Barry O'Leary

Solicitor - Partner

SRA ID: 32889

Barry is a partner at the firm and his practice deals with the full range of immigration and nationality issues. He has particular expertise in applications based on partnership and family; applications following international surrogacy arrangements; and asylum and human rights claims based on sexual identity. In the Chambers Directory, he is acknowledged as Band 1 leader in both personal immigration and human rights, and as a DEI champion for his ‘career-long dedication to supporting LGBTQI+ migrants’. He is also listed as a leading individual by the Legal 500. Recent work and notable cases  Expert reports for the family courts  Obtaining partner visas for clients from around the world, including many partners in same sex relationships.  Obtaining British citizenship for many children born following a surrogacy arrangement, including those born stateless.  Assisting parents to remain on the basis of their relationship with their British citizen children.  Securing leave to remain for a number of long term overstayers on the basis that they and their same sex partners could not live in their homophobic country of origin.  Supervised and represented many LGBT individuals in their asylum claims based on sexual identity.  Obtaining visas for foreign spouses who had been abandoned abroad by their abusive former partners.  Frequently instructed by family law firms when there is an immigration element to a family law matter. Education and experience  Read law at the University of Cambridge.  Law school at the College of Law, London.  Qualified as a solicitor in 1997 and joined Wesley Gryk Solicitors in January 2000. Other positions Director of Micro Rainbow Publications and training  Author of the immigration law chapter in the publication: ‘Surrogacy Law, Practice and Policy in England and Wales’  Author of the immigration chapter of the Law Society Publication “Civil Partnership – the Law in Practice”  Tutor of the Immigration Law Practitioners Association course ‘Significant Others’ which deals with immigration law for partners.  Tutor of the Immigration Law Practitioners Association course on surrogacy and immigration law.  Free Movement webinar: Exceptional Circumstances in family-based applications. Memberships • Law Society • Member of the Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association (ILPA). 'Barry O'Leary's reputation as one of the best in the field is justly deserved.'- Legal 500 "Barry is a stalwart of the immigration world." – Chambers 2024 “Barry is a great mixture of professional excellence with an empathetic and understanding approach to issues." – Chambers 2024 “Barry O’Leary is a pre-eminent immigration partner … highly valued for his successes with family, partnership, international surrogacy and sexual identity cases” – Chambers 2024 “Barry O’Leary “[is] noted as ‘the standout immigration and nationality lawyer when it comes to surrogacy arrangements’, in addition to experience in handling applications on the basis of partnership and families. ‘He gives pragmatic advice and can think creatively in the most difficult of cases to find solutions for his clients.’” – Legal 500 2024 “Barry is one of the most outstanding immigration lawyers of the current generation.” – Chambers 2023