OTS Solicitors > London, England > Firm Profile

OTS Solicitors > Firm Profile

OTS Solicitors are energetic and driven. Rather like your typical entrepreneurial client, new start-up or international company wanting to gain a foothold in the UK by securing a sole representative visa.

Established in 2014, OTS Solicitors has a reputation for “punching above its weight”, delivering commercial and pragmatic legal advice with excellent client service that is focussed on delivering results. Within a few short years, OTS Solicitors has gained national and international recognition as leaders in business immigration and personal immigration law.

Led by managing partner, Oshin Shahiean and CEO, Teni Shahiean, and with a talented legal team that includes former immigration judge, Paul Gulbenkian, the lawyers at OTS Solicitors regularly appear in the national and foreign media. The immigration team has helped cover stories on Brexit, the new Start-up and Innovator Visas, changes to the Investor visa, and have helped highlight the plight of the Windrush generation and asylum seekers.

Whilst OTS Solicitors are known for their business immigration and personal immigration law work the firm has invested heavily in growing its family law offering and employment law and litigation teams. The growth in these areas comes about because of demand from both business and personal immigration clients for joined-up seamless legal advice from specialist solicitors.

The expansion of OTS Solicitors has not distracted the firm from its focus on client excellence and service.  The firm is highly recommended by clients, intermediaries and other solicitors and barristers because of OTS Solicitors emphasis on quality and excellence.

With a multi-national client base, OTS Solicitors has a strong international focus. Multiple languages are spoken within the practice. Senior lawyers make regular visits to overseas jurisdictions such as UAE, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Turkey, Lebanon, Iran, China, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Russia, Armenia, Middle East and North Africa and USA to advise businesses.

Areas of practice:

Business Immigration: OTS Solicitors have a strong national and international reputation for providing business immigration solutions.  The immigration team acts for entrepreneurs, high-net-worth individuals applying for Investor visas, academic institutions, multi-national organisations, and SMEs.

Co-founder and CEO, Teni Shahiean, has a niche practice in UK Sponsor Licence compliance and challenging downgrading, suspending and/or revocation decisions. In addition, the firm provides Sponsor Licence management services and bespoke immigration and employment law training to corporate clients ranging from SMEs to multi-nationals.  Managing Partner, Oshin Shahiean and senior consultant, Paul Gulbenkian lead the high-net-worth and investor visa applications, working closely with intermediaries to ensure applications are dealt with efficiently and effectively. The firm is known for its expertise in advising entrepreneurs and technology businesses and so have a real passion for securing the new Start-up and Innovator visas and providing follow up corporate advice.

Immigration: the personal immigration team has a vast amount of experience in securing student visas, spouse visas, visitor visas, family visas, indefinite leave to remain, immigration bail, British citizenship and advising on asylum and human rights claims and appeals, overstay, detention and removal.

OTS Solicitors have been at the forefront of advising Windrush victims, appearing on the BBC 2 programme “Who should get to stay in the UK ?”. The team has also assisted the national and international media by answering questions on the effect of Brexit on personal and business immigration law, appearing on the BBC news, the Victoria Derbyshire Show and being quoted by major national and international media outlets.

Landlord & Tenant Law: Our Solicitors are particularly experienced in acting on behalf of Landlords, Property Management Companies, Agents and Tenants. Our solicitors have built a reputation for providing the best representation in all types of landlord and tenant disputes including evictions, repair responsibilities, early termination, harassment, breach of contract, repossession, rent repayment orders and rent arrears.

Disputes that can arise as a result of tenancy are diverse in nature and often complicated. Our Landlord and Tenant Team focus on the intricacies of all legal aspects of the tenancy whether you are the landlord or the tenant.

Family Law: with its international client base of entrepreneurs and high net worth investor clients, the family law team focusses on servicing their family law needs. Advice covers cohabitation and prenuptial agreements, child abduction and permission to take a child overseas to live, international adoption and surrogacy arrangement cases and cross-border and high net worth divorce and financial settlements. The family law team offers unrivalled expertise in cases involving family and immigration law elements such as international divorce and inter-country adoption and children disputes.

Employment Law:  With a reputation for straight talking, no nonsense legal advice, employment law clients range from start-ups and SMEs to large national and multi-national corporations. Advice and representation covers: immigration and employment law (Sponsor Licence management and right to work and recruitment), disciplinary matters, TUPE, redundancy, employment tribunal claims, Equality Act 2010 and settlement agreements.

