PwC Legal expands global immigration practice presence
PwC Legal is expanding its global immigration practice on the back of increased demand. Multinationals seeking to secure talent need to meet more stringent migration requirements, while companies seeking to lower tax costs need to better understand the savings available through moving staff around. The expansion will see $8 million pumped into the global practice, as well as 19 new partner hires, including Katrina Cooper from Faegre Baker Daniels and Monika Szabo from the US arm of KPMG.
Crossing boarders has become a more and more important aspect of the global economy as globalisation increases and multinationals seek to take maximum advantage of regional tax laws. Finding talent has also become an issue in many local environments as competition heats up, as a result of which, advantages can be gained from sourcing talent from a global pool. The need for professional advice surrounding often complex local policy and laws has therefore been on the increase in recent years.
PwC’s current practice offers a full spectrum of immigration-related legal services. Yet in a bid to take advantage of the increase in demand for expertise on how to legally, as well as efficiently, take advantage of cross boarder environments and talent, the firm is expanding its global practice. The firm is investing more than “$8 million in new immigration technologies which create a holistic experience for clients utilising PwC tax and global mobility services.”
Julia Onslow-Cole, Head of the Global Immigration team at PwC Legal, remarks about the expansion that: “The next five years will be key to our overall growth strategy and I am very excited to be leading our practice throughout this time. In the past few months, we have won several iconic clients to add to our existing cross industry client base. Given the current geo-political instability and global refugee crisis, we are also working on a number of high profile Government and international consultancy projects.”
The expanded practice will continue to be run by Onslow-Cole, from the London PwC office. She currently oversees around 1,000 immigration specialists - arrayed across a network of 126 countries. The expansion will see an additional 19 partners join the firm over the next 18 months, with 7 to be situated in London. Prominent international experts include Monika Szabo, who has been Partner and Immigration Practice Leader at KPMG for three years, as well as Katrina Cooper, who will be joining the firm from Faegre Baker Daniels.
Onslow-Cole adds that: “I am pleased to announce the first of our partner hires in our five year plan - Katrina Cooper and Monika Szabo. Katrina brings 25 years global legal experience covering everywhere from Australia through to the UK. Monika has over 18 years of US immigration legal experience, specialising in supporting large corporates and is a recognised mentor of American Immigration Lawyers Associations.”
