David Oldfield

David manages the firm's UK pro bono disputes practice, with a focus on public law, asylum/immigration/nationality law, and impact litigation. He also works with the firm's Paris, Rome, Tokyo and MENA offices. David previously worked in the legal aid sector for eight years (Bindmans, Public Law Project).

David's pro bono clients include charities seeking to challenge central and local government decision-making. He has also represented individuals seeking to do the same, including survivors of torture and trafficking, and unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.  He has advised on the lawfulness of Home Office and local authority decision-making (including anti-trafficking, asylum support, and section 17 support matters), as well as deportation, immigration detention, unlawful age assessments, and legal aid funding decisions/guidance. He has advised on cases in the High Court, Court of Appeal, Supreme Court, European Court of Human Rights, First-tier Tribunal and Upper Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber), Employment Tribunal, and Special Immigration Appeals Commission. David has also taught and lectured on Administrative Law at Queen Mary, University of London. He is a former Trustee and Chair of a London law centre.

Cases worked on include:

• R (Asylum Aid) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2025] EWHC 316 (immigration reforms: family members of stateless individuals)
• R (RWU) v Governing Body of 'A' Academy and London Borough of Southwark (Black Equity Organisation intervening) [2025] EWCA Civ 147 (permanent school exclusions)
• R (ECPAT...