Private client
Mills & Reeve LLP fields ‘an impressive team with a number of excellent mediators in London and elsewhere’. The team is headed by ’go-to’ Alison Bull, whose practice spans hybrid mediation, cross-border child abduction mediation, child-inclusive mediation, and arbitration. Joanna Grandfield, head of family and children, is ‘always constructive and a joy to have on any case’. Working across London and Oxford, ‘experienced practitioner’ Tim Whitney is accredited by the Family Mediation Council as an all issues mediator.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Mentions
Profile
Work Department
Family and children
Position
Partner and specialist financial and children lawyer who heads up Mills & Reeve's London family team, Joanna is a trained barrister who is also a mediator and collaborative lawyer.
Joanna’s work involves advising clients both within and outside of the jurisdiction who have complex financial and children issues arising from family breakdown, often involving trusts, business assets and pensions. She works with clients on wealth protection, drafting and advising on pre and post marital agreements.
From a client: “A tremendous asset….Calm, assured, diligent and clearly very knowledgeable, Joanna performed superbly throughout proceedings”
From Counsel: “Brilliant and has a steely determination to do the best for her clients”
From Counsel: “Joanna is clever and charming. Her clients love he. She has a real warmth and sense of humour that disguises her determination to win. She commands a dedicated team and leads by example – fearless hard work
Career
Partner, Barrister (called to the Bar in 2000), mediator and collaborative lawyer. Member of Family Law Bar Association and Resolution
Languages
Conversational French
Memberships
Bar Council, Resolution
Education
Inns of Court School of Law (BVC), City University (CPE) and Keble College, Oxford (Philosophy, Politics & Economics MA)
Content supplied by Mills & Reeve LLP
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Tim Whitney is a very experienced practitioner and his day to day practice as a family lawyer makes him a strong mediator as he has a clear understanding of the law and the approach of the courts. Tim has a very good manner with clients and he is able to cut through tricky issues with a pragmatic and forward thinking approach. At the same time, he makes the parties feel heard.’
‘Joanna Grandfield leads the team and is brilliant. She specialises in money issues. She is clever and totally unflappable but always constructive and a joy to have on any case.'
‘Alison Bull is one of my go-to lawyers whether for collaborative, arbitration, mediation or as a lawyer to partner in a case. She has top scores on the key attributes: hard work and a focus on the client above all, technical ability and judgement, connection to the client and to allied services, and use of knowledge of settlement skills.’
‘An impressive team with a number of excellent mediators in London and elsewhere, like Oxford and Cambridge. Equally good at finance and children work and all the partners are bright, clear and good to deal with. They have strong mediators too and are always in my top three of recommended mediators.’
‘Tim Whitney is the cream of the crop. He handles the most tricky of cases calmly and with gentle authority.'
‘Joanna Grandfield is calm, assured, knowledgeable and very skilled. She is my go-to mediator.’