4PB

Private Children Law; Public Children Law; International Children Law; Non-court dispute resolution

Overview

Shortlisted as 2024 Family Law Silk of the Year at the Legal 500 Awards and 2024 Family Law KC of the Year at the Family Law Awards and consistently ranked in the top tier for children law by the Legal 500, Piers is considered one of the foremost children law barristers in the country.

He practises exclusively in the field of children law, undertaking significant and complex cases at first instance and appellate level.

He has a predominantly private children law practice and is particularly well-known for his expertise in relocation cases (international and domestic) and in disputes over child arrangements and related issues (including those involving allegations of domestic abuse and alienating behaviours).

In the public children law field, Piers has vast experience of undertaking cases entailing allegations of the most serious physical, sexual or emotional abuse. His practice also includes cross-border abduction and jurisdictional disputes.

Piers is typically brought in from the outset of cases to strategise and run them from start to finish. He regularly acts for high-profile, UHNW and HNW individuals and his recent clients have included leading figures from the worlds of sport, business, finance and entertainment.

Piers has appeared in numerous reported cases and has for almost 20 years been recommended for children law by the major guides to the legal profession. A former co-chair of the Association of Lawyers for Children, he co-authors the leading practitioner work, Dictionary of Private Children Law, published annually. He took silk in 2010, joined 4PB in 2021 and is head of the 4PB Private Children Law Group.

Publications/Training

Private children law developments for the 2025 Resolution National Conference.

Co-author, Dictionary of Private Children Law (Class Legal, annual).
Revised and updated the ‘Children and Young Persons’ volumes of Halsbury’s Laws of England (5th edition, 2012).
Co-author, The Public Law Outline: The Court Companion (Family Law, 2008).
Co-author, Contact: The New Deal (Family Law, 2006).
Contributor to Family Law journal and Family Law Week.

Regular lecturer on children law topics – most recently on private children law developments for the 2025 Resolution National Conference, implacable hostility and serial non-compliance for the 2024 White Paper Children Law Conference, relocation for the 2024 Family Law Week Children Law Conference and challenging section 7 reports for the 2024 4PB Private Children Law Seminar.

Interviews on children law and practice to The Times, The Observer, The Independent, BBC and Sky News.

Awards

Shortlisted – Family Law Silk of the Year (Legal 500 Awards 2024) Shortlisted – Family Law KC of the Year (Family Law Awards 2024) Astbury Scholar – Middle Temple Hutton Prizewinner – St John’s College, Cambridge

Appointments

Co-chair, Association of Lawyers for Children, 2008-2010 National Family Justice Board, 2008-2010 President, Cambridge Union, 1988

Professional Memberships

Association of Lawyers for Children FLBA

Education & Qualifications

St John’s College, Cambridge (MA) Inns of Court School of Law

Family, football, food and film.