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The Legal 500 Hall of Fame Icon The Legal 500 Hall of Fame highlights individuals who have received constant praise by their clients for continued excellence. The Hall of Fame highlights, to clients, the law firm partners who are at the pinnacle of the profession. In the United Kingdon, the criteria for entry is to have been recognised by The Legal 500 as one of the elite leading lawyers for eight years. These partners are highlighted below and throughout the editorial.
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United Kingdom > South East > Human resources > Immigration > Law firm and leading lawyer rankings

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  1. Immigration
  2. Leading individuals
  3. Next Generation Partners
  4. Rising stars

Leading individuals

  1. 1

Rising stars

  1. 1

Birketts LLP's immigration department is divided across four offices in East Anglia and the South East and is headed by Clare Hedges, who specialises in business immigration with a niche specialism in advising on sponsor license applications for Ministers of Religion. Chelmsford-based Janice Leggett supports multinational, SME and private clients on business immigration, employment of non-EU workers including sponsorship and related contentious matters. She is also an experienced advisor on immigration issues affecting the film production industry.

Practice head(s):Clare Hedges

Other key lawyers:Janice Leggett

Testimonials

'The team at Birketts are always very helpful, are great communicators and provide work within a timely and efficient manner.'

'Janice Leggett always goes the extra mile. She is very switched on and always handles queries quickly and effectively.'

Key Clients

Advertising Producers Association

Sheenhan Nagel Hartray Associates

Furlined Limited

Stink Limited

Neopost Limited

Work highlights

  • On-going advice on various immigration matters concerning film crews entering the UK for filming projects through visitor rules or sponsored employment.
  • Assisting an online gaming industry client  in the operation of its sponsor  licence including the assignment of Certificates of Sponsorship and associated visa applications.
  • Assisting with the Sponsor Licence application and making appropriate visa applications under Tier 2, Tier 2 ICT and advising on applications for EEA nationals.
  • Assisting a film production company on assignment of Tier 5 visas for film crews, Tier 2 visas and applications for naturalisation.

Clarkslegal LLP assists with all aspects of business immigration ranging from employer sponsorship licences to responding to immigration enforcement notices from UK Visas and Immigration. The practice also regularly advises entrepreneurs and investors on securing Tier 1  visas, as well offering multi-disciplinary support in connection to setting up operations in the UK. The practice also experienced significant growth in cross-border work in securing overseas visas of representatives of overseas parent companies. Monica Atwal heads the practice.

Practice head(s):Monica Atwal

Testimonials

'Clarklegal are very personal and extremely helping, going out of their way to understand their clients and help them seek the best options'.

'Monica Atwal is highly recommended - she is a true professional in her field'.

Key Clients

Jardine Motors Group UK Limited

Coffey International Ltd

Work highlights

  • Advising on various immigration issues, including assisting in connection with the international transfer of members of staff from Hong Kong to the UK.
  • Advising a client on obtaining a licence as a Tier 2 sponsor and in the continuance of sponsorship of leading scientists internationally.

Dentons handles the full spectrum of business immigration matters, including applications of sponsorship, advising on temporary and permanent visa applications and also acts as Level 1 users in managing and addressing Home Office compliance issues. Associate Verity Buckingham heads the practice from the Milton Keynes office.

Practice head(s):Verity Buckingham

Testimonials

'The team at Dentons are knowledgeable, punctual, resourceful, and provided personalised service - knew every one of our members by name and their individual circumstances. Associate Verity Buckingham is truly dedicated and is remarkably impressive.'

Key Clients

Ocean Partners UK Limited

Providentia Capital LLP

Sonia Friedman Productions Ltd

ADAM Asset Management Ltd

Asylum Aid

Work highlights

  • Advising the charity on a pro bono basis in helping to ascertain nationality for stateless individuals.
  • Assisted with a successful application for leave to remain following an initial refusal.
  • Assisted the client with an urgent sponsor licence application and CoS allocation request to enable the  client to employ a migrant before a current visa expired.

Stevens & Bolton LLP has extensive expertise in business immigration, especially in Tier 2 and related business immigration matters. 'First class' employment lawyer Kerry Garcia heads the practice which is increasingly sought after by private and corporate clients to assist with T1 Investor applications, residency permits, naturalisation and advising on the status and employment of EEA nationals post Brexit.  Associate Jackie Penlington is also recommended for business and personal immigration issues.

