Vardags

Liz Barrett is an Associate in the Family Law department at Vardags, advising on the full spectrum of private family law matters. She is prized for her strategic thinking, meticulous attention to detail, holistic and empathetic approach to client care. Legal 500 has described her as “very hardworking and conscientious, and it pays significant dividends". Liz’s clients include high-profile and high-net-worth business owners, sports personalities, landowners, royalty, entrepreneurs, and their spouses, acting for them in highly complex and emotionally charged disputes. While she is based in London, she has clients world-wide and regularly provides strategic English law advice on overseas family law issues. Her practice includes divorce and dissolution of civil partnerships; jurisdictional disputes and international family law issues; financial remedy proceedings, including unmarried parents, cases involving trusts, offshore assets, and opaque company structures; private law children matters, including safeguarding and relocation; surrogacy, adoption, and modern family issues; and drafting and advising on UK and overseas pre- and post-nuptial agreements, and cohabitation disputes.

Dr Stephen Bence is the CEO at Vardags (non lawyer). Stephen is also an expert in financial forensics, having previously contributed his financial expertise to some of the biggest family law cases running through the English courts. Within the remit of financial forensics, Stephen works alongside Vardags’ lawyers to provide integrated financial and commercial advice throughout the proceedings.

Lucy Bolton is a Partner at Vardags, based in the Manchester office. Lucy practices in both financial and children matters, leading the children offering for the regional offices. She is also the firm’s national Training Principal, overseeing the development and pastoral care of trainee lawyers. Lucy’s practice focuses on complex divorce and children matters for HNW individuals, including jurisdictional disputes, complex business structures, arguments around non-marital assets, serious allegations of harm and parental alienation and international child relocation cases. Lucy also regularly advises on and drafts Pre and Post Nuptial Agreements. Lucy has been praised as “an outstanding family lawyer” who possesses “vast experience well beyond her years.” Clients and counsel alike commend her for her “excellent judgment,” describing her as “a brilliant tactician and a warm presence” and “simply a breath of fresh air to work with.” Her down-to-earth approach and ability to navigate the most complex cases with clarity and warmth make her a trusted advisor in high-stakes family law matters.

Annemarie Bradley

Annemarie joined Vardags Manchester office when it opened its doors in 2016. She was appointed to the Partnership in January 2021. She advises on cases with complex financial settlements, cohabitation issues as well as private children law proceedings.

Nikki Corrie is a Senior Associate at Vardags, specialising in high-value and complex family law matters. With over a decade of exclusive experience in family law, Nikki is known for her forensic mind, exceptional recall, and strategic thinking. She has been described as “a partner in the making”, “a tremendous talent” and an “absolutely exceptional legal brain”. Nikki’s robust practice includes advising HNW clients on financial remedies following divorce or civil partnership dissolution, interim financial matters including maintenance and legal funding, children matters including contested national and international relocation, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, and jurisdictional disputes. She handles numerous substantial money cases, and assets of c. £15m are now the norm for her. Nikki’s global client base includes individuals in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, often involving complex business interests, trusts, and pre-marital wealth. She is also commended on her client care skills, being described as “exceptionally efficient and reliable” with “interpersonal skills off the chart” and having clients who “adore her”.

Gareth Curtis is a Partner at Vardags, specialising in complex family law matters for HNW and UHNW individuals. Praised for his “fine legal brain” and “articulate, patient, knowledgeable” approach, Gareth’s practice spans the full spectrum of family law, with particular expertise in financial remedy proceedings, frequently dealing with issues arising from the valuation of businesses, Trusts, complex compensation (income) packages and pension funds. Gareth also has extensive experience in dealing with Schedule 1 claims, and cases involving intricate trust and offshore structures. Gareth has experience in highly contentious children cases. Gareth is qualified as an Arbitrator in financial remedy proceedings. His strategic insight and empathetic client care have earned him a reputation for delivering “reassuringly realistic, pragmatic” advice with a commercial edge. Gareth’s reported cases include FB v PS [2015] 2797, an important and oft relied upon authority supporting the principle that the value in the former matrimonial home whilst matrimonial does not mean a Court is bound to divide that value equally in all circumstances. Gareth has a broad geographical practice, with clients based across the UK, and internationally based in the USA and middle east.

Imogen Fallon is an Assistant Solicitor in the Children Team at Vardags, working under the leadership of Caroline Korah. She advises on a wide range of private children law matters, including Child Arrangements Orders (lives with, spends time with), parenting arrangements, international child abduction, internal relocation, moving abroad and leave to remove applications. Imogen regularly works on cases involving safeguarding issues, child protection and complex family dynamics. Known for her intellectual rigour and empathetic approach, Imogen brings a calm, strategic presence to emotionally charged disputes involving children.

