Private client
Withers LLP’s ‘top tier experienced family lawyers’ are ready to advise on all aspects of family law. Suzanne Todd, Head of Family Europe at the firm, is the ’go-to for financially complex mediations’. Fluent in Italian, she also brings a niche wealth of experience in divorces based in Italy. Claire Blakemore undertakes traditional and enhanced mediation, bringing ‘energy and drive to her practice’. Diana Parker works with a wide variety of clients to provide her expertise on divorce and family issues.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Profile
Work Department
Divorce and family team.
Position
Suzanne is one of the most highly accoladed family lawyers of her generation and is President Elect of the International Academy of Family Lawyers.
She has more than 25 years' experience dealing with international financial cases with a special focus on Italy, private international child matters and negotiating multi-jurisdictional nuptial agreements. She regularly deals with family businesses, inherited wealth, tax and pensions issues.
Her communication skills and ability to deal, with empathy with highly charged and emotionally sensitive matters is renowned. Her ruthless efficiency and contagious energy is universally recognised alongside her premier levels of client service. She always provides comprehensive strategic guidance from the outset but with an eye on the commercial reality of the situation. She is a practising Mediator and collaborative lawyer and lectures internationally on family law matters.
Suzanne is fluent in Italian and well known for her Anglo Italian practice.
Client: 'she has the right balance of sympathy for my situation combined with a razor sharp legal brain but a calm and non-confrontational approach to the negotiations with an obvious will to win'.
Languages
English, Italian
Memberships
IAFL, Fellow;
British Italian Law Association;
Liveryman - Worshipful Company of Solicitors; and
IWF (UK).
Content supplied by Withers LLP
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Suzanne Todd is my go-to for financially complex mediations. She has a unique blend of warmth, authority and efficiency. She has the top-tier backup of the Withers team and their wider whole-service offering.'
'The team is now really stepping into creative away-from-court settlements and is building an enthusiastic movement around them through regular briefings and meetings to share best practices.’‘Withers has a dedicated practice which aims to resolve matters via non-court-based options, and it is a core part of their offering. As a full-service firm, they are able to draw on the expertise of colleagues in other practice areas to ensure no case is too complex for them to grapple with for their clients.’
‘Suzanne Todd is a class act. She works hard to manage the dynamics in the room, bringing her years of experience into play for the benefit of both parties. Not afraid to share her views in an entirely appropriate way, she can crack the hardest cases.'
'Claire Blakemore brings energy and drive to her practice, fighting hard for her clients and to resolve mediations alike, to great effect.'‘Withers has long been known as one of London's leading family law firms. They now place a lot of emphasis on mediation and other forms of NCDR.’
‘Adele Pledger is a leader of her generation: she is extremely dynamic, and brings to the mediation space the skills she has honed as a leading family lawyer.’
‘Withers are top-tier experienced family lawyers in the HNW and UHNW sphere.’
‘Suzanne Todd is an excellent, pragmatic, fair-minded and thoroughly top drawer mediator who can handle any difficult situation with ease.’