Family: children and domestic abuse

Leading Silks
2025 Silks
2024 Silks

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.

Andrew Bagchi KC

1GC | Family Law

‘Andrew's advocacy is exceptional in dealing with complex and challenging cases and with vulnerable clients. He is able to work under sustained pressure and as part of a team.'

Janet Bazley KC

1GC | Family Law

‘Janet's judgement and experience are unparalleled, and she can navigate the most difficult and sensitive of cases with precision and empathy. She can inherently read a room.'

Barbara Connolly KC

significant experience is a real strength as she has encountered every issue in her career and is therefore unfazed by the unexpected.'

Jo Delahunty KC

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

Edward Devereux KC

Harcourt Chambers

‘Edward is a true specialist with phenomenal experience, his cross-examination is first-class and clients trust him.’

Deborah Eaton KC

1 King’s Bench Walk

‘Deborah is a phenomenal court room performer, a brilliant cross-examiner, and her client care skills are unmatched.’

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 Geekie KC

1GC | Family Law

‘Charles is an absolutely superb advocate, and his cross-examination is devastating. He is strategic, wise and has a lovely manner with clients.’

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.'

Hannah Markham KC

‘Hannah’s style of advocacy is powerful: she draws in the room and continuously seeks to make sure the judge is with her.'

Andrew Norton KC

1GC | Family Law

‘Andrew is a silk of exceptional skill and ability. He is the epitome of a steel fist in a velvet glove. He is utterly devastating in cross-examination.'

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.’

29 Bedford Row Chambers

Paul has an incredibly in-depth knowledge of the medical issues. A leader of leaders. His forensic abilities are beyond description.’

extremely intelligent and a formidable advocate.'

William Tyler KC

William has the ability to make the most unreasonable of litigants realise they should listen to him and follow his advice. A masterful advocate.'

Joy Brereton KC

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

42BR Barristers

Tina is exceptional. She has the ear of the court and judges visibly relax when she is in the court room, knowing she will cover everything they need to be addressed.’

Nkumbe Ekaney KC

1GC | Family Law

‘Nkumbe is a tour de force - a charming advocate whose advocacy is clear, precise and to the point.'

Frank Feehan KC

1 King’s Bench Walk

‘Frank is excellent. He always provides sage advice, and he is a very strong advocate.’

Nick Goodwin KC

Harcourt Chambers

‘Nick is a leader in his field. His capacity to shift through gears and adapt his style makes him a devastating advocate.'

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.'

Charles Howard KC

1 King’s Bench Walk

‘Charles is a tenacious litigator and a brilliant strategist. He is prodigiously clever.’

'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.'

Anna McKenna KC

1 King’s Bench Walk

‘Anna is meticulous in her preparation. She has an approachable manner with clients and a knack for putting them at ease.’

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

1GC | Family Law

‘Sally is one of the best silks there is. She is exceptionally hard-working, and masters the issues at hand effortlessly.'

Francesca Wiley KC

1 Crown Office Row

‘Francesca is all-round brilliant. Her cross-examination style is searingly good, and clients love her warmth. She inspires total confidence.’

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.'

Richard Anelay KC

1 King’s Bench Walk

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.'

Laura Briggs KC

1GC | Family Law

'Impeccably prepared, tactically astute and dogged in the pursuit of her clients' cases.'

Denise Gilling KC

1GC | Family Law

‘Denise is an exceptional advocate with a commanding presence in court. Her strengths lie in her meticulous case preparation, incisive legal analysis, and her ability to navigate complex and novel points of law with clarity and confidence.’

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.'

Rachel Langdale KC

‘Rachel is a trail-blazer of a silk. She is a leader who brings a deeply forensic approach to every case while never losing sight of the bigger picture.’

Barbara Mills KC

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

1GC | Family Law

Allison Munroe KC

Garden Court Chambers

‘Allison is passionate, and her clients benefit from her expertise and tenacity.’

‘Tim is a persuasive advocate. He can make anybody, from judges to clients, feel like he agrees with them.'

Jonathan Sampson KC

Harcourt Chambers

‘Jonathan is a truly cerebral silk. His advocacy is measured, persistent, persuasive and always utterly authoritative.’

Nicholas Stonor KC

‘Nicholas is an outstanding barrister who is utterly persuasive in court and always has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the case papers.’

Gemma Taylor KC

42BR Barristers

‘Gemma is impressively calm in the heat and fire of a court room, and her cross-examination of particularly vulnerable witnesses sets her apart.’

Harcourt Chambers

Amanda Weston KC

Garden Court Chambers

Shiva Ancliffe KC

Shiva is an excellent advocate with a great courtroom presence and authority.’

Gemma Farrington KC

‘Gemma is an outstanding barrister: she is exceptionally strategic, her courtroom presence is calm and poised, and her submissions and cross-examination are sharp and impressive.’

Dorothea Gartland KC

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

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

Jaqueline Julyan SC

5 St Andrews Hill

‘She is extremely knowledgeable, is able to identify the critical issues, and is always well prepared.’

Martin Kingerley KC

Martin is a smooth operator. He has a natural way of putting clients at ease. Judges respect him.'

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

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Louise MacLynn KC

1GC | Family Law

‘Louise is a ruthless advocate who fights fiercely for her clients. A stellar lawyer.'

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.'

‘Lucy is an excellent barrister. Her knowledge is second-to-none, she is incredibly dedicated, and leaves no stone unturned in the pursuit of her client’s case.’

Brendan Roche KC

Brendan is a first rate silk who cuts through the noise. A high-quality cross-examiner.'

Harcourt Chambers

‘John gives a masterclass in how to cross-examine an expert witness, particularly in cases of serious injuries.'

Damian Woodward-Carlton KC

42BR Barristers

His handling of witnesses and clients is exceptional, and he is fair and balanced in his advocacy but when he needs to put a killer point in it is done with effectiveness.’

2025 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.

Alison Easton KC

‘Alison is an excellent barrister, her advocacy is superb, and she is clear and organised in her approach. She is very approachable and great with clients.’

Harcourt Chambers

‘He can analyse a case quickly, and his advice and attention to detail is spot on, as is his legal knowledge in this field.'

1GC | Family Law

‘Emily brings real presence and gravitas to every case. Her calm authority inspires confidence in clients.’

Richard Jones KC

1GC | Family Law

Richard is an exceptional and charismatic barrister. He has the ear of the court, and judges love him.'

Katie Phillips KC

42BR Barristers

‘Katie is an absolute star of the Bar. She has an incredible work ethic and really gets to grips with the issues promptly.’

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.'

2024 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.

'A phenomenal, forensic and powerful advocate. A real titan of international family law with an exemplary manner in court.'

Susannah Johnson KC

'A silk who oozes charm and confidence, and excellent with difficult clients.'

'He is engaged and highly accessible, his advice is nuanced, and his strategic thinking excellent. He is also extremely reassuring and empathetic with clients.'

Sharon Segal KC

1GC | Family Law

‘Sharon is an extraordinarily talented barrister. She is a superb strategist who is on top of every detail in a case.'