Kaye, a former national president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association and generally regarded as one of the best immigration lawyers in the country, has been practicing for 30 years.

"Immigration for foreigners is a pretty tricky process," said Sriram Sivaramakrishnan, vice president for analytical services at Thomson Financials Corporate Group and one of Kaye's clients. "A lawyer can often either make or break a case -- yet I would recommend Allen blindly."

Such praise is hardly unusual among Kaye's loyal clientele, which is drawn largely from the South Asian community. "Seventy percent of my clients are Indian," he said. "I've been traveling to India for 14 years and I also have an office in Bombay."

His success in developing this niche market is even more remarkable when one considers the plethora of South Asian immigration lawyers, many of whom speak the dialects of Hindi, Gujarati or Punjabi. Kaye's own South Asian roots, on the other hand, are of recent origin. "My original interest in India was sparked by my job," he said, "and then I went to visit the country. After that I became interested in yoga and meditation." Kaye somehow finds time to write a regular column on immigration for the largest Indian newspaper in the US, India Abroad. He is also the co-host of a television show, "Immigration and You," broadcast by Vision of Asia; after 25 years, it is the longest-running show in New York.

"I used to see him every week on his show," said Sivaramakrishnan. "I sought out his services because I wasn't satisfied with the previous lawyer I'd had -- but word of mouth is really important in this business and everyone knows Allen's show."

Although his show and column have long enjoyed great popularity, Kaye said the subject has gained in importance since the attacks of Sept. 11.

"We are seeing a lot more questions about naturalization," he said, adding that people who had been satisfied with permanent residency‹the coveted green card‹were no longer so sure that it was a sufficient guarantee of their rights in this country. So business at Kaye's Wall Street offices is even busier than usual. Clients speak in a variety of languages as they sit in the waiting area, stacks of India Abroad and other ethnic publications are piled on tables and assistants rush along the hallway lined with Indian artwork.

Kaye is remarkably unruffled by all the commotion, conducting his interviews, directing his staff and simultaneously planning a trip to Washington, DC, for the following day. A client calls him, anxious about his immigration status, and Kaye calmly, methodically, lays his fears to rest. On the window sill, the god Shiva glints in the afternoon sunlight.