Duncan Lewis Solicitors fields a large team that has significant experience in immigration, asylum, human rights and judicial review claimant matters. It is co-led by Ahmed Aydeed and Darren Middleton who excel in advising on publicly funded immigration issues. The group has developed a number of specialisms such as representing vulnerable clients who are victims of torture or trafficking in asylum and human rights matters as well as on detained asylum cases. It is also recognised for its work with unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. In addition, the group is skilled at representing claimants in judicial review proceedings.

Andre Minnaar  has recently been promoted to the partnership. Minnaar and Melissa Southall  are part of a  ‘great’ team of ‘fantastic communicators‘ at Sydney Mitchell LLP. The group specialises in private fee-paying immigration matters of a personal and human rights-based nature. It has also recently been expanding its offering to include corporate immigration matters. The team receives plaudits for its work on all types of entry clearance applications, renewal applications and appeals. Minnaar is a skilled tribunal advocate with a strong LGBTQI following. Southall has extensive personal immigration experience and frequently advises clients on spouse visas, applications for children, asylum issues in addition to European applications to citizenship.

Tom Brett Young leads 'a friendly and approachable' team at VWV, which specialises in both business and personal immigration matters. He has a vast range of experience in acting for multi-national companies, SMEs, start-ups, HE and independent schools on a wide range of immigration matters. Other key clients include high-net-worth individuals. A significant part of his work is advising employers and education providers on their compliance duties as sponsors of worker and on student visa applications. Senior associate, Talitha Degwa, has a primary focus on corporate immigration matters in the technology sectors.

Head of department at Wright Hassall LLP is Matthew Davies, who has a strong client base in sectors such as retail, advertising, financial and professional services. Davies has been busy advising some law firms on their internal immigration issues as well as providing business immigration advice to their clients. He is particularly adept at handling sensitive cases where there is a crossover between immigration and employment law especially in relation to illegal working and dismissals. The practice works closely with its corporate and employment departments to manage sponsor license applications and sponsor migrant status.

Bevan Brittan LLP advises a substantial number of clients on their immigration issues in the public health sector. Under the direction of Ashley Norman, it also acts for various commercial services clients, university sector clients and has been working with some major City and US law firms on a range of immigration matters. Norman advises on diverse matters such as immigration compliance and audits as well as on right to work issues. Rajinder Bhambra joined, as a legal director, from Harrison Clark Rickerbys.

Head of department at Shakespeare Martineau LLP is Tijen Ahmet. Ahmet specialises in business immigration matters and is particularly recognised for her work on UK sponsorship under the points-based system. Ahmet divides her time between the London and Birmingham offices and has extensive experience of working with multi-national businesses on a whole host of issues. She regularly advises global clients’ HR and mobility teams on international recruitment.

Pam Sidhu heads the practice at The Wilkes Partnership. Sidhu, who was recently promoted to partner, is an experienced employment and immigration law practitioner who works mainly for employer clients. She has particular knowledge of advising on skilled worker sponsorship matters, sole overseas representative visas, business visitor visas as well as frontier worker permits.