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Alex is a Senior Manager within Fragomen's private client practice. He has more than 13 years' experience and extensive knowledge across all aspects of immigration.
Alex assists private clients with their personal immigration matters. His particular areas of focus include assisting intended parents with international surrogacy arrangements, investors seeking international relocations, European settlement scheme applications, and entrepreneurs. He has a particular interest in British nationality law. Alex regularly handles discretionary applications outside of the rules.
Alex also assists and advises businesses with relocating to the UK or needing to sponsor foreign national staff for the first time, and works with employment lawyers on right to work issues.
Alex provides analysis and training on developments in UK immigration law. He co-authored a chapter on immigration law in family proceedings and was invited by LexisNexis to provide a commentary on the Nationality and Borders Act 2022.
Alex holds an MA (Hons) in Philosophy from Cambridge (2004) and an LLB from the University of Law (2007). He qualified as a solicitor in 2010 and joined Fragomen in 2015.
Education
- The University of Law, Guildford, B.A., LL.B., 2007
- The University of Law, Guildford, Legal Practice Course, 2007
- University of Cambridge, B.A., honors, 2004
More from Alexander
Professional accomplishments
Legal Qualifications: Solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales
Senior Member (2008) and Supervisor (2011), Law Society Immigration and Asylum Accreditation Scheme
Member, Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association
Experience
Represented several couples pursuing international surrogacy arrangements. In complex cases, worked with fertility clinics, local fertility lawyers, UK-based family lawyers and contacts in the Home Office to successfully achieve the safe and speedy return of the intended parents back home to the UK.
Assisted private families with relocations of businesses to the UK, including creation of a family office structure.
Advised large software business on a sponsor licence compliance action relating to sponsored workers at third-party work sites. Worked closely with senior management to analyse complex contractual arrangements and successfully demonstrated that the working arrangements were compliant, resulting in the business regaining their ‘A’ rating.
Was the UK account lead for several large software multinationals moving staff into the UK, managing the visa applications process and liaising with relocation agents, HR professionals, project managers and assignees.
Advised a European private equity firm on their UK immigration programme, establishing their UK sponsor licence and ongoing programme of Tier 2 / Skilled Worker sponsorship.
Assisted a Tier 1 Investor client whose investment into bonds had matured without his knowledge and whose family had already spent 5 years living in the UK. Following a forensic process and representing the client in discussions with the bank, making a successful application to the Home Office demonstrating that the client had not been at fault and resulting in a grant of indefinite leave to remain.
Advised and assisted a foreign-domiciled private investment fund on the relocation of a senior executive establishing an FCA-regulated UK branch to execute trades on behalf of the parent fund in the City.
Represented a private client for British citizenship on a discretionary basis who had applied for a passport 11 years earlier, whose last ancestor born in the UK was the great-grandfather. Successfully argued that this should be treated as a discretionary application for British citizenship and showed that it fell within the then-extant policies for grant, resulting in the issue of a registration certificate and British passport.
Represented a private client who had held a British passport issued in the UK prior to 1968. Conducted a complex investigation into all possibilities for recovering British nationality arising over a 50-year history, resulting in the issue of a British Overseas Citizen passport and successful application as a returning resident, allowing the client to settle in the UK.
Worked with a representative organisation, supporting Henry Smith MP in introducing a Private Members Bill raising British nationality issues on behalf of Chagossians. Provided briefings, legal analyses and comments for journalists explaining the issues. Represented a family who would have been beneficiaries of the Bill and successfully achieving a grant of indefinite leave to remain on a discretionary basis.
Publications and lectures
Speaker, “Getting in and out: visas and passports.” Transatlantic Wealth & Estate Planning: London, London, UK, 7 November 2023.
Co-Author with Gráinne Mellon, “Immigration Issues.” International Family Law Practice, 6th Edition, 23 August 2021.
Alexander’s insights
March 21, 2024 | Webinar
March 6, 2024 | Blog post
November 7, 2023 | Conference