Immigration in South East
Birketts LLP
Birketts LLP advises both businesses and individuals on a full range of immigration matters. Clare Hedges heads the practice; her recent focus has been on supporting employers who seek to protect the status of EEA nationals working in the UK following Brexit. The 'responsive and flexible' Janice Leggett is worthy of note for her knowledge of the application of immigration rules to the film production industry. The team has longstanding relationships with clients ranging from multinational PLCs through to local SMEs.
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Testimonials
‘Janice Leggett looked after our affairs for five years. She is absolutely excellent and we won’t hesitate to retain her services again in the future if needs be.’
‘Thoroughly professional, competent, friendly and understanding.’
‘The personal engagement that I received from Janice far exceeded my expectations. She and her assistant were knowledgeable and I felt considerable efficiency and timeliness during my work with them.’
Key clients
Flutter Entertainment Group/Paddy Power
Betfair
Midgard Limited
BBD Perfect Storm
Stink Limited
Sheehan Nagle Hartray Associates
Neopost
Data Intensity Limited
Somesuch Films Limited
Advertising Producers Association
Radical Media
Work highlights
- Advised Midgard Limited on employing foreign workers with applications under Tier 2 of the Points Based Scheme.
- Advised Advertising Producers Association on a variety of issues.
- Advised Westwater Yacht Sales Limited on applications for indefinite leave to remain.
Clarkslegal LLP
Clarkslegal LLP advises multinational clients on a broad range of issues, including securing employer sponsorship licences and responding to immigration enforcement notices, as well as advising tier 1 investors entering the UK on start-up/innovator visas. Though focusing on business immigration, the team also handles personal matters, assisting company directors and their family members with obtaining dependent visas and securing status under the EU Settlement Scheme. Monica Atwal leads the practice and aids entrepreneurs, investors and overseas companies setting up in the UK.
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Testimonials
‘We have been working with Clarkslegal since 2016. All of the people we worked with have been nothing but highly professional.’
Key clients
Jardine Motors Group UK Limited
Coffey International Ltd
Mishipay Ltd
United for Global Mental Health
Work highlights
- Advised Jardine Motors Group UK Limited on various matters.
- Advised a global network company on a full range of corporate immigration matters.
- Advised a leading multi-utility company on a range of corporate immigration matters.
Dentons
Dentons provides complex advice on both contentious and non-contentious employment matters to commercial clients from a variety of sectors. Its work includes applications to join the Register of Sponsors, Leave to Remain and Leave to Enter applications, British citizenship applications, and appeals to the First Tier Tribunal. The team has also been working closely with clients on Brexit readiness projects, providing training to in-house legal and HR teams and workforce planning around the end of free movement. 'Exceptional' associate Verity Buckingham leads the Milton Keynes practice.
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Testimonials
‘Always responsive with sound advice and recommendations. Personally very approachable and good to work with.’
‘Verity Buckingham is always very responsive’
‘In my six years of in-house immigration, I have worked with a number of immigration providers – primarily Big Four. Dentons’ immigration team, under Jessica Pattinson, stands out as understanding our industry and understanding what we need from them as their client.’
‘Verity Buckingham was exceptional. She followed up promptly, is very attentive to details, remembers key dates and facts. Very respectful in all communications and clear in her advice.’
Key clients
ADAM Asset Management Ltd
Consonant (previously called Asylum Aid)
Banijay UK Limited
Gateway Guardianship UK Limited
Sonia Friedman Productions Ltd
SZ DJI Technology Co Ltd
United Artists Corporation Limited
Fortna UK Limited
Ocean Partners UK Limited
Work highlights
- Advised Fortna UK Limited on various HR matters.
- Advised Gateway Guardianship UK Limited on compliance assistance to identify risks to the business associated with their migrant population.
- Advised Consonant in a pro bono capacity.
Stevens & Bolton LLP
Stevens & Bolton LLP provides a full service in business immigration matters, advising on Tier 2 Licences, Certificates of Sponsorship, entry clearance applications and sponsor compliance. The firm has also recently increased its personal immigration offering, advising on Tier 1 Investor, spouse, indefinite leave to remain, naturalisation and registration applications. Practice lead Kerry Garcia has vast experience in the food & drink sector and uses her employment law expertise to advise in relation to allegations of unfair dismissal of migrant workers. Jackie Penlington advises on naturalisation and registration applications, as well as more complex British nationality queries.
