Abridged Biographies of Legal Experts
Laurie Fransman, Q.C.
Chambers UK Bar Guide:
“Draws effusive praise for his dedication to nationality and asylum work, and has produced major textbooks on these topics.”
“One of the greatest minds in the immigration law field – he is particularly good on nationality matters and is the go-to person for this … His technical knowledge is second to none.”
Laurie has “Star individual” ranking in the ‘Immigration Silks’ category.
The 2016 edition reports:
One of the luminaries of nationality law, having both practised in this area from 1979 and written extensively on the subject. His wider practice sees him undertake extradition and asylum proceedings that often feature extremely sensitive diplomatic and national security issues. “He is the pre-eminent lawyer and is very good at the high-profile cases.” “He is phenomenal. He is so clear, so inventive and persuasive.”
The 2015 edition reports:
Laurie Fransman QC “draws effusive praise for his dedication to nationality and asylum work, and has produced major textbooks on these topics. In terms of asylum work, he focuses on complex protection and exclusion matters, often concerning several parties and different countries. “One of the greatest minds in the immigration law field – he is particularly good on nationality matters and is the go-to person for this. He does lots of general ground refusals and his technical knowledge is second to none.”
Laurie was listed in the Chambers and Partners ‘Top 100 QCs’ list in 2014, which reports:
Laurie Fransman QC is regarded as “a treasure trove of knowledge relating to immigration, asylum and nationality law.” Sources note that “his ability to understand and comprehend very complex issues is complemented by his ability to advise accordingly.” He recently assisted the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in the formulation of global policies to reduce statelessness.
The 2014 edition reports:
Laurie Fransman QC is highly rated by barristers and solicitors alike, he is the “guru on nationality issues” and has “unmatched knowledge,” making him the first port of call for many. “He’s an absolute joy to work with and a very impressive advocate.” “We seek opinions on highly sensitive matters from Laurie, based on his pre-eminence and depth of experience.”
The 2013 edition reports:
Laurie Fransman QC “invented nationality law as a modern academic subject.” Solicitors look to him for advice on”highly complex citizenship issues – what he doesn’t know about British citizenship law isn’t worth knowing,” they say. He works across jurisdictions, drawing together immigration and human rights law to protect individuals who are subject to political persecution.
This assessment has been consistent over the years. For example, the Chambers UK 2009 Directory gave him ‘Star’ ranking and reported:
Sources describe Fransman as a “veritable font of knowledge,” variously labelling him “the guru” or “the god of nationality law.” He is primarily celebrated for his expertise in nationality issues, although this forms just one thread of a practice that takes in all manner of complex immigration and asylum cases in both the UK and European courts. As one source explained, “he remains a truly brilliant and well-recognised expert across the board – he’s first choice for anything relating to immigration.”
The Legal 500
Laurie is ranked in Tier 1 in the category “Immigration – Leading Silks”.
The 2015 edition describes Laurie as “A leading expert.”
The 2014 edition describes Laurie as “the go-to barrister for nationality law.”
The 2013 edition reports:
“Garden Court Chambers commands respect for its applicant work, and has a number of authorities on immigration law, including … the ‘pre-eminent Laurie Fransman QC, who has ‘unmatched knowledge of nationality law’.”
See also Who’s Who and Debrett’s People of Today
Casework
All aspects of immigration, nationality and asylum but with an emphasis on high-level protection cases, often involving situations generating multiple clients spanning more than one country. Confidentiality prevents Laurie identifying the individuals for whom he has won refugee status or subsidiary protection.
Laurie also specialises in complex nationality issues at national and international levels (such as the case of the Chagos Islanders).
The courts and tribunals in which he appears include SIAC (partly ‘closed’ tribunal dealing with national security cases. See for example T6 v SSHD [2011] UKSIAC 95/2010; S1, T1, U1 and V1 v SSHD [2011] 27 October, UKSIAC SC/106-109/2011).
Policy work
Laurie participates in policy development at NGO, governmental and inter-governmental levels (Council of Europe; UNHCR) and has also participated in the UK and elsewhere in the drafting of constitutions and legislation. Particularly, he has drafted nationality Bills (private) or nationality amendments to Bills in passage and was partly responsible for provisions such as the British Nationality (Hong Kong) Act 1997 (British citizenship for ethnic minorities in Hong Kong), s.6 of the British Overseas Territories Act 2002 (British citizenship for the Ilois, or Chagos Islanders) and s.13 of the Nationality Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 (British citizenship for certain pre-1983 children of British mothers). He also participated in the process resulting in the European Convention on Nationality 1997.
Publications
Most notably, Laurie is the lead external lawyer responsible for both the ‘Immigration and Asylum’ and ‘British Nationality’ titles in Halsbury’s Laws of England, the definitive statement of English law, as well as founder and principal author of the leading work on British nationality law.
