Andrew OsbornePartner

I was previously a Partner at Squire Sanders (Hammonds LLP) in their London office where I was also Head of the Immigration practice.

I have practiced exclusively in the field of immigration law since 1997 and advise across the full range of business and personal immigration categories. I have been heavily involved in lobbying Government on behalf of clients for changes to the immigration system over recent years and have significant senior level contacts at the Home Office. I am also a senior member of Lewis Silkin’s Sports Business group and have a particular expertise in relation to sports immigration. I am named by both the Legal 500 and Chambers as a noted practitioner in my field.

I hold a Bachelor of Arts degree in Politics and American Studies awarded by Keele University in 1988 and later studied for an LLB degree.

I qualified as a solicitor in England and Wales in 1997 after completing the Legal Practice Course.

I am a member of the Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association and IBA and am a lecturer on the De Monfort Law School’s Post Graduate Certificate in Sports Law.

Immigration & Global Mobility

I advise on the full range of business immigration categories for my clients who range from large multinationals to small companies and HNW individuals. My specialisms include applications under the Points Based System for Skilled Workers and under the Global Business Mobility routes, in particular for Senior or Specialist Workers. I also advise on settlement, EU Settlement Scheme applications and applications for British citizenship as well as applications for and the management of sponsor licences, compliance with sponsor duties and on the prevention of illegal working regime. I also regularly undertake administrative review cases and assist clients with challenges to civil penalties.

Sports Business

I have specialised in sports immigration work since 2000. My work involves negotiating all areas of international player transfer with an emphasis on football and rugby. I also advise on clubs recruiting players from the EU. I am a registered FA Intermediary and currently advise a range of leading Premier League and Championship clubs as well as leading international player and management agencies. My specialisms include sponsorship under the Points Based System, appeals against refusal of work permission, GBE applications, feeder club structures, regulatory issues and disputes before FIFA and CAS.