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“I wanted to be in charge of my own destiny, and I knew this meant building a legal practice for like-minded people like myself who share the same passions, ethics and ethos”
Anne Frances O’Donoghue,
Immigration Solutions Lawyers
Accredited immigration law specialist Anne Frances O’Donoghue has made a lasting and profound difference in the lives of those she represents. With over three decades of experience, she currently serves as principal solicitor and director of Immigration Solutions Lawyers and remains resolute in her fight against modern slavery.
“I wanted to be in charge of my own destiny, and I knew this meant building a legal practice for like-minded people like myself who share the same passions, ethics and ethos,” she says. “Despite the challenges I faced with a young child, I had great support from my husband, and I understand my purpose, which gave me the encouragement I needed to take the next step.”
With a special interest in human rights, professional ethics, and modern slavery, O’Donoghue is acknowledged as one of Australia’s leading immigration law specialists. She is a tireless champion for the importance of Australian immigration lawyers gaining recognition in the global market and internationalising their practices.
Suite 1304, World Tower Commercial
61 02 02646432
info@immigrationsolutions.com.au
linkedin.com/in/anneodonoghue
immigrationsolutionslawyers.com.au
Anne Frances O’Donoghue
Principal Solicitor and Director
Immigration Solutions Lawyers
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Bio
Milestones
“I am strongly of the belief that skills can be taught, but you cannot teach passion. Passion has to come from within”
Anne Frances O’Donoghue,
Immigration Solutions Lawyers
1981–1982
1987
1998
2012–2022
Present
1981: Admitted to practice in the Supreme Court of Victoria
1982: Admitted to practice in the High Court of Australia
1981–
1982
Admitted to practice in the Supreme Court of New South Wales
1987
Received her specialist accreditation as an immigration lawyer from the NSW Law Society
1998
2012–2016: served as treasurer of the international law section of the Law Council of Australia
2019–2022: Chair of Immigration and Nationality Committee at the International Bar Association
2021–2022: served on the Ministerial Advisory Council for the Minister of Immigration
2012–
2022
Member of the specialist accreditation advisory committee of the NSW Law Society since 2015
Member of the Working Group on Modern Slavery at the International Bar Association since 2021
Diversity and Inclusion Officer of the Global Employment Institute of the International Bar Association since 2022
Moderator/speaker at the International Law Section of the Law Council of Australia’s Young Lawyers Summit on her involvement with Baroness Helena Kennedy’s Afghan Airlift in gaining permanent residency for 90 Afghan women judges and their families
Member of the executive of the International Law Section of the Law Council of Australia
Global Elite Thought Leader in Corporate Immigration
Co-authored the Who’s Who Legal Corporate Immigration Review since its first edition in 2013 and has co-authored the chapter every year since
Co-authored two International Comparative Legal Guide publications: Digital Business Laws and Regulations Modern Slavery: A “Wicked Problem” that Requires a Human Rights-Based Approach 2023 and Corporate Immigration Laws and Regulations Global Overview on Modern Slavery and Corporate Supply Chain Compliance 2023
Present
Milestones
Aug 2022
Milestones
Sept 2021
Feb 2022
Apr 2022
Jul 2022
Aug
2022
Suncorp Bank introduces Solar Home Bonus offer for customers who are choosing renewable energy for their homes
Sept 2021
Month-on-month market share growth commences
Feb 2022
Suncorp Bank wins the Canstar award for most outstanding value in investment loans
Apr 2022
Suncorp Bank wins Money Magazine’s Bank of the Year and Business Bank of the Year awards for the fifth year in a row
Jul 2022
Suncorp Bank’s turnaround times are the lowest they have ever been. The lender becomes Australia’s first certified carbon neutral bank for both its operation and transaction services
Aug 2022
Milestones
“My approach in my career and practice is very hands-on, collaborative and encouraging of women in their passions and pursuits,” O’Donoghue says. “I am strongly of the belief that skills can be taught, but you cannot teach passion. Passion has to come from within. So, my passion-forward approach sees me collaborating with my staff and encouraging new learning opportunities, as this is the fabric of my career progression and success.”
In 2022, Immigration Solutions Lawyers made history by working with Baroness Helena Kennedy to help Afghan women judges obtain permanent visas. O’Donoghue received a personal request from the International Bar Association (IBA) and Baroness Helena Kennedy KC, who had evacuated several Afghan women judges, prosecutors, activists and their families from Afghanistan to Greece in 2021 and 2022 during the early days of the Taliban takeover.
Twenty Afghan women, including judges, prosecutors, activists, and their families, applied for temporary visas (subclass 449 visas) to settle in Australia and escape persecution. Immigration Solutions Lawyers staff helped them apply to the immigration minister and was able to secure visa grants for all 90 applicants, including family members. Remarkably, the entire group was ultimately successful in being granted permanent residence visas.
“In order to achieve client outcomes, you need to rock the boat, even if the advice is don’t rock the boat,” O’Donoghue says.
O’Donoghue, who was appointed in 2022 as the diversity and inclusion officer of the Global Employment Institute of the International Bar Association, is a frequent speaker on the international stage.
Some of her notable sessions include:
In 2022 and 2023, Immigration Solutions Lawyers co-authored Who’s Who Legal Corporate Immigration Review, contributing to Australia’s corporate immigration 2022 and 2023 updates, as well as co-authoring the international comparative legal guides expert analysis chapter for the Global Overview on Modern Slavery and Corporate Supply Chain Compliance.
O’Donoghue also contributed to the Law Council of Australia’s written submission in response to the issues paper regarding the three-year statutory review of the Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth).
In 2023, O’Donoghue spoke at the Thomson Reuters Skilled Migration and Workforce Planning Conference, where she presented on addressing concerns about the exploitation of overseas workers and tackling vulnerabilities to modern slavery, for which she received commendable feedback.
O’Donoghue was admitted to practice in the Supreme Court of Victoria in 1981, the Supreme Court of New South Wales in 1987 and the High Court of Australia in 1982. In 1998, she received her specialist accreditation as an immigration lawyer from the NSW Law Society, and she has been instrumental in developing the field of immigration law in NSW. She was the founding vice president of the Migration Law Committee of the Law Council of Australia.
The International Bar Association’s Annual Miami Conference 2022: spoke at the three sessions surrounding remote work in Australia, modern slavery’s non-punishment principle, and how the Nagoya Protocol is implemented in Australia
The International Bar Association’s Immigration 10th Biennial London Conference 2022: moderated and spoke on behalf of Australia’s efforts in Afghanistan and Ukraine, whereby two Afghan Women judges were delighted to speak on their gruelling yet inspiring journey
The 35th LAWASIA 2022 Conference in Sydney: spoke on Australia’s efforts to combat modern slavery and the non-punishment principle, given her expertise in the area as a member of the IBA Working Group on Modern Slavery Corporate Supply Chain Compliance and given Immigration Solutions Lawyers’ contribution to a submission for the Law Council of Australia in response to the public consultation paper on the national action plan to combat modern slavery in 2020–24