Neil is an experienced lawyer with expertise in immigration and government/administrative law matters. Prior to joining Keypoint, Neil was a Consultant at Kemp Strang Lawyers (now Thomson Geer).
Before returning to private practice, Neil held senior legal roles with the Department of Home Affairs managing the Government’s immigration litigation case load, including its High Court test caseload, and heading its internal immigration advisings area dealing with difficult cases. Earlier in his career, Neil was with Clayton Utz and prior to that, an Associate to the Hon Justice WMC Gummow of the High Court of Australia.
Neil’s clients include wealthy private individuals and small to medium enterprises seeking to position themselves and advance in the Australian market, to whom he provides immigration advice and services. Neil frequently assists existing and start-up businesses to enable their key personnel to work in Australia and is experienced in advising on employer sponsored, skilled and business visas.
Neil also advises and assists in general migration visa classes including student, partner and family.
Expertise
- Corporate migration advisory and services, including subclass 482 (Skills In Demand), subclass 400 (Short Stay Specialist) and subclass 186 (Employer Nominated Scheme) visas, and Labour Agreement Applications.
- Business and Investment visa advisory for highly performing and talented individuals and entrepreneurs, including the preparation of Expressions of Interests and visa applications under the National Innovation Visa program, and legacy applications under the Business Innovation and Investment visa program (subclass 188 and 888 visas).
- Skilled visa advisory including subclass 491, 189 and 190 visas.
- Family visa applications including partner and parent visa applications.
- Complex cases including humanitarian, health waiver, character and Ministerial Intervention.
Experience
- Advising and assisting technology companies to obtain work visas for senior executive and technical staff to establish and grow Australian operations.
- Successfully negotiating labour agreements with the Department of Home Affairs on behalf of multiple businesses including restaurant chains, and in company-specific non-standard scenarios.
- Immigration advisor to UK architectural and infrastructure firms in relation to major Australian transport infrastructure projects, including the Sydney Central Station Redevelopment.
- Several successful submissions to the Minister for Home Affairs seeking Ministerial intervention for the grant of visas in cases of legal and other errors, and to the Department of Home Affairs in relation to complex character-related cases.
- Assisting offshore clients to obtain National Innovation (subclass 858) visas and Partner visas (subclasses 309 and 100).
- Responsible for the management of the Australian Government’s refugee and migration litigation caseload, and legal advising to departmental officers in the Department of Immigration and Citizenship portfolio (now the Department of Home Affairs).
- Advisor to the Chief Lawyer of the then Department of Immigration and Citizenship.
- Advisor to the then Minister for Immigration and Border Protection on the legal and compensatory rectification of unlawful detention cases.
- Conduct of large commercial litigation in the Supreme Court of NSW in the areas of insolvency, contractual disputes and misleading and deceptive conduct.
Recognition
Neil has been consistently recognised by Doyle’s Guide as being amongst the leading Immigration lawyers in NSW.
Career
| 2018 – | Keypoint Law | Consulting Principal |
| 2017 – 2018 | Kemp Strang Lawyers | Consultant |
| 2014 – 2016 | Peters Linnette Lawyers | Senior Solicitor |
| 2012 – 2014 | Department of Immigration and Border Protection | Assistant Director |
| 2010 – 2011 | Department of Immigration and Citizenship | Acting Director |
| 2006 – 2010 | Department of Immigration and Citizenship | Senior Legal Officer |
| 2006 | Department of Environment and Heritage | Policy Office |
| 2005 – 2006 | Clayton Utz | Solicitor |
| 2003 – 2005 | High Court of Australia | Associate to the Hon Justice WMC Gummow AC |
| 2003 | Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs | Legal Officer |