Practice head(s):Kerry Garcia

Other key lawyers:Jackie Penlington

Testimonials

'Stevens & Bolton are very experienced, knowledgeable in this sector and are responsive and make themselves available to clients at short notice.'

'The teams is professional at all times but understand and reflect the needs of the client so they use their knowledge of their clients to personalise their advice.'

'Stevens & Bolton combine both detailed knowledge, and extremely good judgment.'

'Kerry Garcia and Jackie Pennington are simply great lawyers who go the extra mile for clients.'

Key Clients

Asahi UK Limited/Asahi Europe Limited

RBB Economics LLP

Diebold Nixdorf Limited

Colas Rail Limited

Godiva UK

Work highlights

  • Ongoing advice to Asahi in connection to sponsor compliance and act as a Level 1 User, and on several Tier 2 applications to transfer staff.  The practice also advised on immigration implications of closing the Japanese branch entity and persuaded the Home Office, on a discretionary basis, to allow a Tier 2 migrant to transfer from their current sponsor to the Asahi sponsorship licence.
  • Advised a retail technology client in relation to a senior employee coming to the UK under a Tier 2 visa.
  • Assisting Colas Rail Limited in relation to several Indefinite Leave to Remain applications.

Aston Bond focuses on assisting individuals with applications and appeals on behalf of visa holders and their sponsors, work permits and naturalisation. Ravinder Kaur is also able to advise on seeking asylum and human rights matters.

Practice head(s):Ravinder Kaur

B P Collins LLP advises on a wide range of business and private immigration matters, such as sponsor licences and assisting UK businesses in securing migrant employees under the Points Based System. For the private client, Chris Brazier is experienced in advising EU nationals on Settled Status applications and handling complex citizenship applications with a specialism in Turkish worker and Turkish business people visas. Kathryn Fielder is also a name to note for business immigration.

Practice head(s):Chris Brazier

Other key lawyers:Kathryn Fielder

Key Clients

Vestel UK Limited

Ceva Animal Health Limited

Hawkins Brown Architects LLP

Amtico International Limited

Work highlights

  • Advising a software developer company on the best way to engage an overseas technical adviser.
  • Advised the UK subsidiary of a US company in arranging a visa for a  senior executive thereby enabling him to come to the UK to set up as a sole representative.

Barnes Harrild & Dyer specialises in private immigration, asylum and human rights law. The practice is headed by Paul Turner who has vast courtroom experience representing individuals before Immigration Tribunals, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. The firm  also advises on business immigration matters.

Practice head(s):Paul Turner

BDB Pitmans' international business immigration service primarily focuses on advising on global mobility issues. Key areas of expertise include Tiers 1, 2 and 5 applications, sponsor licence applications and preparation for Home Office audits. Jonathan Gray heads the practice from the Southampton office.

Practice head(s):Jonathan Gray

DMH Stallard LLP's business immigration practice advises corporate clients in the areas of strategic planning of international moves of key personnel, prevention of illegal working, and sponsorship of non-EEA nationals under the UK’s points-based system. Employment lawyers Adam Williams and Phillip Vallon provide wide-ranging corporate support to a range of clients in the financial services, technology, oil and gas and charitable sectors.

Practice head(s):Adam Williams

Other key lawyers:Phillip Vallon

Testimonials

'The team are responsive and have a very flexible approach.'

'Adam Williams provides very good targeted advice in this area of the market.'

Key Clients

Westcon Group European Operations Limited

Wateraid

Vivo Energy UK Services

Fairvue Partners

St Mary’s University, Twickenham

Work highlights

  • Assisted with the first sponsorship of a switch of a Tier 1 visa holder to permanent employment under a Tier 2 visa sponsored by the business.
  • Assisted Wateraid in respect of several matters including refugee status and the right to work under UK visa/immigration rules. Also  advised on sponsor licensing under Tier 5 of the points-based system.
  • Assisted with the sponsorship and international transfer of a senior director and with the sponsor compliance requirements and applications associated with its UK corporate restructuring.

Focusing on business immigration, the group at Doyle Clayton has 'outstanding knowledge' and 'are incredibly helpful' in providing global mobility support to a sizeable list of well-known clients. Victoria Burnip leads the practice which has experienced steady growth in instructions from private clients seeking advice on Brexit-related immigration issues.

