Mark Pendleton Quoted in Bloomberg Law on Tougher Immigration Scrutiny in M&A Deals

Bradley attorney Mark Pendleton was quoted in Bloomberg Law about the risks companies face during mergers and acquisitions under the current U.S. government’s immigration-enforcement stance.

Pendleton underscores how unusual and far-reaching current enforcement efforts have become, noting they are significant enough to reshape how businesses approach deals. “I don’t think we’ve seen immigration enforcement in the last 60 years look like it does now,” he said.

Lawyers and companies are engaging immigration counsel much earlier in the deal process and devoting more time and resources to verify compliance and identify risks, indicating that immigration status is now a central element of deal strategy. Pendleton also noted that buyers must vet not just employees but contractors as well if the target company relies on outside firms, since “contractors could be enforcement targets.”

The full article, “Deals Get Tougher Immigration Status Scrutiny From Lawyers,” was published by Bloomberg Law on Dec. 4, 2025.