4PB is ‘a brilliant set across the board – top choice for children law matters’. Charles Hale KC is ’a brilliant advocate’ who specialises in handling child abduction and relocation cases. Piers Pressdee KC ‘provides a razor-sharp strategy to every case he touches, and leaves no stone unturned to achieve the right outcome’. Henry Setright KC garners praise as ’the top silk in the field of international children law, and is amazing at complex and difficult cases‘. Alex Verdan KC is ’a first-class advocate in private law children cases’. Jacqueline Renton is ‘a phenomenal advocate’ who ’identifies the issues in a case and remains laser-focused on them’. Charlotte Georges joined the set in January 2024.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'Michael Reeves, Paul Hennessy, Kenny Martin and the rest of the team are great. They always do what they can to get you the best barrister for your case.'
- 'The clerks are brilliant. Paul Hennessy, Jamie Byrne and Kenny Martin are fabulous.'
- 'Michael Reeves is professional and very effective.'
- 'The clerks go above and beyond to assist. All clerks are super responsive and helpful - particularly Michael Reeves and Jamie Byrne.'
- '4PB has exceptionally talented barristers in the family sphere.'
- '4PB is a pre-eminent set for children's cases.'
- '4PB is a fabulous set with great strength in depth and availability.'
- '4PB is a very experienced set of specialist family practitioners.'
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.
Charles Hale KC
4PB ‘Charles has a wonderfully accessible advocacy style. A pre-eminent silk for complex cases.'
Piers Pressdee KC
4PB 'A Rolls-Royce silk in children’s work. He is engaging, incredibly persuasive, and always on top of his brief.'
Henry Setright KC
4PB ‘Henry is an extraordinary advocate, and his judgement and strategy is second to none. He is simply the best.’
Alex Verdan KC
4PB ‘Alex is a superstar: a highly skilled and persuasive advocate with great gravitas and presence in the courtroom. He has fantastic judgement.’
Christopher Hames KC
4PB ‘Christopher is second to none for complex family law matters. His advocacy is forceful and persuasive, underwritten by a keen eye for detail and a tactical mind.’
2
Sam King KC
4PB ‘Sam is a class act. Her cross-examination is insightful and highly effective. She is a tour de force.’
Cyrus Larizadeh KC
4PB ‘Cyrus is an outstanding family silk. He is calm and measured with excellent client care skills, and his advocacy is poised, focused and devastating.’
Joy Brereton KC
4PB ‘Joy is a powerhouse. Her advocacy is tremendous, her preparation is meticulous, and she combines peerless judgement with an incredibly human touch. She is a go-to silk for complex children’s cases.’
Barbara Mills KC
4PB ‘Barbara combines a wealth of experience with emotional intelligence. She is a fantastic advocate, insightful and eloquent.’
Michael Gration KC
4PB ‘Michael is a giant in his field. His cross-examination skills are unparalleled. He is a true expert.’
Ruth Kirby KC
4PB ‘Ruth is a high-quality KC who fights fiercely for her clients. She is an exceptional tactician and strategist.’
2023 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.
Mark Jarman KC
4PB ‘Mark is a formidable advocate whose preparation and knowledge in this specialist area of law are second to none. He is always well prepared and has excellent client care skills.’
Judith Murray KC
4PB ‘Judith is a first choice for complex children cases. She is a phenomenal advocate and tactician, with superb judgement.’
Dorothea Gartland KC
4PB ‘Dorothea is a forceful advocate and makes robust arguments. Her advice is direct and pragmatic, remaining focused on the key points and cutting through to the central issues in the case.'
Juniors
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.
Jacqueline Renton
4PB ‘Jacqueline is a natural in court. She thinks quickly on her feet and is excellent at strategising.’
Michael Edwards
4PB ‘Michael has a forensic eye for detail. He is highly strategic and gains the confidence of the most difficult clients.’
Rebecca Foulkes
4PB ‘Rebecca is an intellectual, calm and persuasive advocate, who is patient with clients, and always professional and well-prepared.'
Chris Barnes
4PB ‘Chris is a compelling advocate. He builds strong relationships with clients, and can explain the most complex of issues in a straightforward way.’
