Lawyer Rio Guerrero: Honoring his parents by serving immigrant communities
By Cristina DC Pastor
Rio Guerrero looks back on his more than two decades as an immigration lawyer in New York and New Jersey. He recalls his earliest clients both apprehensive and excited to stay in the country as immigrants. He was then a young Associate Attorney working for a major litigation firm in midtown Manhattan but also hoping to start his own law firm.
His mind wanders back as well to the attorneys he worked with as a young lawyer.
“One of my most cherished mentors and I enjoyed lunch at Casa Cipriani the other day. We took time to reminisce about our careers. It’s important to keep these treasured bonds strong, remain close with long-time colleagues who have become old friends as we build for the future.”
As a young associate in the 1990s, he knew that he specifically wanted to serve his Filipino-American and immigrant communities.
“My father was from Bicol and my mother from Laguna,” he began. “They met during their college years in Manila. My father was an accountant and my mother a physician when they immigrated to the U.S. I was the first in my family born in the U.S.” He has an older sister who was born in Manila.
A mother’s story
Rio lived briefly in Elmhurst, Queens as a little boy, his family’s apartment building filled with Filipino immigrants. Those neighbors were like many of the clients he proudly serves now as the principal of Guerrero Law Firm.
One of the cases that gives him personal fulfillment as a lawyer is that of a Filipina mother who was in the United States for 15 years and unable to return to the Philippines. When she came to the U.S., she left behind her infant child, connecting with him only by phone and Facetime.
“It was very sad,” he said mulling the story when it first got his attention. He took on the case and was able to secure for the mother a Green Card through a 601A waiver that allowed her to go home.
“She shared with us the amazing video of her surprising her son at his high school graduation party. For the first time they got to hug and hold one another again – they had been apart for nearly the boy’s entire life. The pure joy and surprise on their faces were priceless. It is exactly why I love being an immigration attorney. We can change people’s lives,” he recalled beaming with a sense of fulfillment.
Another one of his favorite clients was an employee of a healthcare professional placement agency in New York City whom he assisted with getting a Green Card. Today, he said this individual has gone on to become the “epitome of the immigrant success story.” He now owns one of the largest healthcare service provider companies in the city.
“Our shared journey has come full circle,” he noted. “Now, he is the U.S. business owner and employer, while we help his foreign employees immigrate to the U.S.”
When he formed the Guerrero Law Firm in 2002, all of the company’s clients were located in the New York metropolitan area. Now in its 22nd year, the office has helped thousands of individuals, families and companies located in nearly every single state in the country and in many parts of the world. GLF’s reach is now global.
“My advocacy for our kababayan and the immigrant community has been a priority in my career,” he said when interviewed by The FilAm. He has lobbied and spoken as a staunch advocate of immigrant rights in The White House and the halls of the U.S. Congress, hoping to give voice to those with “no impactful political clout.”
Rio is one of founding members of the National Filipino American Lawyers Association (NFALA), the first-ever organization of FilAm lawyers nationwide. He co-founded the Filipino American Lawyers Association of New York (FALANY) and became its first president.
“All of the FilAm attorneys of my generation share the same experience, having to navigate their legal careers without any experienced FilAm attorneys to mentor them early on. Our mission includes the mentoring of law students and lawyers. We strive to pave a way for those who come after us,” he said.
Pride in Filipino roots
When not busy with work, he finds time to travel with his family — his wife Joan and their two teenage children.
“My wife and I want our children to have a diverse world view, so we travel with them as much as possible,” he said.
As second-generation Filipino Americans, it is important to Rio and Joan that their children understand and are proud of their Filipino roots.
“We bring them back to the Philippines whenever their school schedules allow. They are also extremely active in the FilAm community performing Filipino traditional dances at events including the annual Brooklyn Nets Filipino Heritage Games.” He encourages their involvement in the community through volunteering and being physically and mentally healthy. He is a proud coach of his children’s baseball and softball teams.
“Just like our parents, we place a strong value in education – we make sure our kids study hard and participate actively in school,” he said.
Rio finds his life’s work rewarding professionally and personally.
He said, “I know I am honoring my family – in particular, my parents – by serving the same immigrant community where we started.
“The last 25 years have been filled with so many achievements and wonderful professional and personal memories. I am excited to experience all the accomplishments to come in the next 25 years.”
© The FilAm 2024
