Barry O’Leary, Partner
Described as “the Rolls-Royce of immigration and asylum,” Barry O’Leary is highly valued for his successes with family, partnership, international surrogacy and sexual identity cases. An interviewee says: “He’s a very experienced solicitor who does fantastic work across the board.” – Chambers 2020
“Barry O’Leary is experienced in applications based on partnership and family and in relation to international surrogacy arrangements, while he also handles asylum and human rights claims based on sexual identity.” – Legal 500 2020
Barry O’Leary is well versed in human rights claims based on sexual identity, as well as in relation to international surrogacy arrangements. Sources say: ‘He is friendly and reassuring with great technical knowledge of the law’.” – Chambers and Partners 2019
Barry O’Leary stands out for his ‘unsurpassed client-handling skills and for his deep knowledge of the law and how it is applied by decision makers and judges’.” – Legal 500 2019
“I have to say that my engagement with Barry (over the years) and Mala (more recently) has been the best professional provider experience I’ve ever had, anywhere/anytime. Aside from a top level of expertise and professionality, it’s been an absolute pleasure in how you manage client interactions, good humour and a kind approach.” – Client
“The very best. I had haplessly completed my visa application such that it was a real mess and rejected. We found Barry through a referral and he completed cleaned it all up and I had my visa in three weeks after submission. They are simply the best. Always on time, always patient, forever my immigration attorneys. Would never go to anyone else.” – Client
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; European free movement law: and asylum and human rights claims based on sexual identity.
He is listed by the Chambers Directory as a Band 1 leader in the field and by the Legal 500 as a leading individual.
Recent work and notable cases
- Obtaining partner visas for many clients from around the world, including partners in same sex relationships who could not disclose their sexual identity at the visa centre in their country of origin.
- Obtaining British citizenship for many children born following a surrogacy arrangement, including those born stateless.
- 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.
- Successfully assisting many European nationals and their family members concerned by Brexit, including those who had previous refusals of applications to the Home Office.
- Supervised and represented many LGBT individuals in their asylum claims based on sexual identity.
- Assisting a number of parents to remain on the basis of their relationship with their British citizen children, including for a client when a family emergency arose while here as a visitor.
- Securing indefinite leave to remain on appeal for a client whom the Home Office had refused and stated they had no right to remain in the UK.
- Obtaining a visa 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.
Publications and training
- Author of the immigration law chapter in the publication: ‘Surrogacy Law, Practice and Policy in England and Wales.’
- Author of the LexisNexis article ‘Immigration certification—‘remove first, appeal later’’.
- Author of the immigration chapter of the Law Society Publication “Civil Partnership – the Law in Practice”;
- Co-author of ‘International Surrogacy Arrangements’, Family Law Journal.
- 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.
Memberships and volunteering
- Member of the Law Society Immigration Law Committee.
- Volunteer for UK Lesbian & Gay Immigration Group.
- Member of the advisory board of SOGICA, a research project that explores the social and legal experiences of asylum seekers across Europe claiming international protection on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
- Member of the Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association (ILPA).
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.
Described as “the Rolls-Royce of immigration and asylum,” Barry O’Leary is highly valued for his successes with family, partnership, international surrogacy and sexual identity cases. An interviewee says: “He’s a very experienced solicitor who does fantastic work across the board.” – Chambers 2020
“Barry O’Leary is experienced in applications based on partnership and family and in relation to international surrogacy arrangements, while he also handles asylum and human rights claims based on sexual identity.” – Legal 500 2020
Barry O’Leary is well versed in human rights claims based on sexual identity, as well as in relation to international surrogacy arrangements. Sources say: ‘He is friendly and reassuring with great technical knowledge of the law’.” – Chambers and Partners 2019
Barry O’Leary stands out for his ‘unsurpassed client-handling skills and for his deep knowledge of the law and how it is applied by decision makers and judges’.” – Legal 500 2019
“I have to say that my engagement with Barry (over the years) and Mala (more recently) has been the best professional provider experience I’ve ever had, anywhere/anytime. Aside from a top level of expertise and professionality, it’s been an absolute pleasure in how you manage client interactions, good humour and a kind approach.” – Client
“The very best. I had haplessly completed my visa application such that it was a real mess and rejected. We found Barry through a referral and he completed cleaned it all up and I had my visa in three weeks after submission. They are simply the best. Always on time, always patient, forever my immigration attorneys. Would never go to anyone else.” – Client
