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Nancy K. Canter

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Nancy K. Canter is an experienced litigator and seasoned advisor, leveraging her extensive experience at the Department of Justice in Washington, DC to guide clients through complex regulatory challenges, administrative law matters, constitutional claims, and all aspects of commercial contract disputes and civil litigation. Nancy is experienced in both employment-based and family-based immigration matters, as well as workplace compliance, and can advise on governmental investigations relating to compliance with U.S. immigration laws, including worksite enforcement actions and raids, immigration compliance audits, H-1B site visits, civil denaturalization, and responding to administrative and judicial warrants.

As a Senior Litigation Counsel with the Department of Justice, Nancy’s practice focused on federal immigration, advising senior leadership at the Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security, Department of State, and Department of Health and Human Services on complex legal and policy matters.

In district courts throughout the country, Nancy managed litigation strategy for complex and high-profile cases, serving as lead counsel in numerous cases, including challenges to agency regulations, policies under the Administrative Procedure Act, constitutional challenges to federal statutes, class actions, contract disputes, and labor and employment matters. She also has substantial appellate experience and has argued dozens of cases before the Second, Fourth, Fifth, Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth Circuit Courts of Appeals.

Nancy is a former adjunct professor at the University of Southern California Gould School of Law, where she taught first-year law students written and oral advocacy.

  • Defended high-profile wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of private research university with lead responsibility over expert witness on economic damages.
  • Represented health care industry clients in complex commercial litigation, including breach of contract and misappropriation of trade secrets claims.
  • Served as outside general counsel to companies across diverse industries, providing strategic legal guidance on corporate governance, contracts, compliance, risk management, employment matters, and dispute resolution.
  • Served as Civil Division subject matter expert on eDiscovery in complex litigation.
  • Served as lead attorney in more than 100 immigration cases in federal courts of appeal.
  • Served as lead agency counsel in more than 100 cases investigating claims of illegal procurement of naturalization.

  • Expanded DHS Budget Signals Tighter Immigration Enforcement: What Businesses Need to Know About Administrative Subpoenas and Blackie’s Warrants, The Modern Lawyer, 2025
  • The Quiet Revival of Denaturalization in America, The Daily Journal, 2025

Admissions

  • California
  • U.S. Supreme Court

Education

  • J.D., cum laude, The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, 2007
    • Ohio State Law Journal, Associate Editor, 2006-2007
  • B.A., History, Amherst College, 2004

Honors

  • U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Division Perseverance Award, 2025
  • U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Division Special Commendation Award, 2024

Languages

  • Chinese (Mandarin)

Related Content

Firm News

Nancy K. Canter Joins GRSM as Commercial Litigation Partner in Sacramento Office

October 2025