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Quastels Hosts Monthly APAC Networking Events in Collaboration with NEXTidal

Quastels is proud to host a series of monthly networking events through its APAC Desk, in collaboration with NEXTidal, a community-driven initiative that connects Chinese entrepreneurs and investors with opportunities in the UK. Spearheaded by Senior Associate Lin Li, these event’s reflect our firm’s ongoing commitment to supporting cross-border business ventures and fostering meaningful professional relationships.

Strengthening the APAC-UK Business Bridge

Our monthly networking sessions serve as a dynamic platform for entrepreneurs, founders, and investors to share insights, discuss business strategies, and explore collaborative opportunities. These events are designed to cultivate a supportive ecosystem for Chinese entrepreneurs navigating the UK market, offering a valuable space to connect with like-minded professionals and industry leaders.

Quastels and NEXTidal work closely to ensure each event offers real value to attendees. The format typically includes introductions to both organisations, a spotlight on our APAC Desk’s legal capabilities, and a presentation by a guest speaker, a Chinese entrepreneur or founder who has successfully launched their business in the UK. Following the presentation, guests engage in open networking sessions, creating opportunities for new partnerships, mentorships, and investment discussions.

What is NEXTidal?

NEXTidal is an initiative that brings together entrepreneurs, investors and seasoned professionals to foster innovation and international growth. Their mission is to support both established Chinese brands looking to expand internationally and new start-ups founded by Chinese entrepreneurs in the UK.

Through networking events, strategic partnerships, and curated resources, NEXTidal plays a pivotal role in connecting Chinese-founded businesses with the support systems they need to thrive abroad, from funding opportunities to expert-led advice on navigating local markets.

The Role of Quastels’ APAC Desk

As a trusted legal partner to NEXTidal, Quastels provides end-to-end support to emerging and expanding businesses operating between Asia and the UK. Our APAC Desk, led by legal professionals with deep regional expertise & language capabilities, delivers tailored legal guidance in areas such as market entry strategies, corporate structuring, commercial agreements, employment law, and mergers & acquisitions.

We understand the regulatory and cultural complexities that come with international business expansion. Our team helps clients navigate these challenges with confidence, combining legal acumen with a strategic understanding of the business environment across both regions. Whether it’s structuring a joint venture, drafting cross-border commercial contracts, or ensuring compliance with UK regulatory requirements, we support our clients every step of the way.

A Glimpse Into the Events

The APAC networking events take place at our centrally located Baker Street office in London, with a hybrid option for virtual attendance. This flexible format enables wider participation and facilitates connections across geographies.

Each month, we feature a new guest speaker, an entrepreneur of Chinese origin who is actively building a presence in the UK. These speakers have represented a wide spectrum of industries, including pet care innovation, live music and entertainment, and artificial intelligence solutions. Their stories highlight the creativity, resilience, and ambition that define the modern entrepreneurial journey.

These events don’t just showcase success stories. They also serve as a forum for open dialogues about challenges, lessons learned, and how communities like NEXTidal and legal partners like Quastels can offer meaningful support.

Looking Ahead

As the global business landscape becomes increasingly interconnected, Quastels remains committed to building bridges between regions and empowering entrepreneurs to think beyond borders. Our ongoing collaboration with NEXTidal is more than a professional partnership. It’s a shared vision for fostering innovation, collaboration, and sustainable growth across international markets.

We welcome founders, investors, and professionals who are interested in engaging with the APAC-UK corridor to join us at our upcoming events. Whether you are in the early stages of expanding your business or seeking new connections in the UK market, these sessions are an ideal opportunity to gain insight, forge partnerships, and access specialist legal expertise tailored to your international ambitions.

For more information about our APAC Desk or upcoming events, please contact us either by completing the form below, or emailing lli@quastels.com.

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Turning the Tide: How We Overturned a Visa Refusal Due to Criminal Convictions

Applying for a UK visa can be a challenging process, particularly when an applicant has a history of criminal charges. In a recent case, I successfully overturned a visa refusal based on criminal grounds, securing my client’s right to enter the UK despite significant legal obstacles. This case highlights the power of a well-structured legal argument and strategic advocacy in overcoming complex immigration barriers.

Background

My client applied for a UK visa but was refused due to previous criminal convictions. The Home Office assessed that their criminal history posed a risk to public safety and deemed their presence in the UK ‘conducive to the public good’.

With six past charges, including robbery, drug possession, and theft, my client’s application was refused under paragraph 9.4.1 of the Immigration Rules, which states that an application ‘must’ be refused if an applicant:

(a) has been convicted of a criminal offence in the UK or overseas for which they have received a custodial sentence of 12 months or more; or

(b) is a persistent offender who shows a particular disregard for the law; or

(c) has committed a criminal offence, or offences, which caused serious harm.

The refusal was based on (b) and (c), with the Home Office asserting that my client was a persistent offender and that their offences had caused serious harm.

Key Challenges

One of the main hurdles in this case was contesting the Home Office’s classification of my client’s past conduct as ‘serious harm’ and establishing that they were not a persistent offender at the time of application. The Refusal Letter stated that:

“where a person has been convicted of one or more violent, drugs-related, racially motivated, or sexual offences, they will normally be considered to have been convicted of an offence that has caused serious harm.”

