The Legal 500

United Kingdom > London Bar > Family law (including divorce and ancillary relief)

Editorial sections

Other

All countries

Index of tables

  1. Family law (including divorce and ancillary relief) – Leading Sets
  2. Family law – Leading Silks
  3. Family law – New Silks
  4. Family law – Leading Juniors

Family law – Leading Juniors

29 Bedford Row Chambers is ‘a quality set with a number of very good family specialists and a first-class senior clerk in James Shortall’. Nicholas Francis QC is ‘the smoothest family law silk at the Bar; he is extremely knowledgeable and a great advocate’. Timothy Scott QC is ‘fiercely intelligent’ and Philip Cayford QC is ‘an extremely effective silk and a leader for Schedule 1 work’. Christopher Wagstaffe QC is ‘exceptionally good at dealing with complex trust work, pre-marital contracts and big-money cases’. Senior junior Brent Molyneux has ‘an amazing grasp of case law’ and Alexis Campbell is a ‘star performer’. Other recommended juniors include Jonathan Southgate, Simon Calhaem, Jonathan Tod and Nicholas Allen, who is ‘an absolute star of the family Bar’.

1 Hare Court provides ‘an excellent service’ on divorce and ancillary relief matters. Martin Pointer QC is ‘at the top of the league’ and is recommended alongside the ‘exceptional’ Ann Hussey QC and ‘star of the family Bar’ Richard Todd QC. Bruce Blair QC is ‘a true doyen in the divorce legal fraternity’, Deborah Bangay QC is ‘the quintessential person to fight the client’s corner’ and, Nicholas Cusworth QC is ‘someone to have on the team’. Nigel Dyer QC is ‘a superb barrister whose knowledge of cases with an international element is second to none’, and Valentine Le Grice QC is a ‘superb advocate’. Leading junior Nichola Gray is ‘feisty and powerful; there are few who have her maturity and ability’. Simon Webster ‘will be a prominent name in this area of law for many years to come’. Other recommended juniors include the ‘tactically aware and technically excellent’ Geoffrey Kingscote; Stephen Trowell, who has ‘sound judgement and is a safe pair of hands’; Nicholas Yates, whose ‘combination of emotional intelligence, intellectual rigour and charming and persuasive advocacy puts him in a league apart’; and the ‘bright and articulate’ Emma Sumner.

1 King’s Bench Walk’s selection of heavyweight silks includes Charles Howard QC, who is ‘one of the brightest QCs around’, and Barry Singleton QC, who is ‘a towering figure in the legal profession’. Christopher Pocock QC possesses ‘excellent judgement that is in tune with judges, and is sympathetic to clients’, and James Turner QC has ‘a first-rate intellect’. The ‘very intelligent’ Philip Marshall QC and Richard Harrison QC, whose ‘command of the technical aspects of family law is peerless’, recently took silk. Among the juniors, Harry Oliver is ‘widely perceived as one of the leading juniors at the matrimonial Bar’; James Roberts is ‘clever, forthright and incisive’; and Dominic Brazil is ‘fearless, able, competent and a superb advocate’. Richard Castle is ‘robust, articulate and knowledgeable’, and Ian Cook is ‘a go-to senior junior for both for his intellect and ability to resolve and win on complex issues’. Deepak Nagpal has ‘a masterly command of both domestic and international law’, and Katherine Kelsey is ‘a rising star’.

Queen Elizabeth Building (QEB) is a heavyweight family law chambers headed by ‘leading family silk’ Lewis Marks QC. Lucy Stone QC is ‘quite simply the most accomplished all-round family law silk’, and Tim Amos QC’s ‘depth of knowledge of international law and obsessive attention to detail put him head and shoulders above most matrimonial silks’. Other recommended silks include the ‘brilliant, inclusive and charming’ Charles Hyde QC; Jennifer Roberts QC, who has ‘the magic combination of a great brain, a confidence-inspiring manner and amazing judgement’; and the ‘incredibly bright and knowledgeable’ Stewart Leech QC. Elizabeth Clarke ‘continues to lead the way in terms of junior counsel at the family Bar’, and Catherine Cowton is ‘a senior junior who you want on your team in all complicated ancillary relief cases’. Other top juniors include the ‘highly intelligent, thoughtful and clear’ Daniel Bentham; Rosemary Budden, who is ‘a tenacious advocate’; the ‘unfailingly responsive, attentive and courteous’ James Ewins; Samantha Singer, who is ‘an extremely bright, tenacious and articulate advocate’; and Alexander Thorpe, who is ‘one of the most impressive advocates at the Bar’.

At 4 Paper Buildings, matrimonial finance group head Jonathan Cohen QC has ‘a calm, reassuring manner that endears him to court and clients alike’. ‘If battle is required’, Michael Sternberg QC is ‘your chosen gladiator’. Recommended juniors include Charles Hale, who is ‘a number-one choice for complicated children cases as well as financial issues’; James Copley, who has ‘a ferocious intellect that impresses his clients and frequently stuns his opposition’; and Judith Murray, who is ‘intelligent and fast thinking, and works well under pressure’.

Also recommended are: Sheena Cassidy at 3PB, who is an ‘extremely intelligent, personable and diligent barrister’; 1 Garden Court Family Law Chambers’ Alexander Chandler, whose ‘fast-rising popularity is a testament to his intellect and superb skills as an advocate’; Michael Glaser at 14 Gray’s Inn Square, who ‘distinguishes himself from his peers in terms of his knowledge, style and level of engagement’; Coram Chambers’ Niki Langridge, who is ‘simply superb, with an excellent client manner’; Maria Scotland at 7 Bedford Row, who is ‘a very effective advocate with excellent drafting skills’; and Gerald Wilson at Tanfield Chambers, who is ‘a brilliant advocate’.

Search News and Articles

Press releases

The latest news direct from law firms. If you would like to submit press releases for your firm, send an email request to

Legal Developments in the UK

Legal Developments and updates from the leading lawyers in each jurisdiction. To contribute, send an email request to

Press Releases in the UK

The latest news direct from law firms. If you would like to submit press releases for your firm, send an email request to
© 2013 www.legal500.com