England - London • Private client
‘Mills & Reeve LLP has the only truly national family law team. The London family mediation team is first rate. They are talented and solution focused; able to handle the most complex mediations.’ Alison Bull heads the firm’s family non-court dispute resolution practice. Bull is an accredited family and civil mediator, a hybrid mediator and a professional practice consultant. Suzanne Kingston is hugely respected and also has expertise in family arbitrations. Joanna Grandfield is another highly-regarded member of the ’very impressive team‘. Tim Whitney was recently promoted to the partnership.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Joanne Grandfield is superb. She is clever and articulate and is seemingly able to find solutions for clients in the most complex and challenging cases. A true star of the London mediation scene'.
'Suzanne Kingston has been at the top of the mediation profession for decades. She handles the most complex cases and is at the top of her game! Tim Whitney is also excellent'.
‘Suzanne Kingston and Joanne Grandfield stand out as excellent mediators in their field. Suzanne is an extremely robust and pragmatic mediator with enormous amounts of empathy. Joanne is brilliant with next gen clients who need directive mediation and on difficult children matters'.
‘Mills and Reeve is well known for providing the complete mediation service with very experienced accredited mediators and child-inclusive mediation offered too. It is not just lip-service saying they do mediation; they really are skilled in this area'.
‘Tim Whitney - His manner is very unruffled and he has an air of authority and seems to be very adept at steering a path between them and getting results to satisfy both parties. Alison Bull has a very good reputation.’
‘Joanna Grandfield - super bright, an excellent solicitor and mediator and very solution focused. But willing to roll up her sleeves as much as any other litigator to get brilliant results'.
‘Tim Whitney is one of the best mediators in London. He's well known for handling complicated mediations with ease and in a calm and reassuring manner'.
Hall of Fame
The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.
Consultant Suzanne is widely known for her expertise in all aspects of family work, in particular the resolution of complex financial issues for high net worth individuals. Suzanne’s cases often have an international element and she has considerable experience in dealing with prenuptial agreements and cohabitation issues. Often referred to as “the Queen of Arbitration and Mediation’, Suzanne has a thriving mediation and arbitration practice and teaches both
Leading individuals
Area of practice includes family mediation; collaborative law; civil/commercial mediation; family court work. Alison is also a children and financial arbitrator. Types of work include complex financial settlements on divorce, wealth protection (including pre-and post-marital agreements), all issues mediation, advice in relation to disputes about children. Important cases include numerous confidential high-value divorce and pre-marital agreement cases involving individuals based in England & Wales and overseas. Increasing number of mediation cases, involving a wide range of clients, including some high profile individuals. Particular focus on resolving disputes in a conciliatory way in the best interests of the families and children involved. Reported cases include McMinn v McMinn [2003] 2 FLR 823 and [2003] 2 FLR 839, D v D (Divorce: media presence) [2009] EWHC 946. Heads the Mills & Reeve family dispute resolution practice.
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
Next Generation Partners
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Alison Bull, Suzanne Kingston