Brian is a Senior Solicitor at Laura Devine Immigration and has practiced immigration law since 2002. He currently advises a mixture of both corporate and private clients on their immigration and nationality matters.
For the first ten years of his career, Brian worked in legal aid as an appeals advocate, representing individuals in their asylum and human rights appeals, bail applications, deportation appeals, and family appeals in the First-tier Tribunal and in the Upper-tier Tribunal on a point of law. He took two immigration appeals to the Court of Appeal where they were reported as precedents. While working in legal aid, he additionally spent two years as a criminal lawyer, representing individuals being prosecuted in the Magistrates’ Courts of England and Wales. From 2012, and for the next ten years, Brian has focused exclusively on immigration work, specialising in private client and corporate immigration matters.
Experience in a wide range of immigration matters has provided Brian with a singular overview that enables him to find unique solutions for his clients, including making applications outside the rules on human rights grounds where necessary.
On the private client side, Brian specialises in complex applications including family applications made under Appendix FM and citizenship. On the business side, he advises overseas companies and entrepreneurs looking to set up in business in the UK on alternatives following the closure of Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) and Representative of Overseas Business categories to new applicants. Where appropriate, he assists companies with applying for sponsorship licences to enable them to sponsor migrant workers, and with ongoing sponsorship support including help with the associated Skilled Worker applications.
Brian provides the following additional services to clients:
Applications for Administrative Review.
Applications for permission to appeal to the Upper Tribunal and to the Court of Appeal.
Advocacy in the First-tier Tribunal and in the Upper Tribunal.
Advice on the merits of appeals.
Preparing appeal paper work.
Filing appeals.
History
2021-present – Laura Devine Immigration, London
2012-2020 – Magrath Sheldrick LLP
2012 – PwC Legal
2002-2012 – Duncan Lewis Solicitors
Education
2005 – Admitted as a Solicitor of England and Wales
2005 – QLTT, College of Law
2002 – Called to the Bar of England and Wales
2001-2002 – BVC, College of Law
1998-2001 – LLB, University College Durham
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