4PB

4PB garners praise for being ‘the best set for children law specialists’. The team is very highly regarded for its expertise in handling a wide spectrum of private, public, and international children law matters. The set is home to Barbara Mills KC, who was elected Chair of the Bar Council of England and Wales 2025 in January 2025, and has extensive experience in handling complex cases involving allegations of serious injuries and parental alienation; she sits as joint head of chambers with Charles Hale KC, ‘a true star of the profession’. The ’formidable’ Jo Delahunty KC is ‘a force of nature’, with an excellent track record in handling complex cases involving the deaths of children, allegations of serious injuries and fabricated or induced illnesses, to name a few areas of instruction. Among the juniors, the ’robust’ Justine Johnson is regularly instructed in proceeding concerning applications to remove children from the jurisdiction, and the ‘pragmatic’ Sally Bradley acts on complex cases concerning adoption, relocation, and alleged physical, sexual and emotional abuse. In recent developments, Jacqueline Renton KC was elevated to silk in March 2025, and Bibi Badejo and Imogen Mellor joined the team in June 2025. Alex Verdan KC joined the employed Bar with partnership at Stewarts Law LLP, where he leads the firm’s child law team.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

'The service in the clerk's room is first rate. Michael Reeves operates a tight ship.'
'Michael Reeves is the most superb of clerks. He knows what his solicitors need and always works hard to ensure that the clients needs are met. Paul Hennessey is friendly, efficient and really excellent. Both are ably supported by Kenny Martin, Jamie Byrne, and Denise Fallon.'

Lawyers

Leading Silks

KCs at the very top of their field, with a long-established record of market-defining cases, and widespread endorsement from clients and peers. All silks appointed in the last two rounds are listed further below.

Jo Delahunty KC

‘Jo is a tour de force. She prepares for her cases with exceptional skill and rigour. An incredibly powerful KC.'

Deirdre Fottrell KC

‘Deirdre is in a league of her own. Her advocacy is masterful, her position statements are a work of art and her ability to talk a judge round and read a room is unmatched.’

Charles Hale KC

‘Charles is in a league of his own. He is an exceptionally persuasive advocate who can champion a client's cause with conviction and force. His incisive intellect and strategic clarity ensure that he is always several steps ahead in even the most complex and emotionally charged cases.'

Piers Pressdee KC

‘Piers is one of the finest advocates in the field of children law and his advocacy is clear, persuasive, and compelling, marked by a calm authority that reassures both clients and judges alike. He is unfailingly well-prepared, meticulous in his case management, and demonstrates an exceptional grasp of legal nuance.’

Henry Setright KC

He is able to refer to cases in depth from recall on his feet, and is both fluent and persuasive.’

Joy Brereton KC

'A titan at trial in complex or high-conflict cases. She is at the absolute top of her game.'

Alison Grief KC

‘Alison is an absolute star practitioner.'

Teertha Gupta KC

‘One of the best lawyers of his generation.’

Christopher Hames KC

‘Christopher has a tremendous ability to get to the very heart of the issue in a case. He is always extremely well prepared, and his advocacy is authoritative. Clients love his empathy.'

Sam King KC

'Sam possesses an intellect of the first water combined with empathy and humour.'

Cyrus Larizadeh KC

‘Cyrus is a master tactician and advocate, astute in his judgement and able to present a case with appropriate steel or empathy where required.'

Cleo Perry KC

‘Cleo is a master of her brief. An outstanding leader who instinctively knows what judges are looking for.'

Catherine Wood KC

‘One of the very best at the family Bar for children law work. Her advocacy is vastly skilled, smoothly persuasive and delivered with an incredibly human touch that wins over even the most antagonistic of judges.’

Kate Branigan KC

'Kate is remarkable in drawing together strands of the evidence, seemingly overlooked by others, so she provides a strong and arguable case for her clients. All this is done with a charm and kindness to those she represents.'

Michael Gration KC

‘Michael is in a league of his own when it comes to international child abduction cases. He is very calm and collected and always delivers.'

Barbara Mills KC

‘Barbara is at the top of her game: she is tenacious, intelligent and strategic. She is a powerful and compelling advocate.'

Dorothea Gartland KC

'Dorothea is tenacious, her technical knowledge is superb, and the judges love her.'

Mark Jarman KC

'Mark is a formidable advocate with an encyclopaedic knowledge of international children law. He always provides sound and sensible advice to clients.'

Ruth Kirby KC

‘Her advocacy style is a joy to the courtroom - tenacious, pithy, accurate and sends a chill into the witness.'

Judith Murray KC

‘Judith is an extraordinarily skilled barrister. Clients know she is in their corner, but respect and follow her advice, even when it is not what they were hoping to hear.’

2025 Silks

Jacqueline Renton KC

‘Jacqueline is an unflappable advocate. She commands the attention of the judge and is able to argue any point with skill and precision.'

Leading Juniors

Leading juniors are those with significant experience of key cases, strong market recognition from both peers and clients, and are seen as future candidates for silk.

Justine Johnston

‘Justine is bold and fearless, never afraid to fight her client’s corner hard and to give the difficult advice.’

Sally Bradley

‘Sally is a highly experienced barrister, who is able to pick up the nuances of a case and really absorbs the detail. Her cross-examination is of a very high standard.’

Michael Edwards

‘Michael’s a silk in the making. Nothing fazes him, he can communicate effectively with any client, and there isn’t a judge at any level that doesn’t breathe a sigh of relief when they read that he is appearing before them.'

Rebecca Foulkes

‘Rebecca has impeccable judgement. Her advice is always spot on. She is calm and assured in her dealings with clients and in her advocacy.'