Human Rights: The human rights team are experts in Article 8 and Article 3 immigration appeals and judicial reviews. The firm has a robust understanding of Middle East, Asia and African asylum and human rights cases and has access to specific country legal expertise and human rights groups.

Civil Litigation: the commercial litigation department has extensive experience in all types of civil litigation disputes, including claims for breach of contract, professional negligence, director and shareholder disputes. If divorce and financial proceedings involve a family business, the family law team can draw on the experience and expertise of the civil litigation team in drawing up company paperwork or resolving satellite company litigation.

Commercial and company law: The team advises on all aspects of commercial and corporate law , including company start up, partnership and shareholder agreements, commercial contracts, terms and conditions and disputes. The firm specialises in assisting overseas entrepreneurs to set up their company structure once they secure Start-up or Innovator visas.

Number of UK partners: 2

Number of other UK fee-earners: 20

Breakdown of work %

Individual Immigration: 70%

Family Law: 20%

Employment: 5%

Litigation: 3%

All Other: 2%

Interviews

Oshin Shahiean, Partner

How we focus on delivering legal expertise in the niche areas of Immigration, Landlord and Tenant, Family, Civil litigation, Commercial and Employment.

What do you see as the main points that differentiate OTS Solicitors from your competitors?

We provide clients with an exceptional level of legal expertise, a genuine service that is tailored to your business and/or personal needs, at a cost-effective price. We do not simply advise on immigration law; we actively shape it. Having established a reputation for creativity, professionalism, and being forward-thinking in our work.

Which practices do you see growing in the next 12 months? What are the drivers behind that?

With the end of freedom of movement, we are seeing a substantial rise in requests for employers and organisations seeking to employ European workers under the Skilled Worker Route. This affects both companies and employees as both parties will now need to navigate the immigration rules when applying for Sponsorship Licences and Skilled Worker Visas.

What’s the main change you’ve made in the firm that will benefit clients?

We have recently invested in consultants for various departments with specialised knowledge in specific areas. This enables OTS Solicitors to handle all enquiries and cases effectively with a wide-ranging knowledge of the legal areas. This creates a ‘one-stop shop’ for all of our client’s needs.

Is technology changing the way you interact with your clients, and the services you can provide them?

We have adopted a streamlined and efficient service with the introduction of new legal tech software that enables us to succeed in cases without the physical presence at our offices. This enables us to work around our clients’ schedules and deal effectively with casework using almost exclusively online services.

Can you give us a practical example of how you have helped a client to add value to their business?

One of our multiple business clients was facing a significant staff shortage due to the ongoing effects of the pandemic and the end of freedom of movement combined. We represented the company with their successful sponsor licence application enabling them to hire overseas workers to ensure continued business success in their sector.

Are clients looking for stability and strategic direction from their law firms – where do you see the firm in three year’s time?

We believe that clients are constantly on the search for a law firm that can not only provide legal representation to a high standard, but also an engaging client experience and customer service. We are placing an increasing focus on providing an outstanding service in addition to the work going on behind the scenes which is evident from our generous reviews from previous clients. We are currently expanding our reach in London and have recently opened a new office in West London where we are aiming to build on existing areas such as employment and landlord and tenant law.

Press Releases

Home Office error deprives children of their British passports

As reported recently by the BBC, immigration solicitors in London have recently learned that over 1,000 children entitled to British passports have had their applications for renewal refused – because of a Home Office error. Although the Home Office has set up what it describes as a ‘support function’ to identify those potentially affected, and to resolve any BREXIT, EU and EEA Applications, Permanent Residence Card and Appeals Brexit vote, this is something that many of the top immigration solicitors in London are hearing from many of the EU citizens they work with.

OTS Solicitors Unveils Opening of Dubai Office And Invites You To A Seminar On UK Business Visa Requ

OTS Solicitors has experienced rapid success and growth over the last 12 months.  As part of our expansion, the partners are now proud to announce the opening of our Dubai office on 1^st May 2018.

To celebrate the opening of the Dubai branch which will focus on the firm’s very high net-worth private client advisory business, OTS Partners, Mr Oshin Shahiean and Ms Teni Shahiean, along with Ms Saida Ahmed, Senior business immigration Advisor are hosting a seminar at the Hyatt Regency Dubai Creek Heights 14^th April 2018.  The seminar is entitled “UK Business Visa Requirements - Helping foreign nationals and businesses enter and remain in the UK”.  In addition, the partners and senior immigration advisor, Ms Saida Ahmed will be providing businesses and individuals interested in relocating to the UK the opportunity to talk about their ambitions further in 30-minute one-to-one sessions on Sunday, 15^th April and Monday, 16^th April 2016.

