Burness Paull has extended its immigration offering with the appointment of Olivia McLaren, a highly regarded US immigration attorney based in Scotland, as head of US immigration.

^{Olivia McLaren (centre) with immigration law partners Jamie Kerr and Grace McGill.}

The expansion of its immigration team will see Burness Paull offer a new and dedicated US immigration law service. This will complement the comprehensive support the firm already provides around the UK immigration system, ensuring a reciprocal transatlantic offering for businesses and people with interests in both the US and UK.

Olivia joins Burness Paull alongside her colleague Corinna Boland (paralegal) from Olivia McLaren, Ltd., the boutique US immigration law firm, which she established in Edinburgh in 2014. Prior to that, she spent a decade in New York City working in US immigration law, having been admitted to the Bar of the State of New York in 2005.

Grace McGill, head of immigration at Burness Paull, said: “The US and UK maintain strong economic and societal links, with trade in goods and services and foreign direct investment between the two countries worth hundreds of billions of pounds every year.

“For Scottish and UK businesses, this represents a significant opportunity that we are keen to help them maximise. Any business that wants to enter or grow in the US market should be taking US immigration advice at an early stage to ensure they and their executives are compliant with an inherently complex system.

“I have worked closely with Olivia for many years and her reputation as the go-to US immigration legal adviser in Scotland is well-earned. Her appointment brings additional capability that, in collaboration with the specialist expertise we have right across the firm, will support our clients to unlock the significant potential benefits the US market can offer.”

Peter Lawson, chair at Burness Paull, commented: “We are a Scottish law firm with an international outlook that is committed to supporting our clients’ global ambitions. In this increasingly interconnected world, global mobility is a key issue for the firm’s international client base and the provision of expert immigration advice is a growing part of our business.

“We accelerated the growth of our immigration division with the appointment of Grace McGill and her team in 2021, and since then the practice has gone from strength to strength as we build on a proven track record of ensuring businesses and executives looking to enter or expand in the UK market receive the best possible advice. The appointment of Olivia extends that offering to support businesses operating on a transatlantic basis, as we seek to provide an evermore holistic range of services and to meet the evolving needs of our clients.”

Olivia McLaren added: “I am excited at the opportunities presented by joining Burness Paull, which is an ambitious firm full of fantastic people. Combining my knowledge and experience of US immigration law with the firm’s infrastructure, networks and strong international credentials makes for a compelling proposition with significant growth potential.”