Public Law

Galina is recommended for Administrative and Public Law in the most recent edition of the Legal 500, where she is described as, “A star performer whose written work in particular is of the highest order.” She is regularly instructed both for and against central and local government. In addition to the specialisms listed below, her recent work has covered healthcare, community care (she is a contributor to Stephen Knafler QC’s book on Adult Social Care Law), social security (with a particular focus on tax credits) and prisons (including categorisation and recall challenges).

Property

Galina acts for a diverse range of clients, from social housing tenants and public bodies to major property companies, in all areas of commercial and residential landlord and tenant. She is recommended for property litigation in both Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners. She has particular expertise in cases at the intersection of public and property law, including in particular school land issues, as well as rating and also claims raising human rights and/or Equality Act points.

Education

Galina has been described in Chambers & Partners as commanding “huge respect” for her “great experience of representing individuals, schools and local authorities in Special Educational Needs and Disability appeals.” She is also recommended in Legal 500, where she is reported to be “approachable, with good knowledge of the law”. Galina has extensive experience of judicial review claims in education matters, ranging from exclusion and admissions to school organisation issues. Her work also includes acting on behalf of public bodies tasked with regulating those who work in education, as well as representing those subject to that regulation. She recently represented the Department for Education in a number of strands of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.

Immigration

Galina specialises in representing individuals subject to immigration control. She frequently appears in the First-Tier and Upper Tribunal, and has acted in a large number of judicial review challenges to decisions of the immigration authorities. She has particular experience of civil claims for damages for unlawful detention. Galina is recommended for her work in immigration law in both Chambers & Partners and Legal 500 where she has been described as “a real brain-box who makes light work of her cases” and “incredibly gifted on her feet and popular with clients.”

Rating

Galina regularly advises and appears on behalf of the Valuation Office Agency, billing authorities and individual ratepayers in both statutory appeals and liability order claims.