OTS Solicitors Is Expanding To Chancery Lane

OTS Solicitors is delighted to announce that due to rapid growth and expansion, the firm has now expanded into additional offices.  The firm is adding 160 sq meters of office space at a new Chancery Lane branch in addition to its current 80 sq meters in the existing Fleet Street office, providing a total of 240sq meters with room for further expansion.  From 12th March 2018, the team at OTS Solicitors will see all clients at their new offices located at 25 Southampton Buildings WC2A 1AL.

Home Office Immigration White Paper Release Delayed

An immigration white paper outlining Britain’s proposed post-Brexit immigration system will not be released until after the transition deal is completed.

The government’s announcement regarding the paper, which was supposed to be released last summer, has been criticised by the business community.

This move also means that a Brexit immigration bill, promised in the Queen’s speech, will not reach the statute book before the registration of the three million EU nationals already living and working in Britain gets underway this autumn.

OTS Wins AI Excellence Award For The Most Trusted [Immigration] Lawyers 2017

OTS Solicitors is proud to announce we have been awarded the Acquisition International (AI) Excellence Award for the Most Trusted [immigration] Lawyers 2017.

AI is a monthly magazine dedicated to providing information to the corporate world.  It has a circulation of 108,000 people in over 170 countries and regularly attracts editorial submissions from large corporate players, including KPMG, EY, PwC and Deloitte.

Rare Granting Of Adult Dependent Relative Visa Thanks To OTS Solicitors

OTS Solicitors has been ranked highly by the Legal 500, and we have won numerous other awards for our immigration services (including a Global Excellence Award for the Most Trusted in Immigration Law).  OTS recently had an extraordinary success with an Adult Dependent Relative Visa being granted for the elderly relatives of a client.

Court of Appeal Rules The Extension Of The Worker Registration Scheme Was Unlawful

On 7^th November 2017, the Court of Appeal, in Secretary of State for Work and Pensions v Gubeladze [2017] EWCA Civ 1751confirmed (again) that the extension of the Worker Registration Scheme from 1 May 2009 to 30 April 2011 was unlawful and incompatible with EU law. 

ECJ Gives Landmark Decision In EU Spouse Case

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled an EU national who becomes a British citizen does not lose the right to have a non-EU spouse live with them in the UK.

The court ruled the UK Home Office was mistaken in denying a dual British-Spanish citizen the right to bring her Algerian husband with her to Britain.

OTS Solicitors Achieves 12 Successful Visa Applications In One Day

OTS Solicitors is proud to announce that we have received back 12 biometric residence permit cards from UK Visas and immigration (UKVI) in one day.

The applications consisted of a mix of Indefinite Leave to Remain, residence cards and permanent residence cards.

It is unprecedented to have so many successful biometric residence cards come through in one day.

Creative Industries Want Government To Act Sensibly With Immigration Policies Post-Brexit

The Creative Industries Federation (CIF) has released a Global Talent report which highlights creative industries contribute £87 billion to the UK economy.  This is more than the automotive, oil and gas, aerospace and life sciences industries combined.

The creative industry also accounts for three million British jobs and is the country’s fastest growing sector.

There are fears, however, that the Government’s post-Brexit immigration policy could put enormous pressure on the sector.  Without freedom of movement, industry leaders say they will struggle to attract the “best and the brightest”.

OTS Solicitors Win Appeal Against Asylum Refusal

Under UK law, everyone, irrespective of the evidence against them, is entitled to a defence.  This principle is especially applicable in cases involving asylum, whereby a person’s human rights may be violated if they are returned to their country of origin.

Asylum seekers need not be destitute, despite being portrayed as such by the media.  Countries that do not have a strong human rights track record, including some in the Middle East, South East Asia and Africa, do not necessarily distinguish between wealth and rank.  If a person faces criminal prosecution in certain countries, their access to justice can be severely limited and incarceration inhumane.

OTS Solicitors is a Legal 500 recommended law firm and has won numerous other awards for our immigration service (including a Global Excellence Award for the Most Trusted in Immigration Law).  My team and I regularly advise high-net-worth clients who have entered Britain on a Tier 1 Entrepreneur Visa or a Tier 1 Investor Visa, who are facing charges in their home country, claim asylum.

Saudi Detains Senior Figures In Anti-Corruption Crackdown

Officials in Saudi Arabia have arrested dozens of high-ranking officials, including a billionaire prince who owns the Savoy Hotel in London in an anti-corruption clampdown that fortifies Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's power-base.