David J. Garrett

David Garrett’s legal practice is focused on helping foreign companies manage their direct investments in the United States to create jobs for American workers and to help local communities grow and flourish. Specifically, he helps businesses get people and goods where they need to be.

He focuses on immigration-related matters and trade-related issues, representing both individuals and companies. David is a member of the firm's employment and labor and construction practice groups, and leads the firm's immigration practice. 

He assists multi-national companies with international workforces to expedite the movement of workers and goods. His experience in the immigration field includes representing business professionals with non-immigrant visas, intra-company transfers of employees to the United States and to other countries, visas based on investments made into the United States, and consular processing of visa petitions. He also assists businesses and individuals with immigrant visa and permanent residency matters, including labor certifications, national interest waivers, employment-based petitions, and investment-based petitions. His experience has focused on manufacturing operations, health care, and technology companies from abroad and in the United States.

David assists businesses with immigration compliance matters such as Form I-9, Electronic Form I-9, ICE inspections, corporate immigration policies, immigration issues in mergers and acquisitions, and export licensing requirements for companies that hire foreign nationals.

He also works on international antidumping/countervailing duty issues, as well as tariff and trade compliance matters.

Prior to joining the firm, David practiced with Sanford Holshouser LLP, where his practice areas focused on issues related to economic development, employment immigration and human resource issues, as well as real estate, zoning, annexation, corporate start-ups, mergers and acquisitions, commercial litigation and arbitration matters. 

Community & Professional

• North Carolina Bar Association
• American Immigration Lawyers Association
• Board Member of Raleigh Civic Symphony and Chamber Orchestra
• Former Chair, Mackrell International Immigration Committee

Outside Maynard Nexsen

Anything Low

Before becoming an attorney, David had quite a life. He earned his Juris Doctor while working as a professional musician in the Toledo and Detroit-Ann Arbor areas. He plays "anything low"- from trombone to cello to bass.

"I was a studio musician hired for recording artists, and I played in several orchestras.  I played anything from jazz to rock and roll to religious music. I've been a back-up player for groups you listen to on the radio, and have stories to tell that I won't put on the Internet."

When not playing a gig in a smoky bar or cold recording studio, Dave was a 6-12 grade music teacher in Sandusky, Ohio.

Today, when David isn't hard at work helping clients with immigration or litigation, he can probably be found working on race cars in his garage and spending time with his beautiful wife and daughter.

That is, when not playing a gig.

Listed in Best Lawyers in America® for Immigration Law, 2025

• Hiring & Firing: "Best Practices for Saying Hello and Goodbye in the Workplace," Employment Law Briefing - Raleigh, February 5, 2019

Podcasts