Hilka Hollmann > Dawson Cornwell LLP > London, England > Lawyer Profile

Dawson Cornwell LLP
11 Staple Inn
LONDON
WC1V 7QH
England

Work Department

Children

Position

Partner known for her expertise in international and domestic adoptions, surrogacy and alternative families, cases involving the relocation and international movement of children, abductions, jurisdictional disputes, and complex care proceedings, often involving cross-border issues, and the most serious allegations of sexual abuse, non-accidental injuries, factitious illness and radicalisation, with concurrent criminal investigations/proceedings.

Career

A former journalist, throughout her legal career, Hilka has practised children and family law, has been involved in many reported and high-profile cases in the High Court and Court of Appeal which have shaped English adoption and surrogacy law. She joined Dawson Cornwell as a partner in February 2023, having previously been a partner and head of department at other prominent firms specialising in children law.

Languages

Fluent in German, conversational French and some Russian.

Memberships

Resolution accredited adoption and child abduction specialist and on the Law Society’s Children Panel; trustee for Children and Families Across Borders (CFAB); member of the Association of Lawyers for Children; Coram BAAF – the British Adoption and Fostering Organisation; the International Bar Association (IBA); the Child Abduction Lawyers’ Association; and Resolution.

Lawyer Rankings

London > Private client > Family

(Next Generation Partners)

Hilka Hollmann – Dawson Cornwell LLP

‘Probably the best specialist family law team in London‘, Dawson Cornwell LLP has ‘an exceptional breadth of talent and skills’, handling international matters, high-value financial disputes, and public children law issues. Russell Bywater heads up the matrimonial department, with particular expertise in international trust matters, while Carolina Marín Pedreño leverages her ‘huge depth of expertise and experience’ to lead the children department. The ‘impossibly cleverSimon Bruce combines high-value international finance work with child custody expertise and experience as a mediator, while Sarah Jane Lenihan is sought after for private law children matters, including those which involve safeguarding concerns. Jessica Reid, also a trained mediator, regularly handles financial cases involving nondisclosure of assets, which is also an area of strength for former commercial litigator Charlotte Conner. International enforcement matters are often handled by Anna Shadbolt, and international children matters are an area of specialism for Forum Shah. Charlotte Image-Flower deals with a range of sensitive public children matters, particularly care proceedings; for adoption, surrogacy and fertility matters, Hilka Hollmann is the go-to name.