Gergana Pentcheva

I am a Director of Immigration at Duncan Lewis Solicitors.

I have over 10 years of experience in conducting complex cases across all areas of publicly funded (legal aid) and private immigration, asylum and public law matters, including legal challenges before the Immigration Tribunals, Administrative Court and Court of Appeal. I have also litigated civil claims in the County Court, as well as claims that have settled out of court for substantial damages awards. I am an experienced advocate and conduct my own advocacy at the First-tier and Upper Tier Tribunals of the Immigration and Asylum Chamber. I have an excellent success rate in appeal matters and a considerable amount of appeals allowed ‘on the spot’, as a result of excellent preparation and refined advocacy skills. I am accredited as a Senior Caseworker and Supervisor by the Law Society under the Immigration and Asylum Accreditation Scheme and I am CRB Enhanced. This means that I have shown that I have specialist knowledge and experience in the area of Immigration law and am able to represent vulnerable clients.

I have a particular interest in representing vulnerable individuals, such as those who are detained under immigration powers, victims of modern slavery and trafficking, unaccompanied asylum seeking children, victims of domestic violence and victims of torture in relation to all aspects of their case.

I am responsible for supervising a team of Solicitors, Trainee Solicitors and Caseworkers, all committed to tenaciously protecting the human rights of the most vulnerable in society and challenging the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she fails to meet her duties.

I am fluent in English and Bulgarian.

• Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice (LPC) – Westminster University
• LLB (Hons) – Brunel University

• Appointed as Director in Immigration at Duncan Lewis Solicitors: January 2022 - present
• Supervisor at Duncan Lewis Solicitors: 2015 - 2021
• Admitted as a Solicitor 2014
• Duncan Lewis Solicitors: 2011 - present

• “I wish to thank you personally for representing me and winning my case in the Home office. I appreciate the time and effort that you gave in helping me in my immigration matter. I am glad that when we first sat and talked about my status, you gave the best advice and saved my time. I am glad that you are my Attorney at Law. Miss. Gergana, you did your job. You did well. Thank you for caring enough to say and then produce on the letter that sent to the home Office, and to prove to me and my family how serious a strong, caring heart with good intentions, gets great results. I intend to recommend you Miss. Gergana Pentcheva to help many more.” – Client, 2012


• “I know you simply doing your job, but we really do acknowledge your care and professionalism with your clients.” – Foster Carer, 2017


• “…you have always provided her with legal advice and representation of the highest standard and quality. We have always had complete confidence in everything you have done.” - Third Party, 2021

• Recommended Lawyer - The Legal 500 UK, (2024 - 2023)

High Court

• Onos v SSHD [2016] EWHC 59 (Admin) - Lead Solicitor - the Claimant was successful in her unlawful detention claim - she and her children were found to be entitled to a declaration that the entire period of their detention was unlawful. They were entitled to nominal damages for the first 72 hours of that detention and compensatory damages for the extent to which detention exceeded 72 hours. Counsel instructed was Bronwen Jones of Goldsmith Chambers.

• Accredited as Supervisor, Law Society Immigration and Asylum Accreditation Scheme
• Accredited as Senior Caseworker, Law Society Immigration and Asylum Accreditation Scheme
• Member of the Immigration Law Practitioners' Association
• Member of Law Society
• CRB Enhanced
• Free Movement

• Travelling
• Hiking
• Psychology

• Duncan Lewis Pays Tribute to Jonathan Knight (11 January 2023)
• Congratulations to Newly Promoted Immigration Director Gergana Pentcheva (12 January 2022)
• ‘Sri Lanka: Permanent counterinsurgency, and the Tamil threat abroad’ - what Duncan Lewis Immigration Department at Dalston learned from Dr Suthaharan Nadarajah (23 November 2018)