Naomi Dorothy Dean > Chambers of Adrian Keeling KC and Jonathan Jones KC > Birmingham, England > Barrister Profile

Naomi Dorothy Dean

Work Department

Family

Position

Barrister, Family, Private Children and Public Children

 

Career

Naomi was called to the Bar in 2016, after having achieved a First Class undergraduate degree in Law from the University of Birmingham.

Children – Public Law
Naomi has developed an extremely busy children law practice over the past few years, in both private and public law. She is frequently instructed on multi-day fact finds and final hearings. She is recognised by her peers and instructing solicitors as a star of the future. Naomi is frequently applauded for her attention to detail in cases, which means that every case she prepares is to the highest standard. She has exceptional interpersonal skills and is recognised as an outstanding advocate.

Naomi has built up a strong practice representing the local authority in complex public law proceedings and is highly regarded by her peers, judges and instructing solicitors in this area.

Naomi regularly appears in the High Court in public law cases, and has been successful in arguing the issue of designation at this level.

For example, within the last twelve months she has been instructed on cases involving the following issues: cases where the parents lack capacity and the Official Solicitor has been instructed; cases involving serious allegations of non-accidental injuries to a child; cases where fabricated illness has been a live issue before the Court; finding of fact hearings involving allegations of sexual abuse of a child; and cases involving deprivation of liberty safeguards in respect of children.

Naomi has also built up a strong parent practice within public law proceedings, alongside her local authority practice. She has represented parents with significant learning disabilities at final and interim hearings. In a recent multi-day final hearing she challenged the local authority extensively about the lack of support they had provided to her client, referring in detail to the case law and regulations and criticising the local authority for not exercising their duties in accordance with the law and regulations. She was recognised by the judge for her “painstaking analysis” of the case and that her client could not have been “better represented”, which was recorded within the written judgment.

Naomi has also been instructed on a 10-day final hearing for the local authority in a complex private law matter involving jurisdictional elements.

Naomi wishes to progress her public law work further and has a particular interest in developing her practice in cases involving medical evidence and NAIs.

Children – Private Law
Naomi is very experienced in private children cases. She is experienced in acting for parents, children, and members of the extended family in all aspects of private-law disputes. Naomi prides herself on her ability to build a strong rapport with clients from the outset; giving straightforward and practical advice to help the situation that the individual family member finds themselves in.

Naomi has recently been instructed in cases with issues including the following issues:

– Parental alienation

– Sexual and physical abuse of the child and/or the parent

– Transfer of living arrangements

– International and national relocation

– Serious psychiatric and psychological issues where experts have been cross-examined and challenged

Recommendations

“Naomi is always fully prepared and builds a strong rapport with the client from the outset. Her approachable manner immediately puts clients. She is robust but fair and not afraid to challenge an unfair decision or an unreasonable opponent. She delivers sensible advice and thinks of solutions “out of the box” to obtain the very best outcome for her clients
Legal 500 2023

“conscientious, thorough, and well organised.”
Legal 500 2023

“Kind and compassionate towards her clients. Excellent drafting skills. Always well prepared. Approachable. Excellent after care, she will always give advice on the next steps, and a clear note on what happened at a hearing.
Legal 500 2022

Memberships

Family Law Bar Association member

West Midlands FLBA

Gray’s Inn

The Midland Circuit

Women in Family Law

Naomi is a mentor at Gray’s Inn and regularly provides training to students, which comprises the following: she reads over pupillage applications; she judges advocacy exercises and mooting competitions for the Inn and on circuit; she has attended pupillage advice evenings whereby she has provided intensive advice to prospective candidates.

Education

Naomi was called to the Bar in 2016, after having achieved a First Class undergraduate degree in Law from the University of Birmingham.

BPTC University of Law

During pupillage, Naomi was recognised as being an outstanding pupil barrister and was awarded the Ann Goddard Scholarship for publicly funded pupillages (Gray’s Inn, 2017). This is a highly prestigious scholarship which was awarded to her after a competitive interview and application process.

Lord Justice Holker Scholarship, Gray’s Inn, 2015

University of Law Performance Award for the BPTC, 2015

University of Law Wig Scholarship, 2016

Lady Barber Prize for Mooting, University of Birmingham, 2015

Runner-up in the Camm Cup Mooting Competition, 2015

Personal

Naomi spends a lot of her spare time volunteering, assisting both the Midland Circuit and Gray’s Inn with the training of students in advocacy.

 

 

Leisure

Naomi is a keen athlete: she enjoys running, netball and athletics in the little spare time she has when she isn’t caring for her young son. She is also a keen musician, and enjoys playing piano to her son (a lot more than he seems to enjoy it)!