20 December 2019

In an interview for the UCL Laws alumni newsletter Laura Devine discusses her journey into immigration law.

How did you get into the field of Immigration Law?

As a young woman, I came to work in London from a small town in Scotland. I quickly recognised the disadvantage of not having a degree and became a mature law student at UCL on the recommendation of my partner John who had read Geography at UCL. It was a revelation to be at one of the world’s best law faculties.  Although I took my studies seriously, I did and still do, take advantage of what London offers from the arts perspective, in particular, cinema, theatre, music, and literature.

After graduation, I completed articles, in today’s parlance a training contract, at Cameron Markby (now CMS) and qualified into the litigation department practicing contentious employment law. CMS also had lawyers in the commercial department doing non-contentious employment.  It seems incredulous today, with the huge industry that employment law has become, to appreciate that in the late 1980s there were few if any, employment teams in law firms. I very much enjoyed employment but decided to leave private practice in the City. As I had no relevant interview experience, I planned to practice my techniques in an interview for a job I had no intention of taking – as an employment lawyer at Coopers & Lybrand (now PwC). To the surprise of many, including myself, I joined this large accountancy firm in Holborn – so much for me leaving private practice in the City.  Accountants, unlike solicitors, then and maybe still, are much more commercial and perceived themselves as business advisers. As a result of this, I with only 12 months employment law experience was given immigration cases to advise on which I considered myself totally unqualified to do. But I was fascinated by the area and sensed it was like playing a game without knowing the rules. I suggested to the powers to be at the firm that I take time off from employment to build an immigration law specialism. I never went back to practising employment law. With the firm’s imposing international corporate client base and talented staff it could be non-other than a success. All my immigration applications to the Home Office were approved and after a while I began to wish for refusals as I wanted to deal with appeals and discretionary applications and to amplify my client base.  So after some years at C&L, I moved to practise in Soho where I captured a myriad of clients in the arts, entertainment, catering, and fashion sectors. Home Office refusals emanated hard and fast. 

Was there a turning point that led you to this point in your career?

When I was seven years qualified by way of contacts and luck I became a consultant and entered into a joint venture with Eversheds (now Eversheds Sunderland). The joint venture gave me no guaranteed income but did provide a sophisticated infrastructure and base from which to service my client base and develop it. I recruited staff and built a team that contentedly worked under the Eversheds umbrella whilst being on my payroll. I doubt the SRA would entertain such as situation today.  When there was a change of management at Eversheds I was given an ultimatum: partnership or termination. This provided the impetus for me to start a law firm joined by my 13 strong team. I am delighted to say six of the 13 still work together. It was so energising setting up a law firm with planning and attention to detail being paramount. The team set up committees including to name a few client care, regulation, compliance, IT and design. We had strong competition in the immigration market but I never considered I had to explain myself because I had had excellent articles and was a UCL laws graduate. My three years at Bentham House gave me a comprehensive understanding of the law and a sound ethical base, both of which are vital in leading a law firm.

That was back in 2003, and now there’s 50 of us in London and 15 in New York, providing bespoke UK and US immigration advice.

What have been your career highlights so far?

Two things that have meant a lot to me this year have been our Commendation for Immigration from the Times Best Law Firms 2019 (and again for 2020), and the LexisNexis 2019 Award for Wellbeing.  The firm has won a dozen or so awards, but those two touched my spirit in that they are in recognition of our top priority which is the treatment of staff.   80% of our staff and all five partners are female. The partners have worked together for between 15-20 years. We aim to provide a collegiate, collaborating, caring business environment resulting in contented, comfortable staff. This results in staff retention and it is rewarding employing staff and witnessing them develop. A partner joined as a paralegal and the heads of support staff and IT were recruited as junior staff.

Contented comfortable staff result in contented comfortable clients. It is a remarkably satisfying assisting clients change their and often their family’s lives. On any given day we could possibly be advising a chief executive of a Texan oil company, an Indian IT company, a fashion designer, a financier, a production company,  SMEs, an asylum seeker and someone who’s been refused leave. We assist them in leaving their home countries to migrate to the UK or the US to take a job, to set up a business, study, marry, to live with their family or to seek refuge. It’s stimulating work and it gives us all a huge amount of satisfaction. But there are refusals along the way, gone are the days when I wished for these.

How did studying at UCL Laws impact your career?

Studying at UCL gave me confidence which I needed and provided me with the inspiration, knowledge, and principles to establish a leading boutique immigration firm in the City and New York. I’m privileged to be running my own firm and to be in the position to give something back. A huge ingredient of my professional and indeed personal life has been my three stimulating years at Bentham House.

How have you stayed connected to UCL Faculty of Laws?

I’ve stayed connected through the Bentham Association alumni events, which I give absolute priority to in my diary.  For the last five years, my firm has hosted the UCL Laws’ summer drinks reception on our terrace. It’s an easy way to stay in touch or reconnect with staff and contemporaries and meet other generations of UCL lawyers. I also inform the careers team of vacancies in my office. We’ve had two solicitors who studied at UCL and a few interns work with us and I hope to strengthen that relationship.

UCL Laws and I are working together to develop a student prize, which will include work experience with my firm.  We’re still looking at the details, but it is taking shape. 

Laura graduated with an LLB from UCL Faculty of Laws in 1986.