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Key clients
Asahi International Ltd/Asahi UK Ltd
Accord Healthcare Limited
Papa John’s (GB) Limited
BMI Group Holdings UK Limited
RBB Economics LLP
Guru Systems Limited
Anders Electronics Plc
Domino Data Lab Limited
Capitalise.com Platform Limited
innogy Consulting & Ventures Ltd
Work highlights
- Advised Asahi UK Ltd and Asahi International Ltd in relation to all UK immigration matters.
- Advised Accord Healthcare Limited in relation to all UK immigration matters.
- Advised Papa John’s in relation to obtaining a Tier 2 (General) and Tier 2 (ICT) sponsor licence.
B P Collins LLP
B P Collins LLP advises on business and personal immigration matters, with its client base including architecture, manufacturing and pharmaceutical sector clients. Chris Brazier, promoted to partner in 2019, leads the practice and advises on Tier 2 visas and the transfer of employees under the points based system, with a particular specialism in Turkish worker visas. Kathryn Fielder focuses on business matters, advising clients on Sponsor Licences and applications for settled status under the EU settlement scheme.
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Work highlights
- Advised a leading veterinary pharmaceutical business on the merging of its licence following the acquisition of another sponsor business.
- Secured the immigration status of a Thai national with a spousal visa following the death of her husband.
- Advised on the potential impact of Brexit on EU citizen employees for the parent company of a UK business.
Barnes Harrild & Dyer
Focusing on personal immigration matters, Barnes Harrild & Dyer provides market-leading advice on a full range of asylum and human rights issues. With significant experience of immigration, asylum and public law, the firm carries out large amounts of legal aid work. Paul Turner leads the practice and has experience taking matters before the First Tier Tribunal and Court of Appeal. He has recently acted in the judicial review of a deportation order that concluded in the Supreme Court.
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DMH Stallard LLP
DMH Stallard LLP advises business clients on immigration issues relating to setting up offices in the UK and applications for Tier 2 Sponsor Licences under the points-based system. Lead partner Adam Williams handles clients from the private and public sector, with particular expertise advising on complex inward investment projects involving the relocation of senior executives to the UK. 'Very responsive' associate Phillip Vallon is recommended and works on a range of matters.
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Testimonials
‘Very friendly team who make you feel valued. They always explain things in a non-legal way that I can understand.‘
‘My experience of working with anyone at DMH is their capacity to understand what is required very quickly. They are very approachable and make things easy to understand.‘
Key clients
Westcon Group European Operations Limited
Wateraid
Ambipar Response Limited
Russell Harcourt (International Opera Singer)
Fairvue Partners
St Mary’s University, Twickenham
Sense Studio
SugarCRM UK Limited
Dayzad Law Offices PC
Work highlights
- Advised a specialist international post-production accountancy practice on the establishment of its first UK company.
- Advised a non-UK national (flag carrier) airline in respect of its reporting duties to the Home Office.
- Advised an international charity on the development and implementation of a combined remote working/mobility policy.
Doyle Clayton
Primarily advising on business immigration, the expanding team at Doyle Clayton aids a variety of large clients on sponsor management issues, naturalisation applications, as well as compliance work. Victoria Burnip leads the team and 'gets things done'; her client list includes a number of management consultancy, software and online gaming companies. Burnip also has a growing portfolio of work for private individuals, assisting with spouse of British or EU citizen visas and permanent residency applications.
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Testimonials
‘The team is always able to advise on the most unique of situations and to adapt to whatever new scenario we bring them.’
‘We used Doyle Clayton’s services for employment compliance and business immigration services for over 3 years. The lawyers on their team are highly knowledgeable of all the latest cases, regulations and new developments and provide well-informed and reliable advice. They are very fast to reply and are always available on short notice.‘
‘Victoria Burnip is an exceptional business immigration lawyer. She is highly knowledgeable and stays up to date on new developments. She is thorough, communicates proactively and reaches out to keep us informed should there be any changes or regulations that she knows would impact our company or our employees. She is also a lawyer who thinks outside the box and goes far beyond what one would expect to make things happen. She is a lawyer who has always got your back, no matter the obstacles.‘
Key clients
VAT IT UK Limited
VAT Compliance Europe Limited
WTax UK Limited
Fueled
Dixons Carphone
Work highlights
- Advised an insurer on an urgent Tier 2 General (Change of Employment) application for its new CEO.
