United Kingdom > London Bar > Children law (including public and private law)
Index of tables
- Children law – Leading Sets
- Children law – Leading Silks
- Children law – New Silks
- Children law – Leading Juniors
Children law – Leading Sets
Children law – Leading Silks
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- Stephen Bellamy QC - 1 King’s Bench Walk
- Jonathan Cohen QC - 4 Paper Buildings
- Jo Delahunty QC - 4 Paper Buildings
- Deborah Eaton QC - 1 King’s Bench Walk
- Anthony Kirk QC - 1 King’s Bench Walk
- Roger McCarthy QC - Coram Chambers
- Michael Nicholls QC - 1 Hare Court
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Ian Peddie QC -
Garden Court Chambers - Robin Tolson QC - Outer Temple Chambers
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- Richard Anelay QC - 1 King’s Bench Walk
- Alison Ball QC - 1 Garden Court Family Law Chambers
- Janet Bazley QC - 1 Garden Court Family Law Chambers
- Kate Branigan QC - 4 Paper Buildings
- Barbara Connolly QC - 7 Bedford Row
- Jane Crowley QC - 1 Garden Court Family Law Chambers
- Charles Geekie QC - 1 Garden Court Family Law Chambers
- Charles Howard QC - 1 King’s Bench Walk
- Frances Judd QC - Harcourt Chambers
- Rachel Langdale QC - 7 Bedford Row
- Piers Pressdee QC - 29 Bedford Row Chambers
- Judith Rowe QC - 1 Garden Court Family Law Chambers
- Alison Russell QC - 1 Garden Court Family Law Chambers
- Pamela Scriven QC - 1 King’s Bench Walk
- Robert Seabrook QC - One Crown Office Row
- Paul Storey QC - 29 Bedford Row Chambers
- James Turner QC - 1 King’s Bench Walk
- Alex Verdan QC - 4 Paper Buildings
Children law – New Silks
Children law – Leading Juniors
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Jonathan Bennett -
42 Bedford Row - Martha Cover - Coram Chambers
- Joanna Hall - 14 Gray’s Inn Square
- Sam King - 4 Paper Buildings
- Deepak Nagpal - 1 King’s Bench Walk
- Rebecca Carew Pole - 1 Hare Court
- Indira Ramsahoye - 29 Bedford Row Chambers
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Jeremy Rosenblatt -
42 Bedford Row - Khatun Sapnara - Coram Chambers
- David Williams - 4 Paper Buildings
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Jonathan Bennett -
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- Nicholas Anderson - 1 King’s Bench Walk
- Lee Arnot - 29 Bedford Row Chambers
- Andrew Bagchi - 1 Garden Court Family Law Chambers
- Margo Boye-Anawomah - Renaissance Chambers
- Ruth Cabeza - Field Court Chambers
- Deiniol Cellan-Jones - 1 King’s Bench Walk
- Elizabeth Couch - 4 Paper Buildings
- Edward Devereux - Harcourt Chambers
- Deirdre Fottrell - Coram Chambers
- Nicola Fox - 1 Garden Court Family Law Chambers
- Dorothea Gartland - 4 Paper Buildings
- Anita Guha - 7 Bedford Row
- Claire Heppenstall - 1 Garden Court Family Law Chambers
- Mary Hughes - 1 Pump Court
- Justine Johnston - 4 Paper Buildings
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Maggie Jones -
Garden Court Chambers - Brian Jubb - Renaissance Chambers
- Katherine Kelsey - 1 King’s Bench Walk
- Cyrus Larizadeh - 4 Paper Buildings
- Marcus Lazarides - Queen Elizabeth Building (QEB)
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Anna McKenna -
42 Bedford Row - Barbara Mills - 4 Paper Buildings
- Judith Murray - 4 Paper Buildings
- Jennifer Perrins - 1 King’s Bench Walk
- Sarah Pope - 14 Gray’s Inn Square
- Jane Probyn - 4 Paper Buildings
- Laura Scott - Tanfield Chambers
- Sharon Segal - 1 Garden Court Family Law Chambers
- Dennis Sharpe - Field Court Chambers
- Morgan Sirikanda - Queen Elizabeth Building (QEB)
- Belle Turner - 4 Paper Buildings
- William Tyler - 36 Bedford Row
1 Garden Court Family Law Chambers is noted for its expertise in international and private children law, adoption and child abduction matters. Stephen Cobb QC is ‘in a league of his own’; Janet Bazley QC is ‘undoubtedly one of the strongest, most competent and user-friendly’ children law QCs; Jane Crowley QC is ‘fantastic’; and Charles Geekie QC has ‘meticulous attention to detail’. Alison Russell QC is recommended for complex international surrogacy cases. Recommended juniors include Andrew Bagchi, who has ‘an impressive and wide knowledge of Court of Protection issues’; Claire Heppenstall, who is ‘a counsel of the highest calibre’; and Sharon Segal, who is ‘an outstanding junior barrister’. The up-and-coming Penelope Clapham is developing a strong following.
