Nerys is an immigration, employment, and global mobility Legal Director, named as a rising star in Legal 500 for her ‘very creative’ advice.
Nerys provides full-service immigration advice including sponsor licence compliance (Skilled Worker and Student); preparation and attendance at Home Office inspections; challenges to Home Office decisions (including administrative review, judicial review and appeals against civil penalty); cross border global mobility; prevention of illegal working; the Global Talent route and the Graduate route.
Nerys is part of the firm’s education sector and is one of a few lawyers in the UK with experience in advising on Tier 4/student route compliance. Nerys has an unrivalled national reputation for advising the education sector on UKVI Higher Education inspections. She regularly provides training, undertakes mock audits, provides advice on policy and strategy, undertakes compliance projects, and provides an outsource service for education institutions.
Nerys works with her clients in planning, strategy, risk analysis and management of all aspects of their immigration compliance. She has developed a national reputation for her ability to work seamlessly alongside in-house legal teams, management, and HR & compliance professionals in developing their UKVI compliance. This includes planning for audits and accompanying and representing clients at Home Office inspections. Nerys work collaboratively with clients and prides herself on her ability to immerse herself within a client’s organisation to understand, and help deliver, their strategic aims.
Nerys is also an employment lawyer, having begun her career in employment law before transitioning to cross practice in immigration and employment. This mix allows her to provide clients with one overall picture, incorporating both immigration and employment law aspects. Clients have found it particularly helpful when seeking advice on ET claims in respect of right to work, changes to terms and conditions, discrimination, and global mobility.
Nerys has over 10 years’ experience in immigration for the education sector. She has presented at many conferences including at UKCISA, the UK's national advisory body for international students.
Awards and Rankings
- Lead of the Band 1 ranked immigration team for Wales in Legal 500
- Named as a rising start in Legal 500
Nerys has worked with a number of International companies and in her education practice with College Groups and Universities including:
- working with a number of global companies on international and cross border employment law issues. Providing the UK advice and coordinating the provision of the international advice on employment aspects, contracts of employment, immigration compliance, obtaining visas and tax risks
- expertise in immigration compliance, providing strategic advice on issues of high importance, as a result of the large financial impact non-compliance has and usually more importantly the damage to reputation. Typically advising senior management on business critical issues appearing on the risk register
- providing Right to Work and Civil Penalty regime advice including right to work audits; rolling out right to work training across sites; defending Civil Penalties, advising on student overworking; and self-reporting illegal working with representations
Qualifications and Education
- Distinction in Legal Practice, University of Swansea 2007
- LLB (Hons) Law 2006
- BSc (Hons) Social Policy & Criminal Justice 1998