Public Law Solicitors

Legal 500 “Leading Law Firm” Duncan Lewis are pleased to announce the recent internal appointment of Bahar Ata as Director of Public Law & Immigration for our Luton Office.

Bahar Ata joined Duncan Lewis November 2011 and has formed a considerable practice from Duncan Lewis’ Harrow-on-the-Hill office representing vulnerable clients in all aspects of public and privately funded immigration, EC law, nationality and human rights matters. Her niche specialism is in immigration and human rights judicial review claimant matters. Bahar heads up the Luton office which houses departments including Immigration, Mental Health and Childcare & Family.

The Duncan Lewis Public Law department is recommended by Legal 500 for its depth of experience in immigration and civil liberties challenges and is well established and known by the Legal Aid Agency, the Courts, and the Treasury Solicitor. Duncan Lewis have experience in all aspects of judicial review claimant work, including obtaining emergency orders and other interim relief to prevent breaches of human rights, following up judicial reviews with actions for damages in both the County and High Court and successfully pursuing judicial review matters to the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. Duncan Lewis carry out both publicly and privately funded work. We have acted in a number of test cases and high profile cases and our experienced department has a deserved reputation for committed and professional conduct. Duncan Lewis conduct all stages of such matters from initial pre-action correspondence to filing conducting and settling claims. The Public Law department makes challenges to non-appealable decisions of all public bodies. These can be central or local government, or other organisations carrying out public functions.

Duncan Lewis operates the largest Immigration team in the UK with a broad practice representing business and individual vulnerable clients at all levels in all aspects of personal immigration, asylum/human rights and nationality matters and is the dominant legal firm in the UK for the provision of publicly funded immigration legal services for asylum, immigration detention, bail, deportation appeals and EC law issues. Duncan Lewis was the first law firm in the UK to achieve Investors in People Gold Accreditation in 2009. The firm’s Immigration practice was recommended by Legal 500 UK 2016 as a Top Tier Immigration Practice in London and Wales and as a Leading Immigration Practice in the Midlands area respectively. With more than 200 specialised staff providing assistance in more than 70 different languages, all of Duncan Lewis’ Immigration lawyers are specialists in their respective fields under the Law Society's Immigration & Asylum Accreditation Scheme. Duncan Lewis Immigration lawyers provide specialist immigration services from offices throughout London and across the UK. Duncan Lewis was shortlisted by the Law Society Excellence Awards 2015 for its excellence in diversity and staff development.