Meet Our Lawyers

Westkin are leading immigration lawyers in London.

We are incredibly proud of our team of both associates and junior immigration lawyers. A full list of staff can be requested upon application. Only our associate level immigration lawyers are detailed, junior lawyers are not included. All are regulated by the Office of Immigration Services Commissioner.

If you wish to contact any of our lawyers directly, please give us a call or email at your convenience. If you are unsure which immigration lawyer is right for you – call in or use the enquiry box on the right, and we will ensure you speak to the right expert.

Amir Zaidi

Our team of specialist immigration lawyers is headed by Mr. Amir Zaidi.

Amir specialises in Immigration in all categories, with a focus on the needs of private clients, including High Net Worth Individuals, Business Leaders and international dignitaries. Aside from undertaking all aspects of immigration work, Amir can advise on all aspects of relocating to the United Kingdom and UK business generally.

Prior to heading up the immigration team at Westkin Associates, Amir practiced as an Immigration barrister at 1 Mitre Court Buildings.

He was called to the Bar in 1999 and specialised in immigration (personal and business), nationality and human rights law for a period of 18 years.

Amir built up a strong reputation amongst immigration solicitors as a leading practitioner within all areas of personal and business immigration law. He is well known for his unshakeable commitment in achieving outstanding results for all his immigration clients. Amir has conducted well over a thousand immigration appeals before the First Tier and Upper Tier Tribunals (Immigration & Asylum Chamber) and has advised an equal number of clients on a wide range of immigration matters to a successful conclusion.

Amir holds Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC) accreditation at the highest level.

Amir is also a panel member of OISC, an invitation only position.

Amir is registered as a Funding Review Adjudicator for the Legal Services Commission and has published articles in Immigration & Nationality Law and Practice, Independent Lawyer magazine and has been profiled in The Times newspaper for his work in immigration law. Amir also writes on Immigration matters for London Chamber of Commerce and comments regularly in the UK and international media.

Amir provides immigration law training and undertakes immigration accreditation marking for Central Law Training on the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) Immigration Accreditation Scheme. He also trains immigration lawyers, solicitors and caseworkers in a number of areas of immigration law for the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI) and teaches courses for OISC accreditation for Immigration-Training.co.uk.

He can be contacted directly on amir.zaidi@westkin.com

Senior Associates

Houman Mehr

Houman joined Westkin Associates in June 2011 and has become head of the Business Immigration department. He is regulated at the highest level by the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner.

Houman specialises in Tier 1 (Entrepreneur), Tier 1 (Investor) and all forms of Tier 2 under the Points-based System. Houman regularly assists individuals whom wish to establish a business in the UK via the Tier 1 categories, as well as advising numerous multi-national companies on obtaining a Tier 2 sponsorship licences.

Having had half a decade of practical experience in Immigration law, he has become adept at providing expert legal solutions and advice to assist not only in Point Based applications but also all other Immigration categories such as appeals and family based applications.

After graduating from the University of Northampton with a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) degree, he went on to achieve a Commendation for his Post-Graduate Diploma in Law at the prestigious London University of Law. Houman was an active member of the respective student unions and other organisations.

Houman regularly contributes to national and international press as a UK immigration expert.

Houman is renowned for his great attention to detail and commitment to understanding the Finance, business, political and cultural context of every visa application.

Furthermore he has an acute awareness of cultural differences in business having lived in three different countries and being able to speak five different languages: English, Swedish, Farsi, Norwegian and Dari.

What our Client’s say:

“Houman kept me fully up to date before and after my application was submitted, he is very well read on the immigration rule and regulation and always gave me fair and professional advice each time we communicated”

“I have been in regular contact with Houman, who has really been very supportive, answering all queries on time. Moreover, he has been very honest with me, and therefore made everything clear to me. This combination of efficiency, honesty, fairness and professionalism are keys to Westkin’s success. I thank them all for helping me and I am very delighted with the high service they provide”

“very professionally providing a very high service”

He can be contacted on houman.mehr@westkin.com

Hassan Mehdi Padhani

Hassan Mehdi Padhani read law at Queen Mary University of London graduating with a 2;1 with Honours.

