The Legal 500

1 GREAT CUMBERLAND PLACE, LONDON, W1H 7AL, ENGLAND
Tel:
Work 020 7724 4488
Fax:
Fax 020 7724 4888
Web:
www.gherson.com
Email:

With over 23 years’ experience and an outstanding reputation, Gherson remains a leading UK immigration, nationality, EU, asylum and human rights specialist.

The firm: Established in 1988, Gherson is consistently recognised as one of the most prominent immigration, nationality, EU, asylum and human rights practices in the UK. It provides all its clients with small, focused teams of dedicated lawyers, in which the practice head participates fully in a hands-on capacity. The team continues to expand and attract the most complex and challenging client work, as well as the highest calibre of fee-earners.

Types of work undertaken: Roger Gherson, in conjunction with Kathryn Bradbury and Lisa Amos, two highly accomplished and respected immigration practitioners, leads a team of expert fee-earners who cater to the immigration, nationality and human rights needs of the firm’s clients. The firm advises on a wide range of immigration matters, including all points-based applications, and handles an increasing number of successful applications for domestic workers, students, work permit holders, entrepreneurs and business persons. Gherson has significant expertise in obtaining investor visas and in choosing the most appropriate routes to residence and nationality. The team continues to expand, with the hiring of recognised leaders in UK business immigration such as Jennifer Lambe (over 13 years’ experience). Bilingual lawyers, paralegals and an in-house team of qualified and experienced translators allow the team to communicate effectively and prepare all documents whilst maintaining absolute confidentiality.

Human rights remain at the heart of the firm’s services. Roger Gherson, Lee Jackson, Joe Levtov, Elena Hinchin and Alina Fosh conduct a broad range of cases before the Immigration and Asylum Chamber of the First-tier Tribunal and the European Court of Human Rights, dealing with the liberty of individuals and the protection of business assets and other property rights. In addition, the immigration team has attained a number of successful judicial review outcomes.

This firm has a wide private and corporate client base, including private individuals, international business executives, private and public companies, banks, financial institutions, and a significant number of UK and international corporations.

Breakdown of work %
UK immigration/nationality/EU freedom of movement 55
Civil liberties/human rights/asylum 45

Number of UK partners 1
Number of other UK fee-earners 17

Above material supplied by Gherson.

Legal Developments in the UK

Legal Developments and updates from the leading lawyers in each jurisdiction. To contribute, send an email request to
  • COUNCIL TAX

    In Harrow LBC v Ayiku [2012] EWHC 1200 (Admin) Sales J held that the word “or” in the Council Tax (Exempt Dwellings) Order 1992, art 3 Class N, had a disjunctive meaning, therefore it was sufficient for the non-British spouse of a foreign student to satisfy one or other of the two conditions, namely being prevented from taking paid employment or being prevented from claiming benefits, in order to qualify as a “relevant person” who was exempted from liability to pay council tax.
    - 11KBW
  • QUEEN’S SPEECH

    Bills already introduced pursuant to the Queen’s Speech on 9 May 2012 include Local Government Finance Bill and Electoral Registration and Administration Bill, both accompanied by Explanatory Notes, which in each case address ECHR compatibility.
    - 11KBW
  • Standards

    In R (Calver) v Adjudication Panel for Wales [2012] EWHC 1172 (Admin) Mr Calver was a member of Manorbier Community Council who successfully challenged the decision of the Panel to dismiss his appeal against a decision by Prembrokeshire County Council Standards Committee censuring him for a number of comments or blogs posted by him on a website he owned and controlled.
    - 11KBW
  • A justified retrospective

    Clive Sheldon - QC debates the pros & cons of retrospective tax legislation
    - 11KBW
  • Public Sector Equality Duty (“PSED”)

    In R (Greenwich Community Law Centre) v Greenwich LBC [2012] EWCA Civ 496 the Court of Appeal held that the Council had had “due regard to the PSED when making changes to its funding of community legal advice services”. At para 30 Elias LJ said:
    - 11KBW
  • Public Sector Equality Duty

    Surrey County Council conducted a review of its Library Service. This culminated in a Report to the Council’s Cabinet. The Recommendations in the Report included that there should be consultation about a community-partnership approach at selected Libraries.
    - 11KBW
  • Judicial Review

    The Judgment of Lindblom J in The Manydown Co Ltd v Basingstoke and Deane BC [2012] EWHC 977 (Admin) repays attention. The Claimant sought to challenge by judicial review 2 decisions of the Council: (1) the Council’s refusal to reconsider its position on the development of a site that it owns (and is the subject matter of a Joint Development Partnership Agreement with the Claimant); and (2) a decision of the Council’s Cabinet approving a selection of sites for development which did not include this site.
    - 11KBW
  • The Health and Social Care Act 2012: impact on adult social services

    After its torrid passage through Parliament, the Health and Social Care Bill received Royal Assent on 27 March 2012. The Act deals principally with healthcare reform, but it also contains some amendments to the legislative framework for social care. It will come into force on a day yet to be appointed by the Secretary of State.
    - 11KBW
  • Immigration update May 2012

    In this issue:
  • Premium service for tier 2 and 5 sponsors to be launched

    A premium service for sponsors will be launched by the UKBA on 6 April 2012. The service is designed specifically for companies that sponsor international employees under tier 2 and 5 of the points based system and aims to provide them with enhanced support.