Tina Nematian - Building a purpose-led immigration law practice

How did you start down this career path?

Migration has always been personal to me. I grew up in Australia as the daughter of refugees and saw firsthand what it takes to build a new life in a foreign country. From an early age, I understood that migration law is not just about policy or paperwork. It is about safety, dignity, family, identity and opportunity.

As a Baha’i, I was also raised to value the diversity of humanity and believe in the oneness of humankind. Those principles have shaped both my personal values and my approach to practising immigration law. I see migration not as something to be feared, but as a powerful force that enriches communities and brings people together.

I decided to study law because I felt a strong calling towards social justice and human rights. During university, I volunteered with both the Aboriginal Legal Service and an immigration law firm. While I found both experiences incredibly rewarding, I felt a natural pull towards immigration law.

My parents’ experience also gave me a deep appreciation for the realities migrants often face. Their qualifications were not recognised in Australia, and they had to rebuild their lives and careers from the beginning. Watching that journey showed me the life-changing impact migration can have and the important role that good legal representation can play.

After graduating, I joined a well-known specialist migration law firm, where I was quickly immersed in the complexity and constantly evolving nature of Australian immigration law. Although I gained some exposure to family and criminal law early in my career, my heart always remained in immigration law. It is one of the few areas of law that can be truly unifying, keeping families together, creating opportunities, offering protection and helping people build a new life. Legal outcomes in this area can genuinely transform a person’s future.

In late 2023, I founded One Planet Migration Law with the vision of “connecting humanity, one visa at a time” and creating a purpose-driven law firm that remains true to its values.

What inspires you in your role and industry? Why?

Immigration law is one of the most powerful areas of legal practice because it can transform lives and, ultimately, shape society. While it is often viewed through a political lens, I believe it is just as important to view it through a human one. At its core, migration is about people, families, opportunity and belonging.

What inspires me most is that the work we do can genuinely change the course of someone's life. A positive visa outcome can mean a family stays together, a child grows up with stability, a business retains a critical employee, or a vulnerable person finally finds safety and the chance to rebuild their future. Few areas of law have such an immediate and lasting impact on people's lives.

I am also inspired by the opportunity to help reshape the conversation around migration. Migration has always been part of the human story. Rather than something to be feared, it is something that enriches our communities, brings together people from every corner of the world, and creates a shared culture built on diverse experiences and perspectives.

I believe diversity is one of Australia's greatest strengths, and it is a privilege to play a part in helping people contribute their skills, talents and stories to our country.

What’s your approach to customer service that separates you from the rest?

At the heart of our practice is genuine care for our clients and the outcomes we achieve for them. Immigration law is governed by a detailed legislative framework that requires precision, strategic thinking and a thorough understanding of constantly evolving legislation and policy. Our role extends well beyond simply preparing visa applications. We pride ourselves on staying ahead of legislative and policy changes, thinking strategically and laterally, and drawing on our team's combined experience to identify solutions and opportunities that others may overlook.

Whether we are advising multinational employers, small businesses, individuals or families, our focus is always on delivering exceptional legal advice with a personalised approach.

We also believe that excellent client service is built on transparency and communication. Wherever possible, we use fixed and staged fees, provide clear scopes of work and practical written advice, and explain complex legal issues in plain English so our clients can make informed decisions with confidence.

Behind the scenes, we invest heavily in technology and systems that enable our team to work efficiently, securely and collaboratively. For our clients, this means seamless document sharing, organised case management, proactive communication and confidence that important deadlines will never be missed.

For us, great customer service is about more than technical excellence. It is about ensuring every client feels heard, informed, supported and genuinely cared for throughout what is often one of the most significant journeys of their lives.

How do you innovate and stay ahead of industry trends?

We are not shy about embracing new technologies. In fact, I believe we are living through one of the most exciting periods in legal practice. Artificial intelligence, together with the shift towards remote work accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, has created opportunities to grow and deliver legal services at a scale that simply wasn't possible before.