He also holds a Post Graduate Qualification from the prestigious College of Law in London where he attained his Legal Practice Certificate with Commendation all at first sitting.

Hassan deals with all forms of immigration with particular experience, ranging from Visitors Visa, Discretionary Leave applications, all Family and Relationship applications, Long Residence applications, EEA applications, and Post Study Work.

Hassan believes every case has a chance of success if dealt with in the right manner and professionalism.

He is renowned for his professionalism, efficiency with each case and attention to detail; with the belief that the client is always priority.

What some of our clients say:

‘‘My case is still up for a decision from the Judge, but whatever the outcome, I know that I have had the best practitioners in London looking after my case…To Hassan, thank you for your kindness. To Westkin Associates, you are second to none, you have got on board a young and very professional and dedicated team with a huge potential, and needless to say that I will be highly recommending your services to anyone seeking professional advice.’’

Hassan can be directly contacted on hassan.mehdi@westkin.com

Amy Smith

Amy joined Westkin Associates in January 2013 after graduating from Canterbury Christ Church University with a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) in 2012.

During her three years of working in UK Immigration, Amy has gained experience in a wide range of areas such as PBS Tiers 1 & 2, family and partner related cases, applications made under the EU regulations, visitor visas and assisting in appeals.

Despite having a varied case working background, Amy is highly experienced in all forms of corporate immigration and has a helped expand the firms Tier 2 department to offer a world-class service standard. Amy regularly provides training sessions to the firm and liaises with the Home office in regards to clarification and Improvement of the rules and policy guidance.

Amy is highly proficient in Tier 2 and Tier 5 Sponsorship licences, Tier 2 (General) and Tier 2 (ICT) visa applications. Naturally she also has strong expertise in all family applications, including dependents and spouses.

Amy is dedicated to ensuring her client’s best interests are the main priority in her work ethic and her flexible approach to each client’s needs ensures they feel well looked after throughout the entire process. Her dedication to attention to detail ensures no task is completed half-heartedly.

Amy can be contacted on amy.smith@westkin.com

Rosy Romano

Ms. Romano joined the firm in 2016 as a Senior Associate.

Rosy is regulated at the highest (Level 3) by the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner.

She studied at the Faculty of Law in Milan, Italy. During her studies she worked as a legal assistant where she gained experience in International and family law and medical negligence cases.

When she relocated to the UK in 2009 she started working for ‘Lawrence Lupin’ Solicitors where she expanded her skills and specialised in immigration. She gained extensive experience in all aspects of immigration law, with particular emphasis on asylum, detention, appeals (both 1st and Upper-tier tribunals) and personal immigration.

Rosy also has strong experience in initial and extension applications for the Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) visa, having assisted many clients in both the £200,000 and £50,000 variation of the visa.

She qualified under the Immigration and Asylum Accreditation Scheme at supervisor level. Since then she has branched into corporate and business migration and has proven herself at Westkin with her directness and being able to manage any application with the upmost professionalism.

Rosy also speaks Italian and French fluently.

Lizama Thahir

Lizama has specialised in UK immigration since 2007, advising on the full range of immigration, nationality and EEA cases.

Lizama is a senior associate and joined Westkin in September 2017 from a highly regarded Legal 500 ranked corporate city firm. Prior to this, Lizama had worked at a multidiscipline firm and before that, she had worked at a city-based niche immigration practice.

Lizama advises both corporate and private clients on the complete range of immigration and nationality issues and has a proven track record of successfully
challenging the Home Office at the First Tier Tribunal and the Upper Tier.

She advises start-ups, SMEs and large global entities on PBS sponsor licence applications and compliance issues. She also advises HR personnel on meeting
right-to-work checks and preparing for Home Office compliance visits. She also advises on the rights of EEA nationals and their family members to reside in the UK and on Family Migration applications for partners and parents to join family in the UK.

Lizama also advises High Net Worth individuals on relocating to the UK with their family members, relying on establishing a business interest or making a substantial investment in the UK. She provides strategic advice on qualifying for indefinite leave to remain and is experienced at advising on applications made outside the rules, relying on Article 8 Rights to a Family and Private Life in the UK.

