Simon Jeans, Special Counsel

Simon is widely regarded as one of Australia’s top immigration lawyers, renowned for his deep expertise in this complex and rapidly changing field. Since his admission to legal practice in 1989, Simon has devoted over 35 years to immigration law—experience that has consistently placed him at the forefront of the profession.

A true specialist, Simon is accredited by the NSW Law Society in Immigration Law. He served as a Member of both the Migration Review Tribunal and the Refugee Review Tribunal (from 1 July 2010 to 30 June 2015), an appointment made by the Governor-General. In addition, Simon’s international contributions include working with the Jesuit Refugee Service in Hong Kong, providing legal expertise with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Indonesia, and delivering expert testimony before a U.S. Congressional Committee on Indochinese refugee issues in Southeast Asia.

Simon’s exceptional track record spans multiple jurisdictions—he has managed immigration matters in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Iran, the UK, Jordan, Syria, and Ukraine. Of particular note is his longstanding work on behalf of over 1,200 Sabean Mandaeans from Iraq, assisting them to secure safer futures in Australia. Simon’s remarkable service has earned him consistent recognition on the “Best Lawyers in Immigration Law” list since 2016, an accolade voted by his peers.

He has further contributed as an Assessor and External Moderator for the College of Law’s Capstone Migration Agents Assessment in 2019 and 2020 and has been a trusted voice on immigration matters for major media outlets including Channel 7, Channel 9, Sky News Australia, The Australian, The Economist, and the ABC. Beyond the legal realm, Simon is also a photography enthusiast whose work with iStock by Getty Images has appeared in publications across more than 50 countries.

As Special Counsel at One Planet Migration Law, Simon’s wealth of experience and commitment to ethical, high-quality representation align perfectly with our Firm’s core values. We are delighted to have him on our team and look forward to raising the standard of immigration law services with his counsel.