Rebecca Fenner is a Senior Associate in Vardags’ Cambridge office, with a strong reputation as an “empathetic” and “excellent” family lawyer in the local and national legal community. She has been instrumental in the growth of Vardags presence and renown as one of the leading Family law teams within East Anglia. Legal 500 recognises Rebecca as a practitioner who is ‘tenacious’ yet approachable and who “goes the extra mile for her clients” working together with her team to provide a “first class service”. Rebecca specialises in complex matrimonial finance cases. She is frequently instructed to deal with cases involving matrimonial and non-matrimonial property, complex business structures, foreign assets including pension and share schemes, and large property portfolios, in the UK and internationally. She is also renowned for her children law expertise, with a caseload including international relocation and child abduction and complex educational and medical disputes and schedule 1 applications.

Emma Gill is the Managing Partner of Vardags, overseeing the firm nationally following her appointment in April 2025. Emma specialises in complex matrimonial finance cases, frequently dealing with issues arising from share valuations, option schemes, trusts, foreign properties and pension funds. Emma also acts in financial claims for unmarried partners and is experienced in children matters, often advising on child contact arrangements and relocation within the UK and overseas. Emma’s tough, pragmatic, but sensitive approach has earned her regular recommendations in legal directories since 2009. Legal 500 has previously described her as ‘quite simply the best matrimonial lawyer in the North’ and ‘a very formidable opponent in the big cases’. In addition to the many cases Emma has handled discreetly and outside the public eye, one of her recent reported judgments, ON v ON [2024] EWFC 379, stands out as a landmark decision. It marked the first-ever application to set aside an arbitral award in family law. With no established procedure under the Family Procedure Rules, Emma devised a new procedural framework herself, which was subsequently approved and adopted by the judge. The case set a precedent and showcased Emma’s innovative legal thinking and leadership in uncharted territory. Accustomed to high-profile cases, Emma’s clients include CEOs of multi-million pound companies, footballers and their spouses, entrepreneurs and business owners. She has a broad geographical practice with clients based in the North West and North East of England but also the Midlands, Shropshire, Wales and London.

Ellie Hagan is an Associate at Vardags, specialising in complex family and divorce matters, often with international dimensions. She is known for her personable, responsive, and attentive approach, expertly balancing intricate legal analysis with clear, client-focused communication. Ellie advises on high-value financial disputes involving companies, asset dissipation, valuation conflicts and spousal maintenance. Legal 500 has previously described her as an “outstanding associate” and “meticulous on top of the papers offering continual strong support to the client throughout”. Ellie was the Associate in the significant post-separation endeavour case of GA v EL (No 2) (Post Separation Accrual) [2023] EWFC 206, where a departure from equality in favour of the respondent husband was found to be justified.

Anna Jones is an Associate in Vardags’ Cambridge office, advising on a broad range of family law matters. She is described as a “first-rate solicitor with excellent skills,” and praised for her “thorough and clearly explained” advice. Anna is particularly recognised for her work in children cases and complex financial arrangements, including those involving farming interests, property portfolios, and international assets.

Nicola Jones, Partner at Vardags, specialises in family law with a focus on complex financial remedy and private children matters. With over a decade of exclusive experience in family law, Nicola is known for her calm authority, strategic insight, and unwavering commitment to her clients. She has represented both victims of domestic abuse and those facing serious allegations, earning praise for her balanced and empathetic approach.

Jemima Kearney is an Associate at Vardags, advising on all aspects of private family law. She is known for her meticulous preparation, strategic clarity, and empathetic client care. Jemima has acted in a number of high-profile and complex cases, including the widely reported Williams v Williams [2024] EWFC 275, where she played a key role in securing a series of robust court orders against a non-compliant spouse in a high-value financial remedy dispute.

Kate Kempster, Senior Associate, is widely recognised for her meticulous preparation, strategic insight, and compassionate client care. Kate has built a strong reputation for handling complex financial and children matters, particularly those involving vulnerable parties and high-profile individuals. She is praised as “a tenacious champion for her clients” and described as “a star” who possess “an uncanny ability to predict to the last pound the outcome”. Kate’s practice includes high value financial remedy cases involving substantial property and business assets, asset tracing and forensic financial analysis, interim maintenance and legal services orders, and sensitive children matters, including cases involving domestic abuse and relocation. She works closely with Vardags’ in-house financial forensics and reputation teams to deliver a multi-disciplinary approach tailored to each client’s needs.

Caroline, a partner in family law at Vardags, specialises exclusively in family law and most notably on all aspects of children law. Sensitive and tenacious with trilingual capacity, Caroline is well-versed in domestic and international disputes, with particular experience in cross-border disputes. Her expertise spans widely from child arrangements and relocation matters to parental child abduction (Hague and non-Hague), foreign orders, injunctions and protection orders. Coined a ‘rising star’ in her field, Caroline is renowned for her straight-talking, empathetic and unpretentious approach as a lawyer.

