Nicholas Westley > Harbottle & Lewis LLP > London, England > Lawyer Profile
Harbottle & Lewis LLP Offices
7 Savoy Court
LONDON
WC2R 0EX
England
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Nicholas Westley
Work Department
Family
Position
Nicholas is an experienced family barrister. He previously practised at Queen Elizabeth Building and draws on his experience at the Bar to provide clients with a unique perspective. However, he has been a partner since April 2013.
Nicholas specialises in complex matrimonial matters. He is particularly experienced in protecting family wealth, drafting nuptial agreements and advising in cases involving complex asset-holding structures.
In the last year, Nicholas has represented a wide variety of clients in the public-eye, including: several well-known artists in the music industry and Premier League footballers. Nicholas has also advised the trustees of a Guernsey trust who have been joined as parties to financial remedy proceedings in the High Court. He has advised in relation to multiple pre-nuptial agreements where the assets exceed £100m. Nicholas also just obtained permission to pursue an application under Part III of the Matrimonial and Family Proceedings Act 1984, seeking provision from a husband worth in excess of £100m+.
Stewart Leech QC describes Nicholas as follows:
“He is an exceptionally gifted family lawyer and his experience on both sides of the legal profession gives him the cutting edge. He is easily one of the best, if not the best, of his generation.”
Career
- Pupillage/tenancy at Queen Elizabeth Building: (2005 – 2013)
- Partner/barrister at Lee & Thompson LLP (2013 – 2016)
- Harbottle & Lewis LLP (2016 to date)
Memberships
- The Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn
- Family Law Bar Association
- The Denning Society
Education
- Solihull School (1994–2001)
- Oxford University: First in Law (2001–2004)
- BPP Law School: Bar Vocational Course (2004–2005)
Lawyer Rankings
London > Private client > Family
(Leading individuals)Harbottle & Lewis LLP receives many plaudits for its ‘superb team’, which is led by Catherine Bedford, ‘the Boadicea of the family law world’ who ‘runs chariots through opponents’ defences’. The agile team covers both financial and children work, most often representing ultra-high-net-worth clients. It has substantial expertise in complex children cases involving issues of domestic abuse and coercive control, as well as parental alienation. Nicholas Westley has particular expertise in nuptial and cohabitation agreements, while Mark Irving garners praise for his ‘combination of brains and humanity’. In team news, Lidia Cantele and Alex Ward were promoted to the partnership in June 2022.
Lawyer Rankings
Top Tier Firm Rankings
- Private client > Contentious trusts and probate
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Media: Film & TV
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Media: Media finance
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Media: Theatre, publishing and other media
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Media: Video games
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Reputation management
Firm Rankings
- Private client > Charities and not-for-profit
- Private client > Family
- Corporate and commercial > M&A: Smaller Deals, £10m-£100m
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Media: Advertising & marketing
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Media: Music
- Employment > Senior executives
- Dispute resolution > Commercial litigation: mid-market
- Real estate > Commercial property: corporate occupiers
- Employment > Immigration
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Intellectual property: trade marks, copyright and design
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > IT and telecoms
- Private client > Personal tax, trusts and probate
- Real estate > Residential property
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Sport
- Industry focus > TMT
- Corporate and commercial > Venture capital
- Industry focus > Hospitality and leisure
- Industry focus > Retail and consumer
- Risk advisory > Data protection, privacy and cybersecurity
- Employment > Employers