Immigration

Laurie Fransman KC is a celebrated silk with market-leading knowledge of nationality and asylum law. He enjoys a glowing reputation, both domestically and internationally, thanks in part to his significant contribution to the leading literature in the area. His areas of expertise within asylum law include complex protection and exclusion cases. He is well versed at representing private clients. He is the founder of the Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association.

"Laurie is an oracle of immigration knowledge."

Adrian Berry is an exceptionally skilled barrister whose practice is heavily focused on British nationality and EU free movement law. He routinely receives instructions from large-scale corporations in major commercial immigration matters. He is also praised for his work in nationality law, naturalisation and statelessness.

"Adrian is a genius. His knowledge of immigration and nationality matters is astonishing."

"Adrian is brilliant on complex British nationality matters."

"Adrian has encyclopedic knowledge of immigration and nationality law."

"Adrian is clever, bright, articulate and very persuasive."

Amanda Weston KC is a leading immigration barrister who routinely acts for high-profile clients in complex citizenship and inbound-travel matters. Distinguished for her commitment to the representation of migrants, she also weights her caseload towards unlawful detention and trafficking work on behalf of vulnerable adults and children.

"Amanda is tenacious and very dedicated."

"She knows her way around the area and I know she is well regarded by clients."

"Amanda has extraordinary intellect and ability to see legal points that nobody else would see."

David Jones is an accomplished barrister who is adept at handling immigration, asylum and human rights law at all levels, from the First-tier Tribunal to the ECtHR. He has a strong track record of securing substantial damages for individuals who have been unlawfully detained. He has also represented business migrants and high net worth individuals.

"David is a top choice. He knows his stuff and has years of experience."

Kathryn Cronin is a first-class advocate with a wealth of immigration knowledge. She is regularly instructed in asylum and family law cases, and has notable expertise in matters concerning gender persecution, trafficking and child-related immigration. She remains a leading light in the crossover between immigration, family and public law. Cronin is admitted to practice in both the UK and Australia. She has made significant contributions to the literature on the subject of family and children's asylum.

"Kathryn is calm and persuasive."

"Kathryn is very client-focused. She gets down in the trenches at times."

"Kathryn remains at the forefront of immigration and family law, and cases benefit from her invaluable insight."

Mark Symes is a high-quality barrister who offers an all-round immigration service and is noted for his work on international protection. Before coming to the Bar, he worked at the Refugee Legal Centre, and he is now best known for appearing in various landmark country guidance asylum cases and judicial review challenges.He has extensive experience before the higher courts, including the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal.

"Civil procedure processes can be quite complicated, but he can explain it very clearly to people."

"Mark makes some of the most complex immigration and asylum law sound very straightforward and simple."

"He is encyclopedic of immigration and asylum law."

Patrick Lewis is a truly experienced barrister who handles a wide range of immigration and asylum matters, including matters before the Court of Appeal. He is a commercial immigration specialist who regularly advises both private individuals and large corporations. He has extensive experience with the PBS and regularly handles entrepreneur applications and civil penalties for businesses.

"Patrick is so gentle, client-focused, kind and approachable, and it is incredible to realise these skills are also matched by his advocacy skills and forensic mind."

"Watching him advocate for the most vulnerable clients using his fierce knowledge and powerful intellect, you know your client is in the very safest hands."

"Patrick has amazing analytical skills, and is always comprehensive, thorough and persuasive on his feet."

"He is easy to work with and approachable, and always conducts even urgent work to a very high standard."

"Patrick is able to find different angles on a case and he gets to grips with detailed cases."

Rebecca Chapman offers broad immigration expertise. She regularly handles third-country and asylum cases and was appointed a deputy judge of the Upper Tribunal in 2015. She advises vulnerable clients, including children, individuals with mental health conditions or serious illness, and LGBT+ asylum seekers. She has deep experience in cases involving the deportation and extradition of foreign criminals and Article 3 ECHR.

"Rebecca uses her experience and deep knowledge to present cases effectively. She is great to work with and is calm and empathetic with clients."

"Rebecca is an excellent barrister and a joy to work with. She is particularly good in complex family and human rights cases."

"She is a very strong advocate, an excellent communicator and brings gravitas to proceedings."

"Rebecca is an incredibly experienced and knowledgeable barrister who gives clear and concise advice."

"Rebecca emanates kindness towards clients and is a pleasure to work with, while being a highly powerful advocate."

Ronan Toal is much respected for a practice that has seen him become a favourite among fellow barristers and solicitors alike. His caseload is varied, with a particular focus on human trafficking and technical areas of asylum law such as country guidance and nationality. He has strong experience of judicial reviews and matters before the appellate courts.

"Ronan is an expert in his field and, no matter the case, brings a calm, measured approach to highly complex proceedings."

"Ronan's fearsome intellect and encyclopedic knowledge are matched by his client care skills and compassion."