David is a Senior Partner at Vardags. With over 35 years of experience at the forefront of the profession, David’s practice comprises a wide ambit of family law issues, namely high net worth and ultra-high net worth divorce and matrimonial finance issues with complex legal, financial and factual disputes and international elements. He also takes a strong interest in non-disclosure and enforcement issues as well as nuptial and cohabitation agreements.

Alex is a Partner and head of Reputation & Privacy at Vardags. She regularly acts for individuals and companies in times of crisis, helping clients manage complex problems sensitively and discreetly. With particular expertise in pre- and post-publication and broadcast issues in libel and bribery, she has worked to defend clients against national newspapers, websites, blog sites, and social media. Alex has also advised extensively on threats from non-media sources such as disgruntled employees.

Simon, Senior Partner at Vardags, specialises in the top end of high net worth divorce. He has particular expertise in managing ultra-high net worth cases involving very complex financial issues and cross-jurisdictional disputes. He has the expertise and command of both broad lines and forensic detail to be in complete command of his multi-billion pound cases. Simon also deals with separation and cohabitation disputes and private children law proceedings, including international relocation. Simon has great experience in representing individuals or their partners from the venture capital, hedge fund, City, banking, entertainment and sporting sectors, and leading entrepreneurs. He has particular expertise in handling the sensitivities around celebrity cases. As a trained collaborative lawyer, he is able to settle cases through conciliatory negotiation as well as through tough litigation.

Gregory Monk is a Senior Associate at Vardags, advising individuals, families, and businesses on complex civil litigation, private client matters including contentious probate, and reputation and privacy law and issues. He is recognised for his strategic insight, commercial awareness, and calm authority in high-stakes disputes. Gregory regularly acts for clients before the English High Court, Court of Appeal, and has worked on cases before the Supreme Court. Gregory’s practice spans a wide range of contentious work. He has acted in substantial commercial and contractual disputes involving international enforcement proceedings, complex questions of sovereign immunity, and challenges to arbitral awards. He has gained particular experience working with clients and advisors and advising on high-value claims involving issues of jurisdiction, state entities, and cross-border asset recovery. In the reputation and media field, Gregory has worked on pre-publication and post-publication issues for prominent individuals and businesses. This includes advising on urgent applications for injunctions to protect clients’ commercial interests and privacy rights, as well as in cases of undercover reporters, and on cases requiring swift coordination between legal and media strategies and advisors. He also guides individuals and organisations on managing reputational risks arising from press coverage and publicity. Gregory has handled intricate shareholder and corporate governance disputes, including matters involving allegations of breach of fiduciary duty and board-level conflicts. His experience also includes disputes in the art and luxury asset market, addressing questions of title, authenticity, and contractual performance between collectors, investors, and auction houses. He has successfully issued and served claims on sovereign states and has experience managing multi-jurisdictional proceedings involving sensitive diplomatic and commercial issues. His work frequently involves the intersection of legal, political, and reputational considerations — advising clients through complex disputes that attract significant public or regulatory scrutiny.

Amie Pine is a Partner at Vardags, advising on the full spectrum of family law issues, with particular expertise in complex financial matters and children cases. Amie’s practice includes high-value divorce and financial remedy cases involving business assets and farming interests, complex children matters including relocation and safeguarding issues, cases involving serious allegations and vulnerable parties, and strategic litigation and negotiation in emotionally charged disputes. Known as a “ferocious advocate”, Amie is celebrated for her honest, empathetic approach and tireless dedication to her clients, who have praised her for giving them “hope in humanity” and doing “more than just a job”.

Alanah Tannous is a Senior Associate in Vardags’ Reputation and Privacy department, advising high-profile and high net worth clients in sensitive legal matters including defamation, blackmail, and reputational risk. Known for her fierce dedication and strategic precision, Alanah has acted for senior executives, politicians, celebrities, athletes, and cosmetic surgeons. Her practice spans both UK and Australian jurisdictions, and she is recognised for securing high-stakes outcomes in complex, sensitive disputes.

Ayesha Vardag, Founder and President of Vardags and ‘Britain’s top divorce lawyer’, is known for her ground-breaking family law practice. As the go-to divorce lawyer for ultra-high net worth clients with the most challenging cases, her work often involves complex financial matters, international jurisdictions and other sensitivities surrounding high profile individuals, including managing the press. With an impressive track record of major victories in the English courts, Ayesha is well established as a leader in the field of family law. She is one of the few lawyers called upon to advise heads of state, both on English and international law, and has been involved in many of the cases that have formed the landscape of divorce law in our times.