Call me 'Solicitor Cho'

I am a Senior UK Solicitor-Advocate, regulated and authorised by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) for England and Wales. Fluent in Korean (안녕하세요, 조은영 변호사 입니다), I am often referred to as ‘the Korean Lawyer in London’ or ‘Solicitor Cho’ by those in the community. Born in Seoul, South Korea, I moved to the UK at 11 and completed my law degree at UWE, followed by the Bar Vocational Course at the University of Law, London. I was called to the Bar in 2006, then cross-qualified as a Solicitor and later as a Solicitor-Advocate, now holding an unrestricted Right of Audience in higher courts.

After working in Hampshire for several years, I moved to London, where I focused on assisting the Korean community with their legal needs, including immigration, employment, and litigation matters. I have led the immigration and global mobility departments at Courtyard Solicitors and WT Law LLP, before becoming Head of Immigration at Setfords Solicitors.

I have been a Special Legal Advisor to the South Korean Embassy since 2019. 

I specialise in Immigration, Employment, and Civil & Criminal Litigation, serving clients globally from London, UK. I am also developing my passion for education law, particularly for parents and carers facing penalties and prosecution for unauthorised absences (failure to secure suitable education). 

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

Notable Cases

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 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 JHJ (Isleworth Crown Court) – Currently defending a client facing multiple sexual offence charges.

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.

Professional Membership & Appointments

• Immigration Law Practitioners Association (ILPA)

• The Solicitors Association of Higher Courts Advocates (SAHCA)

• Employment Lawyers Association (ELA)

• UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) 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

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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