Details of these and other publications
Halsbury’s Laws of England (LexisNexis 5th ed, vol. 4 (2011) and vol. 57 (2012)), Coordinating editor and principal contributor to the “British Nationality” and “Immigration and Asylum” titles
Fransman’s British Nationality Law, 3rd ed (Bloomsbury, 2011)
Blackstone’s Guide to the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009 (OUP, 2009), co-author
Macdonald’s Immigration Law and Practice (Butterworths 7th ed, 2008), contributor
“Commonwealth, Subjects and Nationality Rules”, Max Planck Encyclopaedia of Public International Law (OUP)
Jackson & Warr’s Immigration Law and Practice (Sweet & Maxwell, 2001), contributor
Immigration, Nationality and Asylum under the Human Rights Act 1998 (Butterworths/Two Garden Court Chambers, 1999), contributor and co-editor with Nicholas Blake QC
Citizenship and Nationality Status in the New Europe (Sweet & Maxwell/IPPR, 1998), contributor
Strangers and Citizens (Rivers Oram Press, 1994), contributor
The Constitution of the United Kingdom (IPPR, 1991), contributor
Immigration Emergency Procedures (LAG, 1986), jointly
Tribunals Practice and Procedure (Hemstal Press, 1985), jointly
British Nationality Law and the 1981 Act (Fourmat, 1982)
Professional memberships and editorial boards
Laurie is the founder and a member of the Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association (ILPA) and a member of a number of other specialist Bar associations.
He is on the editorial board of Journal of Immigration, Asylum & Nationality Law (Bloomsbury Professional, 1987 to date) and was previously on the editorial board of Immigration and International Employment Law (IRS/Eclipse, 1999 – 2001), and UK contributing editor to Immigration Law and Practice Reporter, New York (1985).
David S. Lesperance
David is President and Legal Counsel to Lesperance & Associates.
Named by the Wall Street Journal as “probably the top lawyer in the business of advising wealthy U.S. citizens on how to expatriate to lower-tax countries”, David Lesperance specializes in providing tax-efficient multi-jurisdiction residence/citizenship and domicile solutions, which enable his clients to maintain or improve their current personal and business lifestyles. His international client base includes HNW individuals and families, financial professionals and highly mobile artists, athletes, musicians and actors. The purpose of his “Passport Portfolio” ™ approach is to provide the tools to deal with risks in the area of taxation, litigation, and mobility and to take advantage of opportunities in a continually globalizing and interconnected world. Surprisingly, many of his solutions involve jurisdictions which are generally thought to be “high tax”, but which allow legal and practical planning opportunities which turn them into “no, low or controlled tax” destinations.
Lesperance has co-authored a book with London School of Economics Professor Emeritus Ian Angell entitled “The Flight of the Golden Geese: How the 1% matter to the 99%”. He has also written and lectured extensively throughout North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. His opinion and insight is often sought out by the international business and legal press including the BBC, CNBC, Forbes, the Economist, New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal. In his over 25 years of legal practice, Lesperance has advised a number of governments on how to design their residence and tax laws and systems to make their jurisdictions more attractive to his highly sought “Golden Geese” clients. In addition, he is increasingly called upon by major international financial institutions to provide in-house training sessions to their staff on how to identify potential client and regulatory problems and recognize planning opportunities for their private banking clients. Lesperance travels extensively, which helps him bring an “agnostic global viewpoint” in analyzing the current and future opportunities in over 20 different jurisdictions.
Saul Froomkin, QBE, Q.C.
Saul practices in corporate, commercial and civil litigation, insolvency, insurance and administrative law. He has been actively engaged in the investigation and prosecution of international economic crime, money laundering, narcotics prosecution and extradition for over 25 years. Saul has been invited to present papers on International Economic Crime and Money Laundering in over 50 countries.
After practising law in Manitoba for 8 years, Saul spent the following 9 years in the Government of Canada initially as a Senior Advisory Counsel in the Civil Litigation Section, then as Director or Criminal Law for the Department of Justice. Saul moved to Bermuda in 1978, where he served as Solicitor General from 1978 to 1981 and Attorney General from 1981 to 1991 before joining Mello Jones and Martin. In addition Saul’s professional activities include being Chairman of the International Symposium on Economic Crime in Cambridge, England from 1984 to 2012 and Honorary Canadian Consul to Bermuda from 2001 to 2006.
Saul has been admitted to practice in the Canadian Provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, North West Territories and Yukon Territory as well as Bermuda, Anguilla, England and Wales.
Qualifications
Fellow, Society of Advanced Legal Studies, 1998
Fellow, American Bar Foundation, 1998
Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, 1998
Fellow, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, 1996
Queen’s Counsel, Canada (1975), Bermuda (1988)
Education
Master of Laws Degree – University of Manitoba
Bachelor of Laws Degree – University of Manitoba