"He advocates for the most vulnerable clients with a forensic attention to detail and a focus on their needs and experiences."

"Ronan is exceptionally experienced, has a strategic mind and is empathetic towards clients."

"Ronan is unwavering in his commitment to clients."

Sadat Sayeed routinely handles politically sensitive cases on behalf of high-profile individuals within the political, business and sporting worlds. He is particularly noted for his deep knowledge of human rights and refugee law, regularly advising clients from Eastern European countries. He is adept at handling cases concerning deportation, extradition and international protection.

"He is adept at making complex or challenging arguments and presenting them successfully."

"He is a brilliant advocate. He is very thorough and always pushes for the perfect outcome."

"Sadat is brilliant with clients and in court, and always takes a thoughtful, strategic approach to his cases."

Sonali Naik KC is an esteemed silk with a wealth of experience appearing before tribunals and in judicial review proceedings. Her practice has a strong focus on test and country guidance cases. Recently she has been particularly active in cases concerning the deprivation of nationality, as well as Article 3 and Article 8 ECHR. While largely publicly funded, she also acts for private clients.

"Her dedication to her clients cannot be matched. She is always willing to go over and above to secure victory for them."

"Sonali is absolutely outstanding in her advocacy and in her detailed legal knowledge."

Stephanie Harrison KC is a highly esteemed barrister who is particularly well known for her adroit handling of the most complex immigration and asylum matters. She frequently appears in the highest courts in landmark immigration cases, such as national security matters and deportation appeals. She has a strong track record in bringing sophisticated challenges to Home Office decisions by way of judicial review.

"Stephanie knows how the law is developed and is a real fighter for her clients."

"She is known for her fearless fighting for her clients. She is a powerful advocate."

Abigail Smith draws on her prior experience working for solicitors' firms and previous engagement with various NGOs to offer excellent immigration advice to a diverse clientele. She is often instructed in Article 8 claims and cases concerning family reunion. She frequently appears in the First-tier and Upper Tribunals in complex asylum and immigration matters.

"She's wonderful. She accessible and she's great for sensitive and complex emotional issues."

"Abigail is a delight to work with: a persuasive advocate combined with compassion, who is always well prepared."

"She is very good with clients and will always put together a very strong case."

"Abigail is tenacious and very solicitor-friendly. She is very popular with clients."

"Abigail is very responsive and provides clear and direct advice, both to instructing solicitors and to the clients."

Helen Foot is a highly erudite immigration and asylum specialist barrister focusing on nationality and citizenship cases for a range of vulnerable claimants including children, asylum seekers and victims of trafficking. She is regularly called upon to appear in the tribunals and the courts, and has deep experience in deportation matters as they relate to criminal convictions and the protection of human rights.

"Helen is an absolutely terrific advocate and an absolute pleasure to work with."

"Helen is fantastic to work with: an excellent advocate, very well prepared, and brilliant in nationality cases."

"Helen is a joy to work with. She is organised and calm."

Peter Jorro is highly experienced barrister with a varied practice covering areas such as the PBS, asylum and EEA law. He is also well versed at handling cases concerning criminal history, family naturalisation and extradition. He counts high net worth individuals, businesses and asylum applicants among his clientele.He has considerable experience advising corporate clients in relation to Tier 2 sponsor licences.

"Peter has exceptional expertise, professionalism and dedication to his work. He is our first go-to counsel and he is always happy to help."

"Peter is an excellent barrister both for advice and as an advocate."

Ali Bandegani is a highly regarded barrister with a strong immigration practice. He is particularly well known for his expertise in public law and human rights challenges to Home Office policy concerning asylum, detention and deportation. He is frequently called upon to represent refugees including victims of torture and individuals with mental health conditions.

"Ali has a deep knowledge of the principles of asylum law which he brings to public law challenges."

"He is very good at grasping who the client is, what they need and what is required to get to where they need to be."

"Ali has a very strong legal knowledge, and his grounds are always excellent."

Bojana Asanovic is a well-regarded immigration barrister with an interest in EU free movement, sexual orientation and gender identity, and trafficking cases. Notable recent work includes acting as junior counsel to the appellant in Hussein v SSHD, before the Supreme Court.

"She is a great advocate and is fearless in her commitment to her clients. Her ability to think outside the box has enabled our clients to achieve a positive outcome."

"She is very knowledgeable on the Refugee Convention and specific areas of the Convention."

"Bojana is able to offer alternative perspectives and approaches for case strategy."

Colin Yeo is an esteemed and popular immigration barrister who is particularly highly regarded by his peers and widely recognised for his editorship of the Free Movement blog. He is known for his handling of EEA claims and has been active exploring the impact of Brexit on free movement. He is also experienced in challenges to deportation and deprivation of citizenship decisions. His client base is varied and includes high net worth private individuals, law centres and businesses of all sizes.

