Immigration Team

Michael Hanley

Michael Hanley graduated from Cambridge University in law and was admitted as a solicitor in 1985. He commenced his career as a civil litigator, but since 1994 has specialised exclusively in immigration, nationality and asylum law. He has been a partner since 1990.

Michael has been ranked as a leading individual in immigration in the Chambers Legal Directory for a number of years. In the 2006 edition he was praised for his "thorough, completely committed approach" and for his "unyielding dedication in pushing cases in the right direction for his client", and in the 2007 edition as a "fantastic all-rounder" who "always sees his clients through to the end of the case."

He is an individual member of the Immigration Law Practitioners Association. He taught the Immigration Legal Practice Course at Metropolitan London University for four years between 2001 and 2004 and is currently an external examiner at Westminster University . He has had the conduct of cutting-edge cases in the European Court of Human Rights and the House of Lords. He has a mixed practice of legal aid and private clients. He was a Legal Services Commission peer reviewer between 2004 and 2008. He is an Independent Costs Assessor and a consultant to the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner.

He was appointed as a fee paid Judge in 2006 in the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal.

Matthew Davies

Matthew Davies graduated from the University of Manchester and joined Wilson Solicitors LLP in 1990, qualifying as a solicitor in 1992. He became a partner in the firm in 1997.

Since qualification he has practised exclusively in immigration and asylum. He has considerable expertise in a wide range of immigration work at all levels. His particular expertise is finding solutions for individuals with complex immigration problems.

Matthew is an experienced trainer for the Immigration Law Practitioners' Association and other organisations, and has served as a consultant to the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner. He is a past Chair of both INQUEST and the Stonewall Immigration Group, and shared the Stonewall Equality Award in 1997. He is the author of a number of published texts, including the immigration chapter in the National Aids Manual. Most recently, he wrote the Best Practice Guide to fast-track asylum cases for ILPA. Matthew is recommended as a leader in the field of immigration law in the Chambers UK Guide to the Legal Profession. In the 2006 edition he was commended for his "well prepared cogent, clear and sensible advice", and in the 2007 edition described as "one of the giants of the immigration field." In 2008, he was praised for his "innovative, intelligent and strategic way of looking at things."

Damian Hanley

Damian Hanley was educated at Keele University and the College of Law. He trained at Wilson Solicitors LLP and qualified as a solicitor in 1998. Since then, he has specialised exclusively in immigration work, particularly asylum cases. He has extensive experience of representing clients at all levels of the system, including the High Court and Court of Appeal.

He represents clients from all over the world, and has a particular interest in entry clearance appeals, on the basis of marriage, student status and entitlement to family reunion. Damian was made a partner in 2004.

Anita Vasisht

Anita graduated in French, Russian and Law. She worked in Amnesty International's Legal Office before qualifying as a solicitor in May 1997. She became a partner in 2005.

Anita now focuses on complex asylum and human rights cases, including from Russia, Algeria, Iraq, Palestine and Lebanon, before the higher courts and the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC).

Over the years, she has gained a reputation as an extremely experienced and respected specialist among both academics and her peers.

Relevant to her interest in Palestinian cases, Anita has spent time in Palestinian refugee camps in southern Lebanon.

Notable cases:

KK IH HE (Palestinians-Lebanon-camps) Palestine CG [2004] UKIAT00293

AM and BM (Trafficked women) Albania v. Secretary of State for the Home Department, CG [2010] UKUT 80 (IAC)

E1 (OS Russia) v Secretary of State [2012] EWCA Civ 357 where the Court of Appeal held that the Secretary of State wrongly failed to give the appellant notice of in-country right of appeal

Anita is also currently acting for Algerian former billionaire, Rafik Khelifa, in the UK's first post treaty Algerian extradition appeal.

Russell Blakely

Russell Blakely grew up in Northern Ireland and read law at Oxford University. He qualified as a solicitor at Wilson Solicitors LLP in 1999 and became a partner in 2010. He specialises in complex asylum litigation.

He was the solicitor for PE in BA (Nigeria) and PE (Cameroon) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2009] UKSC 7. He was the solicitor for HT in HJ (Iran) and HT (Cameroon) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2010] UKSC 31.

Russell is a member of the Law Society's Immigration Law Committee and a trustee of the UK Lesbian and Gay Immigration Group charity. He has represented the Immigration Law Practitioners' Association in their asylum and legal aid work. He has been a guest speaker at the UNHCR London office and the London School of Economics. He was on the advisory board to the Immigration Advisory Service, for their Lottery-funded research project on the use of country of origin material in asylum cases. He is a member of the City Music Society.

