Call me 'Solicitor Cho’

I am a Solicitor-Advocate, admitted as a Solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).

Fluent in Korean (안녕하세요, 조은영 변호사입니다), I am often referred to as ‘the Korean Lawyer in London’ or simply ‘Solicitor Cho’ by those in the community. Born in Seoul, South Korea, I moved to the UK with my family at the age of 11 and was educated here. I completed my law degree at the University of the West of England (UWE), followed by the Bar Vocational Course at the University of Law in London. I was called to the Bar in 2006, before cross-qualifying as a Solicitor and later as a Solicitor-Advocate, with Higher Rights of Audience in civil proceedings before the Senior Courts of England and Wales.

My formal legal practice began in Hampshire and the surrounding counties. I later made a deliberate move to London to develop a specialist practice serving the Korean community, recognising that my Korean background, British education and familiarity with both cultures could bring something uniquely useful to the legal services I provide. Over the years, that perspective has allowed me to identify and translate the gap between a client’s cultural frame of reference and the UK legal and regulatory system. 

I have also been a Special Legal Advisor to the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the United Kingdom since 2019. 

My principal area of practice is UK immigration and nationality law. Within that practice, I have developed niche expertise in Global Talent and have advised international mission and religious organisations for over 17 years. My wider practice extends across sponsor licence acquisition and compliance, family migration, settlement and nationality, including children’s settlement and nationality and complex discretionary applications, as well as matters in which immigration or nationality law intersects with employment, family or criminal law, or requires consideration of the domestic laws of another country.

A particular strength of my practice is the careful, thorough and holistic analysis of a client’s circumstances, identifying not only the immediate legal issue but how the different elements of a case interact. This is particularly important in difficult or unusual cases where the circumstances require consideration of discretion, exceptions or wider legal principles. My approach is to diagnose the problem properly, explore what the law realistically allows, and provide practical, actionable advice on the options available and the best way forward.

In addition to my legal practice, I deliver lectures and workshops on legal updates to both professional and lay audiences in English and Korean. 

Selected Cases & Experience

Immigration

International Mission & Religious Organisations – I have been providing expert legal guidance for 17+ years to international mission and religious organisations operating in the UK or partnering with UK churches and denominational offices. My deep understanding of faith-based ethos and complex organisational structures enables me to offer holistic support beyond immigration and employment, including drafting international corporate Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs). I assist with sponsor licence applications, ensuring compliance with Home Office sponsorship duties, HMRC regulations, and visa requirements for key personnel, and I am regularly instructed for compliance audits and Home Office enforcement visits.

Corporate Sponsor Licence and Compliance – Secured and maintained sponsor licences for multinational corporations, navigating challenges related to corporate restructuring, international staff mobility, and remuneration changes to prevent Home Office suspension or revocation and ensure business continuity.

Emergency Sponsor Licence Defence – Frequently instructed as an “emergency plumber lawyer” for sponsors and employers facing suspension due to allegations of illegal working or at risk of civil penalties, successfully defending their licence and ability to continue operations with minimal disruption.

Indefinite Leave to Remain for Clients with Criminal Records – Successfully represented clients with serious criminal convictions, or with pending or recent convictions, navigating both immigration and human rights complexities to secure settlement in the UK.

Children’s Citizenship (Registration) on Discretionary Grounds – Successfully obtained British citizenship for children where one or more statutory requirements were not met, relying on entirely discretionary provisions.

Exceptional Family Reunification – Represented a parent who had entered the UK on a visitor visa after years of separation from their child, successfully securing long-term status under exceptional grounds based on their genuine parental relationship.

Defending Deception Allegations in Immigration Applications – Successfully defended a client against wrongful allegations of submitting forged documents in an immigration application. The tribunal cleared the client of liability, requiring the Home Office to reconsider the application. Following the successful outcome, the client was later able to bring other children to the UK.

Leave Outside the Rules for Political Persecution & Mental Health Considerations – Secured leave outside the immigration rules for an adult daughter from South Africa suffering from severe mental health conditions linked to her past political activism and persecution, allowing her to remain in the UK with her mother.

Minister of Religion & Religious Worker Cases – Regularly instructed in unique and complex cases involving ministers of religion, religious workers, and charity workers in residential retreats, and religious communities, including appeals and judicial review challenges.

