WEB 1204 Mergers and Acquisitions (Webinar)

Level: Intermediate – Advanced

Description:

The high level of recent merger, acquisition and restructuring activity in the UK means practitioners are frequently being asked to advise on the immigration and right to work aspects of corporate transactions. Where one or more of the entities involved has a sponsor licence, this will often consist of reviewing the current sponsor licence arrangements, advising on the appropriate arrangement post-transaction and then taking the necessary steps to ensure that the appropriate entity is able to continue to employ its sponsored workers. This may involve either making a notification to the Home Office or submitting an application for a new licence. If the transaction involves staff transferring between entities, this can also involve right to work issues.

Practitioners are also frequently required to have an understanding of the types of structures that international companies employ and advise on whether these structures mean that these businesses can transfer their overseas employees to the UK under the Intra-Company routes (including Global Business Mobility – Senior or Specialist Worker and Graduate Trainee).

The course will explore issues that arise when companies with complex structures apply for Skilled Worker and Intra-Company routes sponsor licences. It will consider the steps that need to be taken when a company that holds a Skilled Worker sponsor licence is involved in a corporate transaction. Finally, it will look at the right to work issues that arise from corporate transactions.

Topics:

• Initial sponsor licence applications, with a focus on Skilled Worker and Intra-Company routes licences;

• Adding new UK and overseas group entities to a sponsor licence;

• Qualifying types of corporate group structures for the Intra-Company routes;

• Recognising and dealing with common change of ownership scenarios;

• Worked examples of the steps that practitioners should take when notifying the Home Office when a sponsor licence holder is involved in a corporate transaction; and

• Right to work and due diligence issues which arise as a result of corporate transactions.

Audience:

This session is aimed at practitioners who have existing knowledge of sponsor licence applications and are looking to broaden their understanding of corporate structures and the steps that need to be taken from an immigration standpoint before, during and after the completion of a corporate transaction.

Tutors: Ilda de Sousa, Partner and Robert Houchill, Senior Associate at Kinglsey Napley LLP

Ilda de Sousa is a partner in the immigration team at Kingsley Napley. She is a South African qualified attorney and a British qualified solicitor who joined the firm in January 2010.

Ilda has over ten years of UK corporate immigration law experience, managing large company clients as well as handling complex matters for individuals, British nationality applications, appeals, judicial reviews and applications under European Law including Brexit related advice.

She has extensive knowledge and experience in all aspects of the Points Based System, including assisting employers with their Skilled Worker or Temporary Work sponsor registrations and advising on immigration compliance issues. Equally, she has extensive experience in advising investors, entrepreneurs and high-net worth individuals.

Prior to joining Kingsley Napley LLP, Ilda was the UK Country Manager for Emigra Europe Limited, a specialist global immigration consultancy firm, with service centres on three continents, providing global immigration services for over 100 different countries. Ilda was responsible for the overall management of the UK office, including advising large multinational clients in respect of their UK Immigration related matters.

She is recommended as a Thought Leader in the 2022 International Who’s Who of Business Immigration Lawyers, Chambers and Partners, and is ranked as a Leading Individual in Legal 500 UK 2021. She has also been recognised in the Citywealth Leaders List 2020.

Robert Houchill has extensive experience of assisting individuals and organisations with their UK immigration and nationality matters. Robert’s experience covers all kinds of immigration and nationality applications but with a particular emphasis on corporate immigration matters, and helping high net worth individuals.

Robert often helps organisations with sponsor licence applications and advises on immigration compliance issues. He has also worked with organisations to challenge UKVI decisions following sponsor licence suspensions and revocations.

Prior to joining Kingsley Napley in March 2019, Robert worked for five years at law firms in London, including Gherson and Bates Wells Braithwaite, and at a Russian law firm in St Petersburg for two and a half years.