Rather than fearing technology or seeing it as a threat to the profession, we see it as an opportunity to increase access to justice and amplify our impact. While AI can significantly improve efficiency, the strategic thinking, judgment, empathy and problem-solving that clients need from their lawyers cannot be replaced. Technology is there to enhance our work, not replace it.

Our investment in technology is therefore very intentional. We have implemented a powerful legal large language model trained specifically for legal practice, enabling our team to research, analyse and draft with greater speed and consistency while maintaining lawyer oversight at every stage. Combined with secure client portals, automated workflows, document reminders, e-signatures, deadline tracking and other AI-assisted tools, this has significantly enhanced our capability to deliver more high-quality legal work without compromising accuracy or client care. It also enables our team to focus on higher-value strategic work, rather than repetitive administrative tasks.

Most importantly, technology helps us bridge the gap in access to legal services. By improving efficiency and keeping overheads under control, we can offer more affordable services where appropriate and devote significant resources to pro bono and low bono work. To date, this has amounted to approximately 10% of our annual revenue, which is a significant commitment for a small private law firm with no external funding.

What is the toughest challenge you've faced in your role? How did you overcome it?

One of the toughest challenges has been building and growing a law firm while raising two very young children and navigating solo motherhood. When I launched the firm, I knew I couldn't build something that depended entirely on me. From day one, I invested in systems, embraced technology, kept overheads lean and focused on creating a practice where others could take ownership and grow alongside the business.

One lesson that has stayed with me is that leadership is much like training in the gym. You don't become stronger by lifting the heaviest weight on your first day. Through progressive overload, you gradually increase the weight over time, and in doing so, build the capacity to carry more. I see business in much the same way. Every challenge, every new responsibility and every period of growth has stretched my capacity as a leader. What once felt overwhelming has become manageable, allowing me to take on greater challenges while continuing to grow both personally and professionally.

That mindset has shaped the firm. We are still intentionally building a practice that is less dependent on me so it can continue to grow sustainably. My goal is to spend more of my time leading strategically, developing my team and driving innovation, while also being present for the moments that matter most in my children's lives. Success, to me, is not just about building a thriving business, but creating one that allows me to be both the leader my team needs and the mother my daughters deserve.

What are some of your goals for the next five years?

Over the next five years, I want One Planet Migration Law to continue growing sustainably without ever losing its heart. I want to strengthen our corporate immigration practice, deepen our referral partnerships, continue investing thoughtfully in technology and AI, and expand our ability to deliver high-quality legal services at scale while maintaining the personalised approach our clients value.

I also want to continue building a workplace where people feel trusted, valued and genuinely empowered. I introduced a profit-sharing model because I believe the best businesses are built when people feel a true sense of ownership in the firm's success and future.

Access to justice will remain a core part of our mission. As technology enables us to work more efficiently, I hope to increase our capacity to provide pro bono and low bono assistance to vulnerable members of our community, ensuring that quality legal representation is not reserved only for those who can afford it.

Personally, I hope to continue advocating for a more balanced and human-centred conversation around migration. Immigration has always been part of the human story, and I want our firm to continue demonstrating that migration enriches Australia economically, culturally and socially.

Ultimately, my goal is to build one of Australia's leading specialist immigration law firms; one that is known not only for legal excellence and innovation, but also for compassion, integrity and its commitment to connecting humanity, one visa at a time.

About One Planet Migration Law

One Planet Migration Law is a specialist Australian immigration law firm assisting individuals, families, employers and organisations with employer sponsored visas, corporate immigration, labour agreements, skilled migration, partner and family visas, complex refusals and cancellations, humanitarian matters, Ministerial intervention, tribunal matters and judicial review referrals.

One Planet Migration Law is remote-first, technology-enabled and purpose-led, with a mission of connecting humanity, one visa at a time.

LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tinanematian/
Linkedin company page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/one-planet-migration-law/