Burness Paull LLP brings a wealth of expertise in immigration, asylum, and nationality law, serving both public and private sector clients. The group handles visa and sponsorship management matters for football clubs, assists energy clients with the employment of EU staff post-Brexit, and supports families in relocating to the UK following overseas adoptions. The practice is led by Grace McGill from Edinburgh, an expert in inter-country adoption and corporate immigration. Jamie Kerr‘s experience includes representing overseas governments. The team also features senior associates Amna Ashraf, specialising in family migration, and Vincent Chung, who advises HR staff and senior management on the recruitment of foreign nationals. Nikki Weir no longer practices within the firm’s immigration department.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘With unparalleled knowledge, they deliver practical advice in an easy-to-understand way that is straightforward to implement. They will handhold if necessary.’
‘Jamie Kerr has a really thorough knowledge of the market. He has a great network he can bring to the table to ensure a fully comprehensive solution is available for issues. Grace McGill takes the time to understand all issues at play so that immigration advice is appropriate for the business needs and is not given in isolation.’
‘They have strong expert knowledge, including on recent case law, allowing them to keep us informed of any changes.’
‘They are interested in our business and how they can help us. They are engaging, have industry-leading knowledge, and are extremely supportive.’
‘The team in itself is quite brilliant. You can tell they communicate between each other. Always engaging and always delivering at a moment's notice.’
‘Working with Amna Ashraf is a pleasure. She is well-informed about our situation and always comes over prepared to our meetings, which gives us a full sense of confidence. She is a brilliant immigration lawyer.’
‘The team is very helpful and knowledgeable and always does the work to a high standard.’
‘Amna Ashraf is very knowledgeable at what she does and very professional at her work. Highly recommended.’
Key clients
- Arnold Clark
- Macdonald Hotels
- SSE plc
- Al – Maktoum College
- Plexus
- Noble Drilling UK Ltd
- Queen’s Park Football Club
- Single Cask
- Accelalpha Europe Ltd
- The Renaissance Club
- Scottish Football Association
- The Association of Chartered Accountants
- Archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh
- Hibernian Football Club
Work highlights
- Served as General Counsel for The Renaissance Club at Archerfield LLP, handling all global mobility requirements for the golf venue hosting the Genesis Scottish Open.
- Advised Macdonald Hotels Limited on all aspects of global mobility and international recruitment.
- Supported the Scottish Football Association with all immigration requirements for international sportspeople.
Lawyers
Hall of Fame
The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.
Leading associates
Leading associates with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Grace McGill