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Top-Ranked Immigration Lawyers in Tampa, Florida

Updated Methodology LexRank v1.27 lawyers rankedReviewed by LexRanked editorial team

Summary

As of November 1, 2026, the top-ranked immigration lawyers in Tampa, Florida are Dilipkumar Patel (LexRank 84.00), Vitalia Diaz Shafer (84.00) and Richard Henry Maney (84.00).

This ranking lists 7 immigration lawyers in Tampa, Florida, in order of their LexRank score, calculated from their Florida Bar records and other cited sources. All 7 lawyers in this ranking are Board Certified in Immigration and Nationality Law by The Florida Bar, a credential held by 4.9% of Florida lawyers in any field. Their experience ranges from 15 to 51 years in practice. 1 of the 7 lists Spanish on their Florida Bar profile.

Lawyers ranked
7
Fully verified
7 of 7

The ranking

Ordered by organic LexRank score; paid placements are labelled and never affect a position. How we rank

  1. No change

    Dilipkumar Patel

    Independent practice · Tampa, FL

    Verified
    • 35 years experience
    • Immigration
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #1?

    Ranks #1 with 84.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (4/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 27.6)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.5)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4)
  2. No change

    Vitalia Diaz Shafer

    Independent practice · Tampa, FL

    Verified
    • 27 years experience
    • Immigration
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #2?

    Ranks #2 with 84.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (4/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 27.6)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.5)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4)
  3. No change

    Richard Henry Maney

    Maney & Gordon, P.A. · Tampa, FL

    Verified
    • 51 years experience
    • Immigration
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #3?

    Ranks #3 with 84.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (4/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 27.6)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.5)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4)
  4. No change

    Jennifer Gail Stockon

    Independent practice · Tampa, FL

    Verified
    • 26 years experience
    • Immigration
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #4?

    Ranks #4 with 84.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (4/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 27.6)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.5)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4)
  5. No change

    Christian Georg Andreas Zeller

    Maney · Tampa, FL

    Verified
    • 21 years experience
    • Immigration
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #5?

    Ranks #5 with 79.20: strongest in Professional credentials (15/15) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Reputation (4/20). 4.80 points behind #4, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.5)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4)

    4.80 points behind #4 (Jennifer Gail Stockon): Experience −4.8.

  6. No change

    Deborah Jean Townsend

    Independent practice · Tampa, FL

    Verified
    • 45 years experience
    • Immigration
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #6?

    Ranks #6 with 78.85: strongest in Experience (30/30); held back by Reputation (4/20). 0.35 points behind #5, mostly professional credentials.

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 27.6)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4)

    0.35 points behind #5 (Christian Georg Andreas Zeller): Professional credentials −3.8, Data quality −1.4.

    Not on record (scores 0, never estimated): website.

  7. No change

    Yova Andreeva Borovska

    Independent practice · Tampa, FL

    Verified
    • 15 years experience
    • Immigration
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #7?

    Ranks #7 with 72.00: strongest in Professional credentials (15/15) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Reputation (4/20) and Experience (18/30). 6.85 points behind #6, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.5)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4)
    • Experience 18/30 (ranking avg 27.6)

    6.85 points behind #6 (Deborah Jean Townsend): Experience −12.

Data sources behind the scores

Every score on this page is calculated from facts backed by these sources. Each profile shows which source supports which fact and when it was last checked.

  • floridabar.org · Official / regulatory · 7 profile pages86 facts for 7 lawyers

Immigration market in Tampa

LexRanked tracks 7 lawyers and 2 law firms in immigration law in Tampa, Florida. 7 of the lawyers have verified professional data. Data verified October 5, 2026.

