Doughty Street Chambers is a ‘real human rights driving force in the market’, with casework that covers the spectrum of immigration, nationality, and asylum law. Litigation surrounding immigration enforcement is a particular strength of the set with its own immigration detention group, but the chambers has experience handling trafficking and business immigration work also. Laura Dubinsky KC has led a team representing the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in the intervention into the Rwanda litigation in R (AAA and others) v Secretary of State for the Home Department, with Alasdair Mackenzie and Shu Shin Luh have represented refugee claimants in related cases. Joe Middleton KC has represented a high-profile HNW individual in a judicial review of the Home Secretary’s exclusion decision before the Special Immigration Appeals Commission in E6 v SSHD. Anthony Vaughan was elected Member of Parliament for Folkestone and Hythe in the 2024 general election.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
2022 Silks
‘ Laura has an unparalleled work ethic and is forensic when it comes to detail. She puts the needs of her clients at the forefront of her litigation and is an extremely compelling advocate. Put simply, Laura is a legal powerhouse. ’
2023 Silks
‘Joe is a consummate advocate who is excellent on his feet, focuses in on the winnable points, and provides excellent advice on the prospects of success of any claim that could be made. He is incredibly personable, very good with sophisticated clients and has a broader understanding of all aspects of immigration as well as the interaction between asylum and extradition.’
Leading Juniors
Leading juniors are those with significant experience of key cases, strong market recognition from both peers and clients, and are seen as future candidates for silk.
‘Alasdair is a phenomenal advocate. He is extremely thorough and is able to work to a very high standard under time pressure. His written work is first-class, being persuasive, detailed and accurate.’
2‘Shu Shin is a force of law. She is incredible and incredibly responsive to queries on cases. She has fantastic judgment. She analyses documents and provides advice quickly and accurately.'
‘Graham is the ultimate counsel when challenging immigration detention. His ability to work collaboratively with his instructing solicitors means that cases are dealt with smoothly.'
‘Leonie is an exceptional advocate. She is particularly knowledgeable in EU law including the implications of Brexit and the EU Settlement Scheme. Her thorough background knowledge allows her to be creative and come up with new, compelling arguments in this area.’
3‘Michelle has an extraordinary ability to drill through extensive disclosure in complex immigration claims and distil it into submissions. She never makes a mistake and her work is consistently excellent.'
‘She is extremely bright, thorough, and hard working. She has an appetite for the detail, and an ability to analyse and deploy it effectively.’
‘Her advocacy and drafting skills are unmatched and she is always keen to make a real change with her work. She excels at working with vulnerable clients who are victims of torture, sexual violence, and other heinous crimes, and her passion for her work really shines through in her hard work and dedication to each and every case she works on.'
‘Zoe has a huge wealth of knowledge of immigration and asylum law, particularly given her year of call. She is able to gain the trust of even the most vulnerable clients, whilst also being a persistent and eloquent advocate.’
‘David is hard working, can think laterally, and is quick on his feet. He tries his best to win the case, and if the merits are weak, he gives honest feedback. He has excellent approach and is very likable.'
'Catherine is an expert in immigration and asylum and achieves fantastic results in very difficult cases.'
4‘Rowena is brilliant, thoughtful, skilful, and she shows excellent attention to detail. Rowena is extremely hard working and dedicated, and she is always willing to take on difficult arguments and gets on top of the issues really quickly.'
‘She is a diligent and knowledgeable junior with good ideas about how to get the most for her client. She fights their corner hard. She is persuasive and concise.’
Leading Juniors
Leading juniors are those with significant experience of key cases, strong market recognition from both peers and clients, and are seen as future candidates for silk.
‘Alasdair is a phenomenal advocate. He is extremely thorough and is able to work to a very high standard under time pressure. His written work is first-class, being persuasive, detailed and accurate.’
2‘Shu Shin is a force of law. She is incredible and incredibly responsive to queries on cases. She has fantastic judgment. She analyses documents and provides advice quickly and accurately.'
‘Graham is the ultimate counsel when challenging immigration detention. His ability to work collaboratively with his instructing solicitors means that cases are dealt with smoothly.'
‘Leonie is an exceptional advocate. She is particularly knowledgeable in EU law including the implications of Brexit and the EU Settlement Scheme. Her thorough background knowledge allows her to be creative and come up with new, compelling arguments in this area.’
3‘Michelle has an extraordinary ability to drill through extensive disclosure in complex immigration claims and distil it into submissions. She never makes a mistake and her work is consistently excellent.'
‘She is extremely bright, thorough, and hard working. She has an appetite for the detail, and an ability to analyse and deploy it effectively.’
‘Her advocacy and drafting skills are unmatched and she is always keen to make a real change with her work. She excels at working with vulnerable clients who are victims of torture, sexual violence, and other heinous crimes, and her passion for her work really shines through in her hard work and dedication to each and every case she works on.'
‘Zoe has a huge wealth of knowledge of immigration and asylum law, particularly given her year of call. She is able to gain the trust of even the most vulnerable clients, whilst also being a persistent and eloquent advocate.’
‘David is hard working, can think laterally, and is quick on his feet. He tries his best to win the case, and if the merits are weak, he gives honest feedback. He has excellent approach and is very likable.'
'Catherine is an expert in immigration and asylum and achieves fantastic results in very difficult cases.'
4‘Rowena is brilliant, thoughtful, skilful, and she shows excellent attention to detail. Rowena is extremely hard working and dedicated, and she is always willing to take on difficult arguments and gets on top of the issues really quickly.'
‘She is a diligent and knowledgeable junior with good ideas about how to get the most for her client. She fights their corner hard. She is persuasive and concise.’