Jocelyn Howorth

Jocelyn, originally from Cornwall, began working in Immigration in 2005 in Bristol at Douglas and Partners, following completion of her law degree. Jocelyn passed her immigration senior casework exams in 2006 and after a career break that involved sailing across the Atlantic, she returned to law to study her Legal Practice Course in 2009 at the College of Law in Bloomsbury, where she received a commendation.

In 2010 Jocelyn commenced a training contract with seats in Immigration, Human Rights and Civil Litigation and qualified as a solicitor in 2012 at Irving and Co Solicitors in North London. Jocelyn remained at Irving & Co as a supervisor until October 2015, when she joined Westkin as a Senior Caseworker.

Jocelyn is now regulated by OISC to Level 3 and undertakes all type of cases, regardless of their complexity.

Within Westkin, Jocelyn heads up our in-house training team, she also provides training courses on immigration externally. In addition, Jocelyn undertakes the advocacy for Westkin in the First Tier Tribunal and the Upper Tier Tribunal of the Immigration and Asylum Chamber.

Out of the office, Jocelyn enjoys playing netball regularly, with sporadic skiing and sailing, as the weather allows. Jocelyn can be contacted directly via jocelyn.howorth@westkin.com

 

Associates

Sandra Ong

Sandra started working with Westkin Associates in June 2016 as a Trainee Associate.

She graduated from university with an Upper Class Honours degree and was also awarded a Graduate Award from the university. During her time at university, she gained experience at some of the largest corporate law firms in Malaysia. She went on to study the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) at BPP University and was called to the Bar of England and Wales in July 2016. In additional, she is now regulated by the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioners.

She is currently an Associate at the firm and has an in-depth knowledge of all types of immigration matters particularly corporate immigration. She works regularly with international businesses to manage their Tier 2 matters in addition to providing high quality immigration advice and support. In addition, she is experienced in a range of areas including Points Based System applications, family and partner related cases, applications made under the EU regulations and overseas representative visas.
Sandra speaks Malay, Indonesian, intermediate Cantonese and basic Mandarin in addition to English.

Kirstin Caspersen

Kirstin joined the team at Westkin in July 2016 after moving to the UK. She is now regulated by the OISC.

Kirstin is experienced in business, family, long residence, nationality, visit and EEA applications. Of particular specialisation are Tier 1 Entrepreneur (initial, extension and ILR), LGBT family applications and EEA Permanent Residence.

Hailing from Canada with an Honour’s Bachelor of Arts in Criminology and Sexual Diversity Studies with distinction, and from Poland with a Master’s Degree with
distinction in International Relations, Kirstin has joined the team with a wealth of academic knowledge in international law, international business relations,
international politics, human migration and human rights.

In addition to immigration experience, Kirstin brings to the team and applications her broad experience in business and education, having run her own teaching company in Poland providing general and business English training, services as Director of Studies and immigration support for teaching staff.

Kirstin speaks Polish in addition to English.

Marta Loboda

Marta joined Westkin Associates in July 2016 after having completed two internships with the firm during her time at university.

After she graduated from King’s College London with an Upper Class Honours degree in Law, she completed her Legal Practice Course at BPP University in London. After completing her studies, Marta worked for a reputed immigration practice in the City where she earned valuable experience in immigration law working on Human Rights cases, European law cases and Immigration appeal cases. She subsequently joined Westkin where she trained under Kimia Sepahzad, a caseworker with extensive knowledge and experience in the Points-Based System visas in particular in the category of Tier 1 (Entrepreneur), Tier 1 (Investor) and Tier 2 (General). Since becoming a caseworker in her own right, Marta has been managing an extensive portfolio of cases in the PBS categories, as well as Nationality, European and Family categories.

To further expand her knowledge in the immigration law, in October 2017, Marta obtained the OISC Level 1 qualification and is currently working towards obtaining Level 2 qualification.

Marta is fluent in Ukrainian, Czech, and Russian. In her spare time she enjoys running, swimming, film and cooking for friends and family.

Adel Abozaima

Adel has an Egyptian heritage; he speaks, reads and writes Arabic fluently. Adel started as an intern at Westkin in 2011 he then went away to read Law (LLB (Hons)) at Nottingham Law School from 2012.

