Browne Jacobson has appointed Yawar Abbas, who joins the UK and Ireland law firm's London office to lead its immigration practice. 

Yawar joins as Legal Director, bringing expertise accumulated over 14 years, including the past eight years at Fox Williams, where he developed a strong reputation advising employers, senior executives and HR professionals on the full spectrum of immigration matters. 

In 2025, he was named Global Mobility Leader of Tomorrow at the International Employment Lawyer Awards in recognition of his contribution to the immigration and global mobility sector. 

His appointment enables the employment team to offer a truly end-to-end service to clients in the UK, Ireland and other international jurisdictions, supporting businesses in navigating the rapidly evolving immigration landscape.

Yawar’s arrival follows last year’s appointment of Marie-Claire Scullion, who heads up the firm’s employment team in Ireland, further strengthening its international offering.

Yawar said: "Browne Jacobson's UK and Ireland platform and its highly regarded employment practice make this an outstanding opportunity to build a genuinely market-leading immigration offering. I look forward to working with our clients to help them navigate these challenges, whether that is structuring their global mobility frameworks, managing sponsorship obligations, or developing long-term workforce strategies that are both compliant and commercially sound."

Specialising in UK immigration and nationality law, Yawar works with established UK and international businesses, organisations entering the UK market and multinational employers, supporting them through complex immigration and workforce mobility challenges.

He advises clients ranging from start-ups and scale-ups to blue-chip organisations on sponsor licence compliance, right to work obligations, corporate transactions, business restructures and global mobility.

Emma Capper, Head of Employment at the firm, added: “Yawar's arrival underscores Browne Jacobson's broader investment in our employment practice, which advises a wide range of domestic and international clients. His expertise adds another string to our bow, enhancing our international service to clients.”