Renee Hykel Cuddy

The founder of Hykel Law, Renee Hykel Cuddy focuses her practice on a variety of immigration law matters. Located in Philadelphia, she represents individuals and businesses throughout the nation. Ms. Hykel Cuddy’s practice involves family immigration, employment--based immigration and humanitarian applications. She has successfully secured  fiancée visas, marriage-based green cards, waivers for extreme hardship, same-sex marriage cases, asylum, Violence Against Women (VAWA) green cards and defenses from removal including Cancellation of Removal, 212(h) waivers for criminal convictions and prosecutorial discretion. Ms. Hykel Cuddy's seasoned employment-based immigration practice includes successes in EB-1 (extraordinary ability workers) in a variety of industries including pharma, life sciences, consulting, fashion, professional workers, high level athletes and engineers. She has successfully secured E-2 investor visas, and labor certifications.

Ms. Hykel Cuddy has had many successes with federal court litigation against both USCIS and the U.S. State Department, causing the agencies to finally issue visas or to reverse denials through Declaratory Judgment or Writ of Mandamus actions. In 2024, USCIS reversed denials for extraordinary ability green card applications of two Olympic rowers. Ms. Hykel Cuddy is inspired each day by the spirits of the vast array of people she serves; it excites her to add them to the fabric of American society. 

Active in several professional organizations, her memberships the American Immigration Lawyers Association and she serves on in the Philadelphia Chapter of AILA. Ms. Hykel Cuddy serves on the Legal Committee for WomenSport International, the global voice for research-based advocacy for women in sports. Highly regarded by her colleagues, she possesses a 10.0 “Superb” peer-review rating through Avvo. Ms. Hykel Cuddy continues rowing recreationally with Conshohocken Rowing Center in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. She enjoys time outdoors with her husband and two sons, hiking, cycling and swimming.  

A graduate of the Camden branch of Rutgers Law School, Ms. Hykel Cuddy has been admitted to practice in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey since 2009. She is additionally admitted to practice before the U.S District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, and the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 5th Circuits. Ms. Hykel Cuddy majored in English at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia and received a Bachelor of Arts in 2001. An accomplished athlete, Ms. Hykel Cuddy was a member of the U.S. Olympic Rowing Team, winning several international medals and competing in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.