Lawyers
7
Law firms
2
Verified professional data
7 of 7
Average rating
Withheldtoo few sourced ratings
Median review count
Withheldtoo few sourced counts
Median experience
27 years7 lawyers

Calculated by LexRanked from its own records on ; data verified . Ratings and review counts count only when backed by a source; figures from fewer than three profiles are withheld. All lawyers in Tampa

What sets these Tampa lawyers apart

All 7 lawyers in this ranking are Board Certified in Immigration and Nationality Law by The Florida Bar, which only about one in twenty Florida lawyers achieves in any field. Florida Bar board certification requires at least five years of practice, substantial involvement in the field, peer review by other lawyers and judges, continuing legal education and a written exam, and it must be renewed every five years. The figures below come from each lawyer's Florida Bar profile.

Fact about the 7 ranked lawyers Figure
Board Certified in Immigration and Nationality Law 7 of 7
Years in practice 15 to 51 (median 27)
Languages besides English Bulgarian (1), German (1), Gujarati (1), Russian (1)
License status with The Florida Bar Eligible to practice, verified for every lawyer
Most common law school Stetson University College of Law (3 lawyers)

Who is included in this ranking?

Lawyers eligible to practice in Florida, with a Tampa office address and immigration as a practice area on record. It compares 7 immigration lawyers, using only facts with a cited source. How we rank.

Florida rules to know

Immigration is federal law, decided by USCIS and the immigration courts, and only lawyers or accredited representatives may give legal advice on it.

Rule What it means
Which law applies Federal immigration law, the same in every state
Who decides U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (applications) and the immigration courts of the Executive Office for Immigration Review (removal cases)
Who may represent you A licensed lawyer or a representative accredited by the Department of Justice (8 C.F.R. § 292.1)
Florida Bar credential Board Certification in Immigration and Nationality Law
Court Where cases are heard
State court circuit Hillsborough County is in Florida's Thirteenth Judicial Circuit

How to choose among these lawyers

Confirm the license, ask who will handle your matter, and get the fee terms in writing before you sign.

  1. Look up the lawyer in The Florida Bar's directory and check the bar number shown on their LexRanked profile.
  2. Ask whether the lawyer you meet will handle your matter personally, and how many matters like yours they have handled recently.
  3. Ask how they charge and what costs are extra, and get the agreement in writing.
  4. If you prefer to work in another language, check the languages listed on each profile.

Further reading

Sources for the rules above

Frequently asked questions

Can a notary help with my immigration case?

No. Only a licensed lawyer or a Department of Justice accredited representative may give legal advice or represent you in immigration matters.

Do I need a Florida lawyer for immigration?

Immigration law is federal, so a lawyer licensed in any U.S. state can handle it; a Florida Bar board-certified lawyer has met Florida's standards in the field.

What does Board Certified in Immigration and Nationality Law mean?

It is a credential from The Florida Bar for lawyers with substantial experience in the field who have passed peer review and a written exam. 7 of the 7 lawyers in this ranking hold it; 4.9% of Florida lawyers hold a board certification in any field.

Which court handles cases in Tampa?

State court cases in Hillsborough County are heard in Florida's Thirteenth Judicial Circuit. Immigration cases are decided by USCIS and the federal immigration courts instead.

Are there Spanish-speaking immigration lawyers in Tampa?

Yes. 1 of the 7 ranked lawyers lists Spanish on their Florida Bar profile. Each LexRanked profile shows the languages on record.

How is this ranking ordered?

By the LexRank score, calculated only from facts with a cited source: experience, practice-area relevance, awards on record such as board certification, professional credentials, data quality and location. Client reviews do not affect the LexRank score: neither star ratings nor the number of reviews is scored. Payment never changes a position.

Do client reviews affect the LexRank score?

Client reviews do not affect the LexRank score: neither star ratings nor the number of reviews is scored. Reviews are shown on profiles for information only, and Reputation counts only awards on record, such as board certification. How we rank

Which lawyers are verified?

7 of the 7 ranked lawyers have fully verified profiles: Dilipkumar Patel, Vitalia Diaz Shafer, Richard Henry Maney, Jennifer Gail Stockon and Christian Georg Andreas Zeller and others.

About this ranking

Last updated
Methodology
LexRank v1.2 - deterministic, reproducible scoring
Editorial review
LexRanked editorial team,
Independence
Positions are never sold. Paid placements, if any, are labelled and do not affect scores.

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