Dentons is spinning off its entire UK immigration team, as the firm steps away from work in the practice area.
The team is moving to specialist global mobility firm Vialto, which was formed in 2022 by a carve-out from PwC backed by private equity house CD&R.
The group is led by senior lawyer Sarah Ingles Carlyle, who will join Vialto as a partner, alongside director Adam Sinfield and three other lawyers.
The hires are the latest in a series of expansive moves by Vialto, including the acquisition of a 30-strong US immigration team from Seyfarth Shaw late last year.
Vialto global immigration lead Sharan Kundi said in a statement: ‘Sarah will be joining Vialto as a partner, along with a broader team of specialist immigration lawyers – including director Adam Sinfield, who joins us as of 1 April – further bolstering our UK immigration capabilities.’
‘Sarah is an exceptional talent and we are very pleased that she, along with her team, have chosen Vialto as they take the next step in growing their practice. We’re excited to have the team join Vialto.’
‘Immigration is increasingly a key strategic focus for organisations globally. The addition of Sarah, Adam, along with the wider team, means we’re in the best possible position to help clients navigate uncertainty, manage evolving risks, and stay compliant, while unlocking the opportunities that come with working across borders.’
In a statement on the departures, a Dentons spokesperson confirmed that the firm will no longer be advising on immigration matters from the UK ‘except in specific circumstances’.
‘We thank Sarah, Adam and the team for their service and wish them well,’ the firm added.
The Dentons practice is currently ranked in tier 3 for business immigration in London by Legal 500, with Vialto in tier 1.
Ingles Carlyle has spent much of her career at the Big Four, starting out at PwC in 2010, before moving to Deloitte in 2011 and KPMG in 2018. She joined Dentons in 2021, where she has led a team with works with corporate clients, entrepreneurs and private individuals, advising on issues from UK sponsor licence applications to large-scale transitions.
The carve-out of Vialto from PwC in 2022 created a global mobility firm comprising nearly 6,000 immigration, tax and HR professionals. The firm, which has since grown to a headcount of around 7,500, handles large-scale immigration work for an array of top corporates across sectors such as tech, financial services and energy.
Its acquisition of the Seyfarth Shaw team – including that firm’s former co-chairs of immigration Mahsa Aliaskari and Jacob Cherry – saw it add to its headcount across offices in Atlanta, Boston, Houston, Los Angeles and New York.
That deal was followed by the hire of nine immigration advisers from San Diego firm Higgs Fletcher & Mack this January, including partners Donald Sheppard and Regina Knoll.
Photo by Luca Vavassori on Unsplash.