Chris Barnes

‘Chris is a silk in all but name. He has a brain the size of a planet and his advocacy is highly skilled and assured.'

Paul Hepher

‘Paul is a very strong advocate in court. He appears calm, yet is tenacious in his cross-examination and he is always well prepared.’

Brian Jubb

'Brian’s charming and calm manner endears him to professionals, judges and clients alike.'

Andrew Powell

‘Andrew is the go-to guru for international surrogacy matters. Not only is he incredibly knowledgeable, but he goes out of his way to help clients who are in a difficult situation, and he is able to think quickly on his feet.’

Samantha Woodham

Samantha is an impressive advocate, and her judgement is impeccable. She is personable and warm, but very tough when needed, and clients simply adore her.’

Bibi Badejo

Bibi is a spectacular advocate. She articulates her arguments with precision and clarity, and fights tirelessly for her clients’ interests, while remaining approachable, professional, and easy to work with.’

Charlotte Baker

‘Charlotte has a lightness of touch and tremendous empathy.’

Baljinder Bath

'Baljinder is an excellent advocate. Her case preparation and advocacy is faultless, and her cross-examination is some of the best you will ever see.'

Francesca Dowse

‘Francesca is smart and strategically astute, and she really stands out for her emotional intelligence and her clarity of advice. The time she takes with clients mean they feel completely confident in her. Her advocacy is top tier.’

Indu Kumar

‘Indu is ferociously clever and pragmatic, and is at ease dealing with complex international matters. She always takes the lead in a case.’

Chris Stevenson

‘Chris will know a case back to front when preparing, and can always spot things that others miss. His cross-examination is careful, thorough and devastatingly effective.’

Ceri White

‘Ceri is an exceptional barrister. She has incredible attention to detail, is very well prepared, and clients feel in very good and safe hands with her.’

Miriam Best

Miriam demonstrates exceptional emotional intelligence. Her ability to manage and support a distressed client with empathy, patience, and clear communication is particularly impressive, and she remains calm and composed throughout, building trust and providing clear, strategic advice.’

Greg Davies

‘Greg is an exceptional barrister who holds the ear of the court with his logical, thought-out, forensic approach. He is able to take a step back and cut through issues where others are getting bogged down in the minutiae.’

Jonathan Evans

'Jonathan combines a sharp legal mind with a calm, pragmatic style that clients find reassuring and effective. He is responsive, thorough in preparation, and a persuasive advocate.’

Harry Langford

‘Harry is an exceptionally clever and careful advocate. He is always well-prepared, calm and methodical, while being sensitive to the clients’ needs.'

Rhiannon Lloyd

'Rhiannon is a formidable advocate and incredible in terms of formulating a persuasive argument. She can often win a case before walking into the room and her crafting of a position statement is a work of art.'

Laura Morley

‘Laura is genuinely brilliant to work with. She knows when to push home the advantage and when to pull her punches, and she is a fabulous all rounder who can easily hold her own against those more senior.’

Cliona Papazian

‘Cliona is exceptional in her field and her knowledge of international children law is second-to-none. She prepares exceptionally well, she goes the extra mile on every case she is instructed on, and her advocacy is excellent and persuasive.’

Mani Singh Basi

‘Mani is extremely efficient and industrious. He oozes confidence, he is unflappable, and clients adore him because there is no one more reassuring to have on your side.’

Julia Townend

Julia always has a route to resolution at the forefront of her mind. She is committed to each and every case, and clients and tribunals can see and feel that compassion. Her preparation is unrivalled.’

Kate Van Rol

‘Kate is a formidable advocate. She works with empathy and objectivity by giving clients the advice that they need to hear rather than what they want to hear.’

Katie Wood

‘Katie is an exceptionally intelligent and empathetic barrister who brings clarity and compassion to every case. She is a calm and reassuring presence in even the most challenging situations.’

Justin Ageros

‘Justin is a brilliant advocate. He is clear, focused, measured and articulate, and has a calming presence.'

Adele Cameron-Douglas

4PB 'Adele is an excellent advocate, who is able to identify the salient legal issues and advise on complex matters quickly.'

Rachel Chisholm

'Rachel is a very compassionate barrister who is always completely on top of the detail and any complexities. She is extremely generous with her time yet manages to be incredibly efficient with it.'

Sophie Connors

‘Sophie is super bright and committed. She gets to the bottom of the issues quickly and clients love her.’

Charlotte Georges

‘Charlotte is brilliant at quickly getting to grips with a case, and has fantastic client care skills.’

Rosanne Godfrey-Lockwood

‘Rosanne is a strong advocate. She is tenacious in fighting her client’s corner but knows how to appropriately pitch her cases.’

Anita Mehta

‘Anita is a powerful advocate. She is incredibly hard working and on top of all of the detail.’

Harry Nosworthy

'Harry is an exceptional family law barrister and his calm and reassuring demeanour is a standout quality that immediately puts clients at ease.'

Simon Rowbotham

Simon is very sharp, thorough, and incredibly well prepared, but also approachable and grounded, which clients really respond to.’

Emma Spruce

‘Emma has a real knack for handling complex cases with empathy and precision. Her advocacy is top-notch, and she has an incredible ability to navigate difficult situations while ensuring the best outcome for her client and the children involved.’

Rising stars

Rising stars at the Bar are defined as barristers between four and eight years’ call who are seen as up-and-coming members of the Bar in their respective practice areas by clients and peers alike. They will already be instructed in high-profile, complex, and high-value contentious and non-contentious matters, working with and opposite more experienced leading counsel.