Tomoko Samsaki

Tomoko Sasaki

Senior Immigration Specialist
Baker & McKenzie LLP

Biography

Tomoko Sasaki is a Senior Immigration Specialist with over 12 years' experience advising in UK corporate immigration law and she heads the Japan Practice within the Firm's Global Immigration & Mobility practice in the London office.

She is the Vice Chair of UK Japan Connect, which is a Baker McKenzie business group focused on connecting the business, culture and people of the UK and Japan.

Tomoko is an appointed member of the trustee for The Japan Society and her work for Japanese clients has been noted in Legal 500. She is also a member of Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry and acts for clients under Coram, which is a pro-bono scheme for eligible children to apply for their British Citizenship.

Practice Focus

Tomoko advises on all areas of corporate immigration with an increasing emphasis on post-transactional due diligence work and strategic advice on immigration / global mobility policy.

Tomoko also advises on the day-to-day work permit applications, management of sponsor license systems and on compliance requirements, indefinite Leave To Remain and British citizenship applications as well as on discretionary applications.

Tomoko provides training to many of the firms clients, and presents at seminars and webinars, which includes an annual seminar in Japanese for the Firm's key Japanese clients.

Representative Legal Matters

  • Advised for numerous high-profile Japanese companies including very high volume clients and carried out onsite mock audits.
  • Acted for global Japanese food company and their CEO in the UK with an urgent application, successfully getting the application approved within 2 days after making representation to the Home Office as the standard process would have taken 6 months to be concluded.
  • Broad range of experience advising for various industry sectors, from aviation, car manufacturers, marine and heavy industries, financial services, media, fashion and restaurants.
  • Managed C-suit transfer for an Australian company after its multi-million takeover of a UK chain store specializing in home improvement and garden centre.

Professional Associations and Memberships

  • Trustee of the Japan Society, Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Corporate Responsibility

  • Coram

Admissions

  • England & Wales~United Kingdom (2012)

Education

  • University of Lancaster (BSc Hons)
  • University of Law (GDL & LPC)

Languages

  • English
  • Japanese

Firm Committee Memberships

  • UK Japan Connect