Although my client’s convictions were more than a decade old, UK immigration law does not impose a time limit on considering past criminality in visa applications. This is in contrast to naturalisation applications, where most offences are disregarded after ten years. Given this, it was essential to challenge the Home Office’s interpretation of my client’s past offences and establish that they no longer posed a risk to the public.

My Strategic Legal Approach

To overturn the refusal, I pursued an Administrative Review, adopting a multi-faceted approach:

1. Critical Review of the Decision – I conducted a detailed analysis of the refusal letter, identifying gaps, inconsistencies and weaknesses in the Home Office’s reasoning.
2. Legal Argumentation – Highlighting Key Errors:
   • Unsubstantiated Serious Harm Claim– The Home Office’s assertion was unsupported by evidence and should not have been a decisive factor in the refusal.
   • Disproportionate Conclusions– The circumstances of the case did not support the claim that the offence had a widespread harmful impact.
   • Misapplication of the ‘persistent offender’ standard– The Home Office incorrectly referenced past convictions without considering whether a pattern of offending still existed at the time of application.
   • Sentencing guidelines– A careful review of sentencing precedents showed that my client’s offences did not meet the threshold for serious harm in the immigration law context.
3. Case Law Precedents– I cited relevant legal precedents to demonstrate that not all violent or drug-related offences automatically meet the threshold of serious harm.
4. Demonstrating Rehabilitation– To reinforce my client’s case, I presented substantial evidence, including character references, employment history, and proof of community engagement, to establish that my client had reformed.

By structuring the Administrative Review in this way, I demonstrated that the refusal was based on outdated and disproportionate reasoning and that my client posed no ongoing risk to public safety.

The Outcome

Following a well-evidenced and persuasive challenge, the Home Office overturned the visa refusal. My client was granted permission to enter the UK, allowing them to work and rebuild their life – a result that would have been unattainable without strategic legal intervention.

Key Takeaways

This case underscores the importance of:

• Challenging visa refusals through Administrative Review when decisions are unfair.
• Building a compelling legal argument based on proportionality and fairness.
• Challenging misinterpretations of serious harm and persistent offending.
• Presenting strong evidence of rehabilitation to counter past convictions.

Overturning a visa refusal based on criminality is a highly complex process that requires precise legal arguments, in-depth case law research, and compelling evidence. Every detail matters. While the above outlines key elements of our strategy, success in such cases depends on addressing a range of intricate legal and evidentiary challenges tailored to the specific circumstances of each client.

With the right legal representation, many refusals can be successfully overturned. If you or someone you know has been denied a UK visa due to past conviction, my team and I are here to help. Contact us today to discuss your case and explore your options for appeal.

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No Change, Please: The Initial Results of the Law Commission’s Consultation on Security of Tenure are in

Interim results of the consultation on reforming the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 confirm that no significant change to the existing law will be forthcoming.

The Consultation

From 19 November 2024 to 19 February 2025, the Law Commission ran a significant consultation on whether business tenancies in England and Wales should continue to benefit from security of tenure. Security of tenure is a right under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 (the “1954 Act“) which gives business tenants the option to renew their lease, or the capacity to be financially compensated where this is not possible.

The initial results are in, and the Law Commission has posted its interim statement, addressing the direction the consultation and any resulting reform is likely to take.

The current system is an opt-out model, where business leases automatically include this right to renew, unless it is expressly excluded from the lease.

The Options for Reform

The models of security of tenure proposed in the consultation were:

• No reform, retaining the current opt-out model; or
• Reversing the current model and opt-in; or
• Abolishing security of tenure; or
• Mandatory security of tenure.

The Law Commission has provisionally concluded that the existing ‘contracting-out’ model is the correct approach. The arguments in favour of retaining this were convincing and received the broadest support among consultees.

Many consultees expressed a view that the current model achieves the optimal balance between landlords and tenants. Many also voiced concerns that altering the model could lead to unnecessary disruption in the commercial leasehold market.

Other Key Issues Addressed in the Statement

Excluded tenancies

The 1954 Act currently excludes certain types of tenancies, for instance, agricultural tenancies, and the consultation asked whether the current list of excluded tenancies is still appropriate. The consultees were in favour of the current law and the Law Commission provisionally agrees.

Duration of Tenancies

The 1954 Act also excludes short tenancies of up to 6 months, and this was also consulted on. Views were mixed, but consensus seemed to favour increasing the threshold to 2 years, to give more flexibility to the short-term lettings market. The Law Commission provisionally agrees.

The Future

Substantial changes to the doctrine of security of tenure would have created uncertainty for both existing business leases and those under negotiation at the time of reform.

Property owners and developers value flexibility, which explains the limited appetite for sweeping changes to the current framework.

While often regarded as an administrative burden, with the high thresholds for landlords to establish grounds (f) and (g) remaining a source of frustration, the current model has been rigorously tested, and continues to evolve through case law.

Ultimately, the Law Commission’s final report will present recommendations for reform based on the consultees’ feedback. Any legislative reform will still need to be implemented in the usual way, passing through and receiving Parliamentary approval.

To contact our property litigation team, please contact us by completing the form below.

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