Practice head(s):Victoria Burnip

Testimonials

'What sets the team apart from other Immigration practices is that they are solution-oriented and have a positive outlook.'

'They have outstanding knowledge, are incredibly helpful and the attention to detail is second to none. By far and away in a different class completely on immigration law.'

'Victoria Burnip is outstanding - her depth and breadth of knowledge is amazing.'

Key Clients

VAT Compliance Europe Limited

WTax UK Limited

Fueled

Dixons Carphone

The immigration team at Duncan Lewis Solicitors 'is highly experienced with a wide range of excellent practitioners' who are best known for undertaking a steady stream of Legal Aid work representing individuals in all aspects of personal immigration, asylum, human rights and public law matters. It also has expertise in judicial review immigration claimant cases. Key advisors include Bahar Ata, Ahmed Aydeed,  Tamana Aziz, Toufique Hossain and Zofia Duszynska.

Practice head(s):Ahmed Aydeed, Bahar Ata

Other key lawyers:Tamana Aziz; Toufique Hossain; Zofia Duszynska

Testimonials

'The immigration team is highly experienced with a wide range of excellent practitioners. They are able to cover all areas of immigration and asylum law with a high degree of competence. They have a great eye for detail and are always looking for the best way to advance their client's cases.'

'Duncan Lewis are exceptional at taking cutting edge human rights and immigration cases. They have taken more ground breaking cases than any other firm.'

'Tamana Aziz is supremely experienced with a broad immigration practice. She is excellent with clients and always prepared to go the extra yard. She is also always keen to try out novel points, whilst at the same time being commercially astute.'

'Toufique Hossain has built up a powerful and effective team of some of the UK's brightest young talent.'

Fisher Jones Greenwood LLP is best known for its public law litigation work and handling immigration cases under the Legal Aid Scheme. Practice head Ashlee Campbell is also able to advise on the full range of business immigration matters. Other areas of expertise include the points-based system, family applications, British citizenship and European Union and asylum applications and human rights matters.

Practice head(s):Ashlee Campbell

Testimonials

'The characteristics I admire most about the immigration team at Fisher Jones Greenwood is their thorough, organised, meticulous and focused approach to their work.'

'The team has a very good reputation as they have a really good rapport with their clients. They produce very good quality work; the team is very approachable and has exceptional knowledge.'

'The level of service provided is above many other firms.'

Key Clients

Suffolk Social Services

Essex Social Services

Norfolk Social Services

Herrington Carmichael LLP bolstered its immigration law expertise with the hire of  Bermeet Chhokar from Lexmark Legal in October 2018. The practice advises businesses on global migration matters, recruitment and sponsorship of migrant workers and sponsor licence applications. It also advises a growing number of individuals on the effects of Brexit on immigration issues. Imelda Reddington is the key partner.

Practice head(s):Imelda Reddington

Other key lawyers:Bermeet Chhokar

Work highlights

  • Advised on a sponsor licence to allow the client to bring in skilled migrants from Serbia, in addition to ad-hoc advice in relation to transferring employees to both the UK and Serbia.

IBB (Iliffes Booth Bennett) advises a mix of start-ups, SMEs and private clients on a range of immigration matters; sponsor licensing, advising corporate clients on entry clearance and leave to remain applications for key executives. It also assists on private immigration issues for high-net-worth clients and their families. Uxbridge based Richard Devall leads the practice and is particularly skilled in assisting multinational corporations and in-bound investors set up sponsor licences, visa applications and immigration aspects of business transfers.

Practice head(s):Richard Devall

Testimonials

'The team at IBB are always happy to assist and find viable solutions to the most challenging issues.'

'IBB are solution-orientated, flexible and responsive.'

Key Clients

Glenmark Pharmaceutics Ltd

4PX Express UK Ltd

Avata UK Ltd

Goodman Real Estate Adviser Ltd

Work highlights

  • Assisting a global manufacturer with immigration compliance issues, in particular its management of its Tier 2 sponsor licence and sponsor management system.
  • Advising a pharmaceutical company on various immigration aspects and visa applications for employees as well as assisting the client to remain fully compliant with the management of its Tier 2 sponsor licence.

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'Ultimately there are as many barriers as you put up yourself, you can put up being female and black as an excuse or use it as a weapon of defiance.'

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