James Elliott

James Elliott was educated at the Universities of Leeds and Westminster, and qualified as a solicitor at Wilson Solicitors LLP in 2001 and became a partner in 2010. Since then he has specialised in immigration and asylum law, and has extensive experience at all levels of the system.

James is a member of the Immigration Law Practitioners Association, and has provided training for ILPA in London and Manchester on "Somali Refugee Claims". He has conducted field trips to gather evidence for country guidance cases. He is listed as an associate to watch in Chambers and Partners, which notes his "remarkable confidence and drive".

Muhunthan Paramesvaran

Muhunthan was educated at the University of Sussex, and qualified as a solicitor at Wilson Solicitors LLP in 2003. He was made a partner in 2010. He now specialises in asylum, immigration, nationality and human rights. He has extensive expertise in Judicial Review and Court of Appeal work. He is a trainer for the Immigration Law Practitioners Association and other professional organisations. Muhunthan assisted in the design and presentation of the Somalia course which formed part of the Immigration Advisory Service lottery-funded research project on the use of country of origin material in asylum cases. Muhunthan has also appeared on a live television phone-in answering viewer's questions on immigration issues. He has specialist experience representing applicants from Sri Lanka and Somalia.

Muhunthan's reported cases include: Miao [2006] EWCA Civ 75 (Interpretation of family reunion policy, paragraph 317 Immigration Rules, Article 8 ECHR) and  MY (Turkey) [2008] EWCA Civ 477 (Scope of second stage reconsideration applying DK Serbia). In the country guidance case AM & AM (armed conflict: risk categories) Somalia CG [2008] UKAIT 00091, Muhunthan conducted a field trip to gather evidence, which was relied on heavily by the Tribunal in that case. He acted in SN (Pakistan) [2009] EWCA Civ 181 (inadequate reasoning by AIT in assessing risk on return to Pakistan, in particular because she was a single mother with a child which may or may not have be perceived to be illegitimate). Muhunthan acted for Kalombo in Kalombo [2009] EWCA Civ 302 where the Tribunal's country guidance on risk categories for asylum seekers from DRC was re-affirmed and the Court of Appeal quashed a decision of the Secretary of State to refuse to treat representations as a fresh claim. Muhunthan acted for NV in AS (Afghanistan) and NV (Sri Lanka) [2009] EWCA Civ 1076, establishing the significance of "one-stop" notices under the 2002 Act.

Ana Gonzalez

Ana Gonzalez was born in Spain and educated at the University of La Coruna. She moved to the UK in 1994. She joined the Refugee Legal Centre as a casework assistant in 1996, where she worked full-time whilst studying part-time to convert to English law.

Ana joined Wilson Solicitors LLP in 1999, qualified as a solicitor in 2003 and became a partner in 2010. Having trained in asylum, nationality and public law, she now practises in immigration and asylum work, and has interests in human rights and European law. She is fluent in English, Spanish and Portuguese. She was praised in of Chambers and Partners for her "constant attention to cases, leading client care and real knowledge of the law."

Kay Everett

Kay Everett read Law and Chinese Studies at the University of Leeds. She trained and worked at Lovells before moving to Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer where she worked in the project finance team. Whilst reading a Masters in International Human Rights Law, Kay worked at Hackney Community Law Centre specialising in asylum and immigration law. Kay then joined the immigration team at Christian Khan where she became head of the department. She joined Wilson Solicitors LLP in January 2008.

Kay has extensive experience in removal and deportation cases, cases involving children and individuals with serious mental health conditions. She is a committee member of the Law Society's International Human Rights Committee.

Rosalyn Akar

Rosalyn Akar studied psychology and sociology at the University of Bath, with a year placement at Harvard University, and then studied law at the College of Law. She joined the Refugee Legal Centre in 2002 and was an appeals caseworker. She joined Wilson Solicitors LLP in 2005. She qualified as a solicitor in 2008.

Rosalyn now practices in a range of immigration law, with a particular interest in asylum and human rights cases. She has conducted complex control order cases.

Abigail Evans

Abigail was educated at the University of California, Los Angeles where she studied Anthropology, graduating with a first class honours degree ( summa cum laude ).  She joined Wesley Gryk Solicitors in 2002, and moved to Wilson Solicitors LLP in 2004.