"Colin can really add value to an appeal, bringing in new ideas and arguments."

David Sellwood is a popular choice with solicitors, who instruct him in a range of immigration and asylum appeals and complex judicial review challenges. He is particularly well versed in unlawful detention cases, deportation matters and associated human rights issues. He has often appeared before the Upper Tribunal, High Court and Court of Appeal.

"David always displays excellent communication, provides clear advice and has great tactical sense."

"He has exceptional technical knowledge of the ins and outs of the judicial review process."

"David is an outstanding advocate, very client-focused, and his written submissions are exceptional."

"David pays impeccable attention to detail, which is capable of making all the difference in difficult cases."

"David is strong on legal arguments and is excellent to work with."

Edward Grieves KC is a highly praised immigration barrister who has a wealth of experience before the SIAC and frequently appears in complex and highly sensitive national security matters involving individuals with alleged links to terrorist activities or groups. He is also well versed in cases involving the Refugee Convention.

"Edward is very committed to every case he has worked on. He is a very creative lawyer and strategic in his advice."

"He is extremely thorough and creative in his preparation, ensuring that every possible angle is considered. He is an amazing advocate with an extremely clear and compelling style."

"He's excellent - he is very measured and does a very effective job."

Gordon Lee is an immigration law specialist barrister with notable experience in unlawful detention and deportation proceedings. He has appeared in important cases before the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court.

"Gordon Lee is very helpful, and his written work is very good."

Grace Brown is an immigration expert with particular strength in cases regarding deportation, including those challenging actions brought against 'Windrush migrants'. She represents vulnerable children and their families in a range of matters throughout the courts and tribunals.

"Grace is brilliant at drafting grounds and arguments."

Nicola Braganza KC is a barrister who continues to receive praise for her work with vulnerable appellants and their families. Her caseload includes complex work involving victims of slavery, torture and domestic abuse. She also has significant experience handling LGBT+ asylum claims. She regularly appears before the First-tier Tribunal, Upper Tribunal and Court of Appeal. She is associated with the Athens Refugee Legal Support project.

"Nicola's ability and attitude to each case is second to none."

"She is so good to work with."

Raza Halim specialises in judicial review and appellate work in the fields of refugee law, civil liberties and national security. He acts in high-profile test case litigation challenging government policies and practices at first instance, through to the Supreme Court.

"Raza is exactly who a client wants in their corner."

"Raza is an excellent combination of approachable, great to work with and an effective advocate in difficult cases."

Emma Fitzsimons is a popular immigration law barrister who has acted in a number of judicial reviews on behalf of victims of trafficking or other vulnerable individuals.

"Emma is really honest and has huge amounts of integrity."

"She adopts a calm, highly skilled approach to complex legal questions."

"Her calm, compassionate and highly approachable manner is matched by her highly skilled and forensic advocacy skills."

"Emma is very impressive in her ability to distil complex legal issues and produce high-quality and thorough work."

"Emma has excellent legal knowledge and attention to detail."

Bijan Hoshi demonstrates engagement in a range of matters relating to immigration and nationality law. He is notably active in asylum claims, particularly on behalf of individuals in politically sensitive contexts, and has recently appeared before the First-tier Tribunal and Upper Tribunal.

"His legal advice is clear and always thought through and comprehensive."

"Bijan has a very client-focused approach."

"Bijan is an excellent choice for public law challenges that have an immigration angle because he has an in-depth knowledge of the immigration system."

"Bijan is an excellent public lawyer in complex cases, explains things in a client-friendly manner and is lovely to work with."

Ubah Dirie has demonstrated a strong command of various issues in the immigration law field, including country guidance and citizenship registration.

"Ubah is super, she has really good client care qualities."

"She's very good at putting people at ease and talking people through the issues and explaining things in a way clients understand."

"Ubah's determination for her clients is fierce and reaps incredible results."

"Ubah has a highly original mind and attacks the most complex legal questions with a unique blend of intellectual rigour, detailed preparation and dedication."

"Her passion and degree of care really shine through in all she takes on."

Eva Doerr is a junior immigration specialist barrister notable for her involvement in high-profile appeals and judicial reviews. She has an impressive spread of expertise covering various human rights issues and the treatment of EEA nationals under the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement.

"Eva puts clients at their ease and gives them clear and robust advice."

"Eva is excellent across the board."

"No case is too complicated for Eva."

"Eva is tenacious and smart. She does not shy away from difficult challenges and works collaboratively with instructing solicitors."

"She is highly empathetic and popular with her clients."

Greg Ó Ceallaigh KC continues to impress fellow barristers and clients alike with his flourishing immigration and asylum practice. He offers deep experience in areas such as EU law-related judicial reviews, third-country removal and detention matters. He is also well versed in the Dublin III Regulation.

"Greg is always very practical in his advice and approach, and has a keen eye for his clients' best interests."