The large team at Duncan Lewis Solicitors is praised for ‘consistently going above and beyond expectations to deliver the best legal service for clients’. Darren Middleton is the practice head, and is accredited as a supervising senior caseworker under the Immigration and Asylum Law accreditation scheme. The group frequently represents vulnerable clients who are victims of torture or trafficking in asylum and human rights matters, as well as in detained asylum cases. The team is well-placed to assist asylum-seeking children, and has significant experience of acting in judicial review immigration cases before the High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. Former Birmingham co-head Ahmed Aydeed now works exclusively from the London office.

André Minnaar heads an ‘extremely efficient’ team, which is ‘friendly, knowledgeable and responsive’, at Sydney Mitchell LLP. The ‘very diligent’ Minnaar is a skilled tribunal advocate, and has a strong LGBTQI following. The team specialises in private fee-paying immigration matters of a personal and human rights based nature. Recently it has expanded its practice to include corporate immigration matters. ‘Very professional’ senior associate Melissa Southall also garners praise for her personal immigration advice to clients. The group regularly advises on spousal visas, applications for children and asylum matters, as well as European applications for citizenship.

The ‘very knowledgeable’ Tom Brett Young leads the firm’s immigration team at VWV – he is described as a ‘very safe pair of hands‘. Brett Young specialises in both business and personal immigration. He has a wealth of experience in acting for international companies, SMEs and universities on a wide range of immigration matters. Other clients include independent schools and high-net-worth individuals. A key component of the practice is advising employers and education providers on their compliance duties as sponsors of workers, and on student visa applications. Senior associate Talitha Degwa is another notable member of the practice. Degwa is increasingly focusing on growing the firm’s corporate immigration practice in the technology sectors.

At the helm at Wright Hassall LLP is Matthew Davies, who has a strong client base covering leading names in retail, food, confectionary and other areas such as financial and professional services. In addition, Davies advises leading law firms on their internal immigration issues, as well as providing business immigration input to their clients. He is also known for his work where there is a cross-over between immigration and employment law, especially in cases involving allegations of illegal working. Tracie Udall, who provides ‘highly practical and pragmatic’ advice, is another name to note. The group works closely with its corporate and employment departments to help with the management of sponsor licence applications, and advise on sponsor migrant status.

Ashley Norman co-heads the practice at Bevan Brittan LLP along with legal director Tijen Ahmet, who was formerly the head of department at Shakespeare Martineau LLP. The firm’s excellent national immigration practice is particularly known within the NHS, healthcare and university sectors. Norman regularly advises clients from a range of sectors on various matters such as immigration compliance and audits. He has also been working with some major City and US law firms on numerous immigration issues. Ahmet frequently acts for high-net-worth entrepreneurs and their families.

The team at Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP provides a ‘top-notch service – they are very responsive and provide customised solutions to our ongoing matters’. Under the joint leadership of Audrey Elliott and legal director Nerys Ireland, the group is well-placed to provide strategic advice to national and international commercial clients. In addition, it has considerable cross-border capabilities, and regularly undertakes large-scale projects across numerous jurisdictions. The group has been busy advising on issues such as right to work, and on co-ordinating the movement of staff across its clients’ businesses.

The Wilkes Partnership is lauded for its ‘very competent and client-focused approach’, ably led by Pam Sidhu. Sidhu is the lead contact for business immigration work, and is supported by lawyers from the firm’s employment and corporate teams. It advises several employer clients and owner managers on diverse matters. Areas of concentration include advising on skilled worker status, global business mobility issues and sponsorship matters.

Solicitor Calum Hanrahan now heads the team at Shakespeare Martineau LLP, in the aftermath of Tijen Ahmet‘s departure to Bevan Brittan LLP. Hanrahan advises businesses and individuals across a variety of sectors, with expertise in diverse areas such as agriculture, engineering, further and higher education, retail, food and hospitality, manufacturing and transport.