Abigail  qualified as a solicitor in 2008, having trained in asylum and human rights, immigration, public law and crime. She specialises in Public and Administrative Law, focusing on Judicial Review.  Abigail frequently acts for individuals in unlawful detention and false imprisonment claims.  She has a successful record of negotiating high-value settlements for her clients.  Abigail is also experienced in obtaining High Court injunctions and other forms of interim relief for those who require urgent legal assistance.

Abigail has wide-ranging experience in representing individuals with difficult immigration and criminal histories.  She engages in complex multiparty litigation where immigration, mental health, crime and welfare benefits issues arise. 

Abigail also practices widely in asylum law; her asylum and human rights caseload focuses on the crossover between extradition and asylum law, and mental health and asylum law.  She has extensive experience dealing with acute trauma victims and those suffering severe mental health problems.

Abigail has travelled widely throughout Southern Africa, and has recently spent time volunteering with lawyers in Zimbabwe challenging the death penalty and raising public awareness of the availability of legal assistance to destitute individuals. 

Nasir Ata

Nasir Ata was born in Afghanistan and educated at Kabul University. He moved to the UK in 1998 and studied at the University of Westminster and the College of Law. He joined Wilson Solicitors LLP in 2006 and qualified as a solicitor in 2009.

Nasir specialises in asylum, with extensive experience of Fast Track asylum cases, criminal deportation, judicial review and human rights work, and has particular interest in war crime cases. He is fluent in English, Farsi/Dari and Pushtu, and is familiar with Urdu.

Christine Benson

Christine is a solicitor who has a mixed practice of immigration, nationality and asylum work. She has almost ten years experience of advising individuals on a wide variety of immigration matters. She has a particular interest in cases involving family issues such as children, partners, dependent relatives and adoption. She has extensive experience of preparing cases successfully in the Tribunal.

Christine also acts for political asylum applicants with complex claims involving exclusion from the Refugee Convention and membership of proscribed terrorist organisations. She has an administrative law caseload, usually arising out of her asylum work and has brought judicial reviews in cases against the Home Office.

Christine joined Wilson Solicitors LLP in September 2005 and qualified as a solicitor in July 2009".

Charlie Bagnall

Charlie graduated from the University of Nottingham, where he read English, before converting to law and being called to the Bar in 2005. He joined Wilson Solicitors LLP as a caseworker in 2007 and cross-qualified as a solicitor here in 2010.

Charlie became a committee member of Young Legal Aid Lawyers in 2006 and has a strong interest in matters relating to the protection and promotion of legal aid. He is committed to working for publicly funded clients, in all types of immigration cases. Prior to joining the firm he volunteered at the Prisoners Advice Service. He has a particular interest in working with refugee clients in both criminal and immigration detention, in immigration-related public law and human rights.

Marcela Navarrete

Marcela studied English and French at the University of Sussex with a year placement studying at the University of Toulouse-Le Mirail. She then studied law at Westminster University and the College of Law. She also completed an internship with the Chilean NGO Codepu, where she worked on human rights cases dating back to the dictatorship. Marcela worked at the Immigration Advisory Service before joining Wilson Solicitors LLP as a trainee in 2008. She qualified as a solicitor in 2010 having trained in asylum and human rights, immigration, family law and crime.

Marcela practices a range of immigration law, with a particular interest in asylum and human rights cases. Marcela is a committee member of Young Legal Aid Lawyers. Marcela is an accredited Police Station Representative and is fluent in Spanish and French.

Polly Brendon

Polly studied History at the London School of Economics. She obtained a Masters degree from Bristol University in which she specialised in International Immigration and Refugee Law. She completed the LPC at the College of Law. Polly joined Wilson Solicitors LLP in 2008 and qualified as a solicitor in 2011 having trained in immigration, asylum, human rights, public law, family, and crime.

Polly’s practice covers all aspects of immigration, human rights and asylum law and related public law cases. She has a particular interest in working with children and vulnerable adults.

Nina Rathbone Pullen

Nina graduated from the University of Warwick with a first class honours degree in Politics with International Studies. Her interests in globalization, gender-based politics and migration led her towards a practical vocation in immigration and human rights law.

Nina joined Wilson Solicitors LLP as a caseworker in 2008 and has experience covering a wide range of asylum, immigration and nationality law. She has developed particular expertise in representing asylum applicants who have suffered severe trauma and has worked extensively with vulnerable women and victims of human trafficking.

Having trained in Immigration, Crime and Public Law, Nina has a growing interest in claims against the Home Office, particularly in cases of unlawful detention. She qualified as a solicitor in 2012.