Penningtons Manches partner Pat Saini shortlisted for UK-India Award

Posted: 07/06/2018

• Head of Immigration Pat Saini shortlisted in the Professional of the Year category at the UK-India Awards
• The awards are judged by a panel of leading figures including Sunil Bharti Mittal, Rt. Hon Priti Patel MP, Barry Gardiner MP and Lord Marland

Pat Saini, Penningtons Manches' head of immigration, has been shortlisted in the prestigious Professional of the Year category at the annual UK-India Awards 2018, which brings together and celebrates the innovative and path-breaking individuals and organisations that are making a significant impact on the strong global partnership between the UK and India.

Pat is nominated alongside a host of leading international development schemes, social impact funds, world-leading British cultural institutions and representative bodies for tech and digital clusters around the UK, for the second edition of the prestigious awards.

An inspirational leader and a force of nature, Pat brings her unique blend of experience, strategy and risk management to the complexity of the UK visa process. She is ranked in Chambers UK, The Legal 500, Who’s Who Legal, and Citywealth Leaders List. Earlier this year she was also named amongst Citywealth’s top “Powerwomen”.

Although Pat advises on all aspects of immigration work, her areas of specialism continue to include advising business clients (particularly in the tech sector), educational institutions and HNW individuals including investors and entrepreneurs. A significant number of her HNW clients emanate from India, but she also advises those with roots in the USA, Middle East and Russia.

A highlight of UK-India Week (18-22 June 2018), the UK-India Awards will be judged by a panel of leading figures in business, technology, media, international trade and politics, including: 

• Lord Marland, Chairman of the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council
• Sunil Bharti Mittal, Founder and Chairman of Bharti Enterprises
• Rt. Hon. Barry Gardiner MP, Shadow Secretary of State for International Trade
• Rt. Hon Priti Patel MP, former Secretary of State for International Development
• Edwina Dunn, CEO, Starcount
• Barkha Dutt, Author and Broadcaster

Manoj Ladwa, the British Indian entrepreneur and political strategist, Founder of UK-India Week and Editor of Winning Partnership: India-UK Relations Beyond Brexit, said: “The UK-India Awards is an event celebrating the bond between the UK and India and the remarkable people building on this winning partnership with innovation and creativity.

“Together, the UK and India have a great global role to fulfil. The UK-India Awards will also celebrate the organisations and individuals contributing to the UK-India partnership’s leading, transformational impact on the world. They are exploring new territory, bringing new opportunities and meanings to our global partnership.” 

Prime Minister Theresa May addressed the audience at last year’s awards ceremony in a video message. She said: “This splendid event celebrates the best in UK-India relations and there is much to celebrate. Thank you for enriching the UK-India relationship in so many ways.”

The winners of the UK-India Awards will be announced at a glittering ceremony in London taking place on 22 June 2018, hosted by Bollywood actor Vivek Oberoi. Speakers at the UK-India Awards in 2017 included Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, Indian Cabinet Minister Piyush Ghopal and the Indian High Commissioner, His Excellency Y.K. Sinha.

In only its second year, the awards ceremony takes place during the inaugural UK-India Week, which runs from 18- 22 June. UK-India Week celebrates the strong partnership between the UK and India and is a catalyst for promoting opportunities for future collaboration. It features the fifth annual UK-India Leadership Conclave (20- 21 June), a landmark event for identifying ways to grow and transform the strategic partnership between ‘Brexit Britain and Global India’.

Pat has been nominated alongside over twenty leading organisations for a range of categories including:

• Vodafone Foundation, Reed Smith, Marks & Spencer and Standard Chartered, for The British Asian Trust’s Social Impact Project of the Year
• The Science Museum, BBC News Indian Languages, the Partition Museum and the James Erskine, 200 Not out Films and Carnival Cinemas, for the Media, Arts and Culture Award.
• London Stock Exchange, Wadhawan Global Capital and Barclays Bank India for The State Bank of India’s Financial Services Organisation of the Year
• The Manchester India partnership, TechUK, Confederation of British Industries and the Midlands Engine for Invest India’s Trade & investment Promotion Organisation of the Year
• Sannam S4, Grant Thornton and Kingston Smith for Consultancy firm of the Year
• Avian Media, Sterling Media and Ogilvy & Mather for PR Firm of the Year

You can find out more about the awards and view the full list of categories and shortlisted nominees here.

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