4 Paper Buildings is ‘the first port of call for any public, private or international Children Act case in the UK’. The ‘extraordinary’ Marcus Scott-Manderson QC is recommended for child abduction work, and Henry Setright QC is ‘among the best practitioners in child abduction and other international cases’. Jo Delahunty QC, who has ‘a sharp forensic eye and an extraordinary memory’, recently acted in the high-profile cases of Re E (Children) and LB of Islington v Al Alas and Wray. International child abduction specialist Teertha Gupta QC’s recent QC appointment is ‘a formal confirmation of a standard that he has worked to for many years now’. The set also has a raft of recommended juniors, including the ‘impressive’ Charles Hale, the ‘ferociously bright and compassionate’ Elizabeth Couch, and Sam King, who is ‘pre-eminent in the field of public law’. The ‘meticulous and excellent’ Cyrus Larizadeh - has ‘in-depth knowledge of all aspects of children law, and specialist knowledge of cases involving sex offences or allegations of sexual abuse’. Dorothea Gartland possesses ‘considerable intellectual acumen, and is extremely thorough’; Barbara Mills is ‘first port of call on contact, residence and relocation disputes’; and Jane Probyn’s ‘knowledge of family law is second to none’.
At 1 King’s Bench Walk, Deborah Eaton QC is ‘peerless’ when it comes to complex private children work, and recently acted in leading international relocation case K v K. Anthony Kirk QC’s ‘client skills are exceptional, and his grasp of the law is second to none’. James Turner QC has ‘a first-rate intellect’, and recently acted in international abduction case Re E (Children) in the Supreme Court; and new silk Richard Harrison QC is ‘a top-class barrister in the field of international child abduction; his advocacy can be quite devastating’. Among a strong stable of juniors, Deepak Nagpal has ‘a formidable intellect’, and Madeleine Reardon ‘combines cleverness with a remarkable understanding of human emotions’. Also recommended are the ‘excellent’ Nicholas Anderson, the ‘exceptionally robust, able and effective’ Deiniol Cellan-Jones, Katherine Kelsey (‘a very accomplished children’s counsel’) and the ‘incredibly bright and clear-thinking’ Jennifer Perrins.
At 29 Bedford Row Chambers, the ‘first-class’ Timothy Scott QC is recommended for international matters. Paul Storey QC is ‘an excellent public law children specialist’, and Piers Pressdee QC is a ‘preferred silk’ on Children Act cases. International children cases are Indira Ramsahoye’s forte, and Lee Arnot ‘brings a high level of sophisticated strategic thinking to cases’.
42 Bedford Row has a strong reputation for public children law and Court of Protection matters. Jonathan Bennett is noted for his public law care proceedings experience, Jeremy Rosenblatt handles international law cases, and Anna McKenna advises on the full spread of domestic law, including public, private and ancillary relief matters.
Specialist family law set Coram Chambers has a solid grounding in public law child matters, with barristers covering the full gamut of work. Martha Cover is ‘a calm and authoritative figure with excellent legal knowledge’, and forced marriage and honour-based violence expert Khatun Sapnara is ‘fabulous with clients’. Deirdre Fottrell is ‘extremely good’ for judicial review and human rights applications, and acted in the case of Re E (Children). The ‘seriously fantastic’ Kate Purkiss acted in the high-profile case LB of Islington v Al Alas and Wray.
Also recommended are William Tyler at 36 Bedford Row, who is ‘a silk in the making’; Field Court Chambers’ Dennis Sharpe (‘an excellent advocate’); Garden Court Chambers’ Ian Peddie QC, who acted in LB of Islington v Al Alas and Wray; and Maggie Jones, who is ‘an outstanding advocate in all types of children cases’; and the ‘highly competent, meticulous and fearless’ Joanna Hall at 14 Gray’s Inn Square. At the same chambers, Sarah Pope is ‘simply a great barrister’. Edward Devereux at Harcourt Chambers is ‘keenly intelligent and innovative’. At 1 Hare Court, Michael Nicholls QC - is ‘without parallel in terms of his command of the law and his court presence’. Queen Elizabeth Building (QEB)’s Marcus Lazarides is ‘fantastic – his written work and his advocacy is excellent’, and Morgan Sirikanda is ‘simply spectacular’.