May 2018
Surrey-based law firm, Downs Solicitors, has appointed Samar Shams as Head of Immigration within the employment team.
Samar comes from Lewis Silkin, where she previously managed the immigration knowledge bank, keeping track of changes to the law regarding immigration from her contacts at the Home Office and in her wider industry network.
She started her role at Downs Solicitors, which has offices in Dorking, Cobham, Godalming and London, in May 2018. The role was part of a strategic hire to expand the firm’s offering in a number of business immigration matters, including compliance, sponsoring migrant workers, business visitor and entrepreneur applications. Samar will primarily be based in London, but she will be providing support to all offices.
Samar’s clients range from large companies in the finance and technology industry to small family-owned companies. She also serves individuals with family applications, documentation of EU rights, and settlement and citizenship application.
Commenting on her new role, Samar said: “Keeping up with the constantly evolving immigration requirements remains an important part of global mobility for businesses. As we head towards Brexit, the spotlight will be on rules changes and legislation updates regarding immigration status and work authorisation. I look forward to working with the team at Downs Solicitors. My objective is to ensure that our clients and their businesses are fit for the future.”
Matthew Kilgannon, Head of Employment at Downs Solicitors, said: "We have seen an increase in requirement for services relating to immigration. It is an extremely specialist service that requires a depth of knowledge, and we are pleased to be introducing Samar to the team – and to the firm. I wish her all the very best in her role and I look forward to working with her."