Adel gained experience at a Magic Circle law firm as well as having experience within the legal financial sector at international law firms, central and investment banks.

He has been involved in assisting senior lawyers at Westkin with immigration matters for corporations, high-net-worth clients and foreign government officials as well as assisting in other areas of Immigration Law and Business Development.

 

Maryam Hadi

Maryam Hadi read law at Queen Mary University of London graduating with a 2:1 with Honours. She also holds a Postgraduate Qualification from the prestigious College of Law in London where she attained her legal practice certificate.

Maryam has been practicing immigration law for more than half a decade and she has extensive experience in all areas of Immigration law. She is regulated at the highest level, (level 3), by the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner.

Maryam deals with all forms of immigration with particular experience, ranging from asylum and human rights cases to family based applications, applications made under the EEA Regulations and applications made under the Points Based System.

Maryam is known for her professionalism and her excellent attention to detail. She is always very dedicated to ensuring that she achieves the best outcomes for her clients.

Navka Raja

Navka joined Westkin Associates in February 2017.

She read English Literature at Cardiff University before completing a Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) with The University of Law. Navka has also completed the
LLM-LPC with The University of Law, during which time she gained an interest in immigration law.

Navka has acquired experience in a wide range of areas such as applications made under the EEA Regulations, family and partner related cases, and applications made under the Exceptional Talent route.

Navka has previously lived in Kenya and Tanzania, and is fluent in Kiswahili and Gujarati. She is a trained classical pianist and flautist and is a member of various chamber groups and ensembles in London.

Zohra Hussain

Zohra joined the firm in July 2017, having practiced Immigration Law since 2012.

She is widely recognised for her expertise in the field of corporate immigration, including assisting employers with their Tiers 2 or 5 sponsor registrations and advising on immigration compliance issues. Equally, she has extensive experience in advising on family migration.

Prior to commencing her career in Immigration, Zohra completed her Bachelors in Law before proceeding on studying the Legal Practice Course, at BPP Law School.
She is known for her positive approach, and has a proven record of building a relationship of trust with her clients, and peers.

Outside of work, Zohra takes part in water sports, and plays hockey on a regular basis.

Efrat Shemesh

Efrat joined the firm in 2016.

She is a member of the Israel Bar Association in (admitted in 2004) and assists Jocelyn Howorth, who is a senior associate of the firm.

Efrat has extensive legal knowledge and not only in the UK: She studied her LL. B Bachelors in Law (with a minor in Political Science) in Herzliya Interdisciplinary Centre, Israel.

She pursued her LL.M Master’s degree in Canada within the Institute of Comparative Law (in which she specialised in international law and human rights) McGill University, Montreal, Canada.

Since coming to the UK she has completed her Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) from the highly respected BPP University in London. Whilst assisting in the applications for our clients at Westkin she continues to study, pursuing her LPC (Legal Practice Course) at BPP.

Efrat continues to hold an interest in Human Rights and gender and LGBT issues but has vast experience in all visa applications wither her more than 15 years’ knowledge in the field.

Efrat is fluent in her native Hebrew and English.

Legal Staff

Charlotte Catto

Information to be updated

Sophie Batchelor

Sophie joined Westkin Associates in October 2017 after receiving her LLB (Honours) Law Degree at the University of Westminster. Before working for Westkin Sophie worked for her local Council, offering advice and solutions to residents regarding tax issues.

Sophie works with Lizama Thahir, who is a Senior Associate of the firm. Their team deals with a wide range of legal matter’s and applications. Sophie is extremely organised and always guarantees attention to detail whilst consistently offering a high level of customer service. She is efficient with her work and always ensures clients are satisfied every step of the way with their application.

In her spare time Sophie loves cooking, walking her dogs and socialising with friends. She also enjoys travelling and has visited many countries over the last couple of years.

Andrea Florea

Information to be updated

Samara Chung

Information to be updated

Krishanthini Ravindran

Information to be updated

Moktar Al Qaderi

Information to be updated

 

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info@westkin.com

© 2016 Westkin – London Immigration Lawyers