Matthew Wills profile image

Matthew Wills

Partner

Sector: UK Immigration
Location: London

Matthew is a Partner at Laura Devine Immigration in London and has focused exclusively on UK immigration and nationality law since 2010. His extensive knowledge and practical legal skills equip him to deal with a full range of corporate and personal immigration matters. Matthew’s experience includes identifying and facilitating immigration solutions for multinational businesses, preparing nationality applications, assisting with complex family matters, advising on discretionary basis applications made on the grounds of Article 8 ECHR rights and pursuing appeals to the First Tier Tribunal. He has been prominently involved with the firm’s pro-bono programme (managing the most notable pro-bono project to date). He co-manages the Human Rights practice with Zeena Luchowa.

Matthew is known for his considered, pragmatic and solutions-focused approach in challenging cases. He has been successful in overturning adverse Home Office decisions and assisting family members of British citizens in obtaining immigration status in esoteric circumstances. He has also secured status for long-term overstayers with particularly challenging immigration backgrounds.

Matthew is the President of the Union Internationale des Avocats National Committee UK and has acted as the Newsletter Editor-in-Chief for the Immigration and Nationality Law Commission since 2017, collating and publishing submissions on a wide range of topics on immigration matters from practitioners based globally. A confident and engaging speaker, he has presented on a diverse range of topics at the organisation’s international annual congresses and other internal and external events (including sessions run by The Legal Training Consultancy). He is experienced in training other UK immigration practitioners through the Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association.

Matthew has commented on developing issues on UK immigration through Lexis Nexis and Thomson Reuters and is part of the Law Society’s EU Mobility Working Group. He is recognised in Legal 500 UK as ‘versatile with good client care skills’ and noted as appreciating the needs of vulnerable clients.

President of the Union Internationale des Avocats National Committee UK

Legal 500 UK 2024 Immigration: Next Generation Partner

Chambers UK 2024 Immigration: Up and Coming

History
2010 – present | Laura Devine Immigration, London
2010 | Islington Law Centre (work experience)

Education
2014 | Admitted as a Solicitor of England and Wales
2012 | LLB, College of Law
2010 – 2012 | LPC, College of Law
2008 – 2009 | GDL, College of Law
2002 – 2005 | BA in History, Warwick University

Share this page

Latest Insights


Change in thresholds for sponsor company size classification from 6 April 2025

On 6 April 2025 the criteria used to define small companies under the Companies Act 2006 changed, impacting relevant companies responsible for paying…

Laura Devine Immigration partners and solicitors featured on 2025 Pro Bono Recognition List

We are delighted to announce the inclusion of six LDI lawyers on the 2025 Pro Bono Recognition List published this morning – congratulations to…

British citizenship – addressing wrongs of the past

British nationality law has been riddled with discrimination, and it has evolved to put this right. This article focuses on one of the latest…