Global Talent Visa Successes – I have an extensive track record of securing Global Talent visas since the introduction of the Exceptional Promise category. Over the years, I have successfully represented numerous clients across diverse disciplines, including artists, ballet and contemporary dancers, opera singers, theatre actors, Emmy-winning TV producers, classical and rock musicians, world-renowned authors and poets, CGI directors for major film franchises, renewable energy tech innovators, startup incubator leaders, biotech researchers in central nervous systems and rare diseases, fintech entrepreneurs, as well as sociologists and researchers in behavioural science and neurodivergence.

Securing Indefinite Leave to Remain for a High Net Worth Parent & Children – Represented a skilled worker undergoing divorce and child custody proceedings, securing ILR despite the absence of consent from the estranged parent with alcohol dependency.

Crime

R v JHJ (Isleworth Crown Court) - Defended a client charged with 11 counts of coercive controlling behaviour, rape and sexual assault. The case involved a long relationship, extensive digital evidence and complex credibility issues. After careful preparation over the course of a year and close work with counsel throughout a 10-day trial, the jury returned unanimous not-guilty verdicts on all counts.

R v B (Winchester Crown Court) – Defended a client against historical allegations of multiple sexual offences from 20 years prior, leading to a full acquittal after trial.

R v JYK (Isleworth Crown Court) – Defended a man charged with endangering an aircraft by attempting to open the door mid-flight. The client pleaded guilty but was sentenced to a conditional discharge.

R v H (Kingston Crown Court) – Defended a Korean food business charged with contravening Food Hygiene Regulations due to traditional food preparation methods. Expert evidence demonstrated that seasoning delayed bacterial growth, significantly mitigating penalties to a minimal fine.

R v JB (Southwark Crown Court) – Defended a young man accused of domestic violence (controlling coercive behaviour), a continuous representations to the CPS on the credibility of the allegation, resulting in the prosecution offering no evidence.

R v H & K (Westminster Magistrates’ Court / Southwark Crown Court) – Defended two individuals in a split trial for assault charges stemming from the same incident. Careful preparation of self-defence and reasonable force, including witness testimony and forensic analysis of police interviews, led to one defendant's full acquittal and the CPS discontinuing proceedings against the second.

R v EHC (Kingston Crown Court) – Represented a client extradited to the UK to stand trial for GBH. After a three-day trial, the jury unanimously acquitted the client. 

Employment

Exit Strategy for Migrant Employees – Regularly advises migrant employees on their options when leaving employment, ensuring legal compliance while negotiating settlements that prevent illegal working risks and achieve satisfactory outcomes for all parties. 

Civil Litigation

Wrongful Death Representation – Currently assisting in a high-value legal claim, representing a bereaved family following a fatal accident caused by an unlicensed and uninsured driver. This includes providing legal support and advocacy at the coroner’s inquest.

Other Notable Matters

Child Protection & Social Services Intervention – Successfully represented parents on entrepreneur visas whose child was taken into emergency protection. Persuasive advocacy resulted in the child’s return within 1.5 days, with the case closed and the parents’ records remaining clean.

Expert Advice in Family Court Proceedings – Provided specialist immigration and nationality law advice in Family Court’s Inherent Jurisdiction proceedings concerning a protected child’s dual citizenship status.

Education Law – Advising parents on establishing Free Schools, including governance research and policy drafting. I also assist parents and carers in navigating the legal framework under the Education Act, particularly in matters of flexi-schooling, attendance disputes, and penalties. My work includes drafting responses to schools and Local Education Authorities to address unauthorised absences, attendance record corrections, and assisting parents draft flexi-schooling requests.

Record Deletion - Supporting clients in sensitive applications for the deletion of police records, biometric material and intelligence entries where retention is unjustified or disproportionate, especially in cases involving cultural or linguistic misunderstandings with consequences for immigration, employment, safeguarding or professional registration in the UK or abroad. 

Professional Membership & Appointments

• Immigration Law Practitioners Association (ILPA)

• The Solicitors Association of Higher Courts Advocates (SAHCA)

• Criminal Law Solicitors Association (CLSA)

• Employment Lawyers Association (ELA)

• UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCDO) registered Solicitor

• Special Legal Advisor to the Embassy of the Republic of Korea, London

Qualifications & Admissions

• Admitted to the Bar, the Honourable Society of Middle Temple, 2006

• Admitted to the Rolls of Solicitors, Law Society, 2010

• Accredited Solicitor-Advocate, Solicitors Regulations Authority, 2011

• Accredited Senior Caseworker, Immigration and Asylum Accreditation Scheme (IAAS), Law Society

Education

• Bar Vocational Course (BVC), The University of Law, London, 2006

• University of the West of England (U.W.E), Bristol - LLB (Hon) European & International Law, 2003

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