4PB

Overview

Bibi Badejo is recognised by peers and clients alike for her calm yet commanding courtroom presence, Bibi is described as ‘a compelling advocate with a serene demeanour’ by the Legal 500 (2025). Her clients value her ‘robust but sensitive approach,’ especially when representing vulnerable individuals, with one solicitor noting that she ‘has a very lovely human touch to her style’ and ‘clients think very highly of her.’ Bibi’s forensic attention to detail, combined with her negotiation and legal expertise, makes her a standout in complex and emotionally charged cases.

Bibi appears in cases covering a wide range of challenging and sensitive matters, including non-accidental injuries, fabricated or induced illness, and sexual and physical abuse. She regularly acts for local authorities, parents, children’s guardians, and family members in intricate family law cases. Her meticulous preparation, strategic witness handling, and ability to navigate complex expert evidence make her formidable in both public and private law matters. Her skills and dedication to her clients were recognised early in her career when she was nominated and shortlisted for Young Legal Aid Barrister of the Year at the Legal Aid Lawyers Awards in 2012 for her impactful work with Greenwich Housing Rights. Her volunteer work as a McKenzie Friend for a domestic violence charity also instilled a deep empathy for vulnerable clients, informing her current practice.

In addition to her courtroom work, she is also highly trained, having completed extensive advocacy training programmes in England, the United States and Australia. Additionally, Bibi has completed specialised training in Forensic Medical Science, enhancing her ability to manage expert evidence in complex cases. Bibi is a recognised leader in advocacy training nationally and internationally: she is an accredited advocacy trainer at Inner Temple (teacher trainer level) and is the Criminal Course Director of the 2025 Keble Dutton Course. As the founder of The Advocacy Coach, she has trained trial lawyers from over 20 countries, delivering workshops and online courses aimed at enhancing their courtroom skills. Her internationally acclaimed The Advocacy Podcast provides practical advice for experienced trial lawyers, with over 200,000 downloads in more than 150 countries. Bibi’s ability to translate her courtroom experience into accessible and engaging training makes her a sought-after advocate and trainer.

She has delivered training all over the world including:

• General Council of the Bar of South Africa: Potential Course Convenors,  Drakensburg, South Africa (2024)
• Arbitration Summer Retreat 2024, Hamburg, Germany
• Office of the Director of Public Prosecution, Jamaica (2024)
• Sierra Leone Bar Association and Inns of Court College of Advocacy: Teacher Training (2024) and  Advocacy Training (2023), Freetown, Sierra Leone (supported by A4ID (Role UK) and UK Aid)
• Australian Bar Association: 2023 Advanced Advocacy Course, Sydney, Australia
• Bridging the Bar, England – annual online course and live advocacy training (2022 to present)

Talks and Webinars 

• How to lose a Family Hearing, Family Law Week, April 2023 | ~Webinar
• Elevating Your Profile and Earnings as a Barrister, Black Counsel Forum, September 2023 | Panellist
• Faculty of Advocates Criminal Bar Association Conference (November 2023) | Speaker
• Nuffield Family Justice Observatory webinar:  New Research on ethnic disparities in Care Proceedings, June 2023 | Panellist
• Advanced Cross-Examination From Three Views – There is No One Way, Colorado Trial Lawyers Association, September 2022 | Speaker

Podcasts 

• The Advocacy Podcast
• The Hearing podcast: ep. 160, Bibi Badejo (The Advocacy Coach)
• Talking with: The FLBA Podcast (May 2021) 

Professional Memberships

• The Honourable Society of Inner Temple
• Family Law Bar Association
• Court of Protection Bar Association
• South Eastern Circuit

Private Children Law

In her private law practice, Bibi is frequently instructed in high-conflict disputes involving serious allegations, including coercive control, emotional harm, and allegations of abuse. Her cases often require separate fact-finding hearings, and she is adept at navigating contested expert evidence and handling vulnerable witnesses with care and precision.

She regularly represents both parents and children in complex child arrangement matters, including internal relocation, implacable hostility, and disputes involving medical treatment, education, and identity. Bibi brings a thoughtful courtroom presence and careful attention to detail to each case, ensuring that her advocacy is both strategic and persuasive.

With a strong grounding in public law, Bibi is well equipped to deal with private law cases that demand rigorous analysis and confident case management. Her calm authority and clarity under pressure make her effective in emotionally charged proceedings.

Public Children Law

Bibi has considerable experience in public law proceedings, representing clients across the full spectrum of care cases. Her practice covers complex matters from emergency protection through to placement orders, working diligently to provide effective representation at all stages of care proceedings.

She has been involved in several reported cases including Re G & H (Children: Placement for Adoption) [2023] EWFC 31 and The London Borough of Havering v A Mother & Others [2023] EWFC 65. Her work in Re P, H-L (Children) (Mobile Phone Extraction) [2023] EWCA Civ 206 involved emerging legal issues, while A (Fact-Finding – multiple bruising), Re [2021] EWFC B88 required careful handling of complex fact-finding proceedings involving non-accidental injuries.

Bibi’s thorough preparation, careful approach to cross-examination, and ability to present complex medical evidence clearly serve her clients well, whether they are local authorities, parents, guardians, or extended family members in sensitive child protection matters.

Court of Protection

Bibi has experience representing parties in Court of Protection proceedings, including matters concerning capacity, best interests, and deprivation of liberty. She has acted for family members, local authorities, and the Official Solicitor.

Publications/Training

• Advocacy Dos and Don’t for Family Lawyers, Resolution, Nov/Dec 2022 | 01st Nov 2022
  Click here to read the full article.
• 30 years of Keble: A legacy in Advocacy | November 2023 | 13th Nov 2023
  Click here to read the full article.
• The Advocacy Podcast | 01st Jul 2022
  (July 2022), article available via Counsel Magazine
  The Advocacy Podcast, at https://www.theadvocacypodcast.com
• What the Bar can learn from 12 trial lawyers | 25th Jun 2021
  (June 2021) article available via Counsel Magazine
  The Advocacy Podcast, at https://www.theadvocacypodcast.com
• Bibi Badejo Interviews Barbara Mills KC – Family Affairs Magazine | 02nd Aug 2024
  Bibi Badejo had the privilege of interviewing Barbara Mills KC for Family Affairs Magazine, Summer 2024 edition.
  Click the member link below to access the full article!
  https://www.flba.co.uk/publications/family-affairs/#
• Black women at the Bar: challenges faced and a fairer future | 19th Feb 2024
  Bibi Badejo wrote the cover article for February’s Counsel Magazine edition. The article explores the experiences of Black women barristers at the Bar, and she provides practical advice for Black women navigating
  the legal profession.
  Find the full article at: CounselMagazine.co.uk