Andrew Powell
4PB ‘Andrew is an outstanding advocate. He is always well prepared and provides realistic and constructive advice.’
Paul Hepher
4PB ‘Paul is great at getting to the heart of the matter and giving logical and rational advice.'
Brian Jubb
4PB ‘Brian is a very experienced and well-respected practitioner. A firm advocate who is well-versed in all matters.’
Charlotte Baker
4PB ‘Charlotte is a phenomenal advocate, incredibly hardworking and meticulous in her preparation.’
Chris Stevenson
4PB ‘Chris has a fine eye for detail and an assertive style of advocacy. He knows his papers and has a masterful grasp of his cases.’
Francesca Dowse
4PB ‘Francesca is truly top-notch. Her judgement is always spot on, her ability to grasp the nuances of each case is exceptional, and she provides great client care. Her advocacy is always well-pitched, constructive and robust.’
Ceri White
4PB ‘Ceri is a powerhouse. She is accomplished at handling challenging clients and managing their expectations.'
Miriam Best
4PB ‘Miriam is always prepared. She is always willing to go the extra mile and is reassuring to vulnerable and anxious clients.’
Indu Kumar
4PB ‘Indu is an outstanding advocate. Her legal knowledge is brilliant, she is always well prepared and has excellent client care skills, giving realistic and constructive advice.’
Rhiannon Lloyd
4PB ‘Rhiannon is incredibly perceptive, articulate in court, and always prepared. She achieves results.’
Harry Langford
4PB ‘Harry has an excellent manner with clients. He explains complex legal matters in an accessible way while remaining empathetic. He is clear and politely forceful in his submissions.’
Katie Wood
4PB ‘Katie is adept at handling complex issues in a serene, polished manner. Her advocacy is crisp and clear, and she always goes the extra mile for the client.'
Julia Townend
4PB ‘Julia is a firm and exceptionally well-prepared advocate. She combines empathy and understanding with the ability to deliver a hard message when needed. She is tenacious and eloquent when fighting her client’s corner.'
Kate Van Rol
4PB ‘Kate is an experienced, confident barrister who passionately argues her client’s case.’
Laura Morley
4PB 'Laura is a persuasive advocate and a go-to for cases with a mix of complex issues.'
Mani Singh Basi
4PB ‘Mani is approachable and goes above and beyond in each case. An excellent cross-examiner and a go-to counsel for children's law matters.'
Sophie Connors
4PB ‘Sophie is an incredibly skilled and forceful advocate who can turn a case around in the most challenging circumstances. Her preparation and client care is first-class.’
Greg Davies
4PB ‘Greg is a brilliant advocate. He is serene, precise and goes the extra mile for his clients.'
Jonathan Evans
4PB ‘Jonathan is a force on his feet in court. His attention to detail is exceptional.'
Charlotte Georges
4PB ‘Charlotte is calm, exceptionally knowledgeable and quick on her feet when faced with difficult matters and developments in court. She has a lovely rapport with clients so they trust her implicitly. She delivers pragmatic advice and is readily available to help.’
Simon Rowbotham
4PB ‘Simon is a force to be reckoned with. His advocacy is superb and he has the ear of the court. He can give thorough advice about complex legal topics in a manner that clients can digest.’
Harry Nosworthy
4PB ‘Harry has a great bedside manner with clients, and is a practical and sensible advocate.'
Cliona Papazian
4PB ‘Cliona is a determined advocate who leaves no stone unturned. She is always well-prepared and works incredibly hard.’
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.
Frankie Shama
4PB 'Frankie is an intelligent advocate who works incredibly hard and is willing to go the extra mile for his clients.'
Lucy Logan Green
4PB ‘Lucy is a fearless advocate. She is excellent at reading the room and pitching her cases appropriately to achieve the best outcome. She consistently goes above and beyond for clients.’
Emma Spruce
4PB ‘Emma is a very effective advocate, who is brilliant at putting the client at ease.'
Clarissa Wigoder
4PB ‘Clarissa is intelligent, personable and persuasive. She provides realistic and pragmatic advice.'