Journal , Immigration Law Trailblazer Award, 2023.
- Bob Heiserman Memorial Service Award, AILA Rome District – EMEA Chapter, 2022.
- Super Lawyers , Texas, Rising Star, 2021.
- Super Lawyers , Southern California, Rising Star, 2020.
- Akin, Pro Bono Counsel of the Year, 2019.
- State Bar of Texas Pro Bono College, annually since 2012.

Affiliations:
- Member, AILA
- Member, Pro Bono Committee, Akin Dallas office

Insights:
- New DEI and Immigration Certification Requirement Proposed for Federal Grant Recipients in SAM.gov  (March 23, 2026): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/alerts/new-dei-and-immigration-certification-requirement-proposed-for-federal-grant-recipients-in-samgov
- Major H-1B Visa Changes: New Rules for H-1B Visa Lottery and $100K Fee Upheld (December 30, 2025): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/alerts/major-h-1b-visa-changes-new-rules-for-h-1b-visa-lottery-and-dollar100k-fee-upheld
- Healthcare Workforce Crisis: Federal and State Policy Responses to Shortages and H-1B Visa Restrictions (November 24, 2025): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/alerts/healthcare-workforce-crisis-federal-and-state-policy-responses-to-shortages-and-h-1b-visa-restrictions
- DHS Proposes Significant Changes to H-1B Visa Lottery (September 26, 2025): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/alerts/dhs-proposes-significant-changes-to-h-1b-visa-lottery
- Trump Administration Issues Travel Bans and Restrictions for Nationals of 19 Countries (June 10, 2025): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/alerts/trump-administration-issues-travel-bans-and-restrictions-for-nationals-of-19-countries
- USCIS Announces H-1B Lottery Registration Amid Recent Regulatory Changes to the H-1B Program (February 11, 2025): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/alerts/uscis-announces-h-1b-lottery-registration-amid-recent-regulatory-changes-to-the-h-1b-program
- Akin Promotes 13 Lawyers to Partnership (January 3, 2024): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/press-releases/akin-promotes-13-lawyers-to-partnership
- Timeline: Executive Order on the Safe, Secure and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) (November 13, 2023): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/alerts/timeline-executive-order-on-the-safe-secure-and-trustworthy-development-and-use-of-artificial-intelligence
- President Biden Issues Long-Awaited Artificial Intelligence (AI) Executive Order (October 30, 2023): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/alerts/president-biden-issues-long-awaited-artificial-intelligence-executive-order
- NLJ Recognizes Steven Schulman, Maka Hutson as ‘Immigration Trailblazers’ (April 4, 2023): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/awards-and-accolades/nlj-recognizes-steven-schulman-maka-hutson-as-immigration-trailblazers
- Fifth Circuit Invalidates DACA: What the Decision Means for DACA Recipients and Their Employers (October 6, 2022): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/alerts/fifth-circuit-invalidates-daca-what-the-decision-means-for-daca-recipients-and-their-employers
- Settlement Agreement Provides Clarity and Stability for the Recently Reauthorized EB-5 Regional Center Program (August 30, 2022): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/alerts/settlement-agreement-provides-clarity-and-stability-for-the-recently-reauthorized-eb-5-regional-center-program