Profile: Sophie Barrett-Brown

Corporate Immigration

Biography: Corporate Immigration

Sophie is a partner and head of the UK practice based in Laura Devine Solicitors' London office. She is recognised by the legal directories Chambers & Partners and Legal 500 as a leading UK immigration lawyer. Chambers UK 2008 describes Sophie as ""pragmatic, on-the-ball and comes up with novel ways of approaching situations". Sources report that she "is prepared to ask difficult questions of public and governmental bodies, and she is involved in lobbying the Home Office regarding policy changes.""

Sophie specialises in all aspects of business immigration and nationality law. Her clients are drawn from all sectors, from multinational corporations to entrepreneurs and high-net-worth individuals. She has particular expertise in the new points-based system and applications for business persons, highly skilled migrants and investors, and expertise in all applications under the existing work-permit schemes. Sophie also has extensive experience in discretionary applications.

Sophie is an influential figure in immigration law, and regularly lobbies the UK Border Agency (UKBA) on policy matters. In particular Sophie has been highly involved in discussions with the UKBA on the development and introduction of the points-based system, the keystone of government's proposals to radically reform UK immigration law and policy. In November 2007 she was appointed chair of the Immigration Law Practitioners' Association (ILPA). She has also been an active member of the ILPA's economic migration sub-committee and training sub-committee for many years.

She is a frequent media commentator on immigration issues. She is an experienced speaker at UK and international conferences on UK immigration law and has written for publications such as Tottel's Immigration and Nationality Law Bulletin.

Sophie qualified as a barrister in 1997 and subsequently cross-qualified as a solicitor. She has practised exclusively in immigration law since 1997, first at CMS Cameron McKenna, before joining Laura's team in January 2000.