- Advised a software company with an application for Indefinite Leave to Remain for a senior executive of the business.
- Advised an autonomous vehicle software company on the hire of overseas staff.
Duncan Lewis Solicitors
Duncan Lewis Solicitors has developed a reputation as a 'dominant and formidable team within the field' of personal immigration, advising on asylum, human rights, citizenship and EU law matters. The firm has also developed expertise representing clients affected by the Windrush scandal. Toufique Hossain works primarily under legal aid, assisting asylum seekers who have been victims of sexual abuse, torture and trafficking. Bahar Ata, Rohena Wallace and Tamana Aziz are other key practitioners.
Other key lawyers:
Ahmed Aydeed; Bahar Ata; Tamana Aziz; Toufique Hossain; Rohena Wallace; Vicash Ramkissoon; Zofia Duszynska; Nazia Khan
Testimonials
‘This is my first legal experience in the United Kingdom. I find it promising, and encouraging to have had such professional support from the whole team. Case presentation and constant progressive updates were enough to convince me that it’s one of UK’s top law firms in regards to my case.‘
‘Tamana Aziz is extremely knowledgeable and able to think outside the box.’
‘I have lots of experience visiting various solicitors in the UK. Duncan Lewis have always been honest and trustworthy since my first meeting with them. The team has always kept me in the loop.‘
‘Nazia Khan is the most prepared and available solicitor I have worked with.’
‘The caseworkers are ready to put the work in and work as a team with counsel to achieve the best result for the client. ‘
Key clients
Work highlights
- Advised on an appeal to the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) against the decision to deprive the Appellant of his British Citizenship on grounds of national security.
- Advised on the detention of clients contrary to Articles 28 and 2(n) of Dublin III Regulations.
- Advised on a challenge against the Home Secretary’s failure to institute an effective Article 3 ECHR-compliant investigation into abuse of detainees at Brook House IRC.
Fisher Jones Greenwood LLP
Specialists in public law litigation, Fisher Jones Greenwood LLP is regularly instructed by social services authorities on a legal aid basis to advise and represent children in care in respect of complex immigration and human rights applications, unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and victims of trafficking proceedings. Ashlee Campbell is the sole practitioner and frequently acts for domestic abuse victims, while also working closely with local colleges and universities to offer a comprehensive service to both students and Tier 4 sponsors.
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Key clients
Suffolk Social Services
Norfolk Social Services
Work highlights
- Advised Suffolk Social Services on all matters pertaining to unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.
- Advised Norfolk Social Services on all matters pertaining to unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.
IBB (Iliffes Booth Bennett)
The immigration team at IBB (Iliffes Booth Bennett) is well-equipped to advise large business clients on a range of complex immigration matters from its offices in Reading and Uxbridge. Richard Devall heads the team and has particular expertise in the technology and retail sectors. Much of the team's work focuses on issues relating to foreign direct investment. It advises clients on matters including setting up sponsor licences and visa applications for senior staff. The team has also recently taken on asylum work.
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Key clients
Avata UK Ltd
4PX Express UK Ltd
Link Theory (UK) Ltd
Give Back Yoga Foundation
Work highlights
- Advised somali nationals on an application for Leave to Remain under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, outside of the immigration rules.
- Advised a US IT security business on an Application for a Representative of an Overseas Business Visa.
- Advised an IT and management consultancy on compliance issues with the Sponsor Licence system and an application for an extension of a Tier 2 (General) visa (Shortage Occupation List).
Aston Bond
Aston Bond provides personal immigration services. Ravinder Kaur leads the practice and has experience of asylum , human rights, and entry clearance issues as well as appeals before the tribunals and the high court.
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Herrington Carmichael LLP
Herrington Carmichael LLP advises a variety of national businesses on obtaining sponsor licences, compliance issues and grants of entry clearance to the UK. Bermeet Chhokar, having arrived in 2018 to help bolster the personal immigration practice, is the key practitioner and advises private clients seeking specialist advice on EU law and immigration rules, including the EU Settlement Scheme. Former practice head Imelda Reddington departed for Field Seymour Parkes LLP in 2019.
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