England - London • Private client
Kingsley Napley LLP
The ‘phenomenal’ Charlotte Bradley heads the family law department at Kingsley Napley LLP, which hosts ’a constellation of brilliant lawyers who are at the top of their game and well-respected in the profession’. Praised for representing its clients with ‘passion and panache’, it offers the full package, with expertise in children and finance work. The practice frequently represents many high-net-worth and high-profile clients. Jane Keir is a divorce specialist with an international finance practice, and Sital Fontenelle is well-regarded for her significant experience in complex divorce proceedings, including cases with jurisdictional issues, off-shore trusts, business assets, and inherited wealth. There are many other talented members of the department, such as Connie Atkinson; Lauren Evans; Rachel Freeman, and Abby Buckland. Another highlight is Stacey Nevin’s promotion to the partnership.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
'The Kingsley Napley family department has the strongest offering of talent of any family department in London, from top to bottom. Its best feature is its strength in depth, as the senior partners down to the most junior paralegals are all equally brilliant.'
‘Charlotte Bradley she is widely respected for her sound judgement and ability to predict the outcome of a case, while Connie Atkinson is exceptionally able with a brilliant ability to read the unsaid issues in a case. She knows when to fight and when to settle, and how best to do both.'
'Olivia Stiles has superb client care and is really bright. Sital Fontenelle has excellent judgment and super strategic instincts. Will MacFarlane has terrific client care and is a great team player. He can bring the best out in others.'
‘Superb team with all-round expertise in finance, children and international cases. Connie Atkinson and Rachel Cooper are the standout performers.'
‘Charlotte Bradley is wonderful; the queen of her department and a brilliant lawyer. Jane Keir is the epitome of what a family lawyer should be; graceful and elegant in her approach, but has a steely centre that can always mould and influence the results she obtains. A class act.'
'Connie Atkinsion is one of the best there is. A real star and climbing her way to the very top, where she belongs. Brilliant all-round skills and a joy to work with. Lauren Evans is just the calmest lawyer out there. She is way beyond her years in terms of lawyer skills and is definitely one to watch for the future.'
‘Will MacFarlane is a finance specialist with good children knowledge and experience. A pleasure to work with, he has significant litigation experience which really shines through in his work and cases.'
‘Abby Buckland is a real leader. The way that she treats her colleagues and clients gets the best out of everybody involved in her practice. Stacey Nevin has excellent judgment and technical skills. She is a champion for her clients.'
Work highlights
- Acting for a respondent mother in an application brought by her ex-civil partner regarding parentage and jurisdiction issues.
Lawyers
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.
Hall of fameKingsley Napley LLP
Jane is a Partner in the Family & Divorce team. She is recognised for her expertise in protecting wealth, both pre and post-divorce. In February 2020, she represented the successful wife in winning a compensation award of £400,000 in RC v JC (2020) EWHC 466. She also represented the wife in the leading financial and trust case of Daga v Daga (Bangur) [2018] EWFC. In December 2023 she represented the successful wife in the decision in PS v NB (2023) EWHC 3486 obtaining a maintenance award in excess of £30,000 per month for her client, plus costs. Jane is a very technical lawyer who is known for finding novel and creative solutions for clients. She represents equal numbers of men and women and works closely with accountants and private wealth advisers. Listed in Chambers UK and HNW guides; the 2020 Spears Top Flight Family Lawyers; The Legal 500; Citywealth’s Top Ten Matrimonial Lawyers and Top 20 Women in Private Wealth and in and in Who’s Who. Regular speaker at conferences and contributor to publications including Law Society Gazette; Family Law; Farmers Weekly; The Lawyer; Spear’s Wealth; and The American among others.
Leading individuals
Kingsley Napley LLP
Sital is Head of Department for Kingsley Napley's Family and Divorce team. She specialises in complex financial matters within relationship breakdown including international jurisdictional cases. She has extensive experience in difficult cases involving off-shore trusts, family businesses, tracing assets, third party interests and inherited wealth. Sital is known for her strategic advice in complex cases, and has great instincts in manoeuvring the case to achieve the right result for her clients. Examples of her cases include: acting for the Wife in complex financial remedy proceedings where the assets totalled £38m plus and the matter proceeded to a 5 day final hearing; acting for the Wife of an American banker with worldwide assets and representing her at the Arbitration; acting for a lawyer in financial remedy proceedings involving complex trust structures and off-shore interests with assets of over £100m. Sital won silver in the "Woman of the Year - Future Leaders (Partner)" category at the Citywealth Powerwomen Awards 2020.
Next Generation Partners
Kingsley Napley LLP
Connie is a Partner in the family team and has experience of dealing with all aspects of private family work relating to both finances and children. Connie regularly assists clients who need help with their separation and the practical and financial implications arising out of this. Most of Connie’s clients or their partners work in the City and many have an international connection. Connie therefore regularly works with solicitors in other jurisdictions. Connie has expertise in international surrogacy cases and helps parents with the parental order applications required following their children’s birth. On these cases, she works closely with members of our immigration team to resolve any issues in bringing the children home. Connie is also a qualified mediator and assists as a mediator for clients in respect of all practical and legal issues surrounding family relationship breakdown. She is recognised as a Next Generation Lawyer in Legal 500 UK 2019 for Family: Mediation and in Chambers UK 2020 as an Associate to Watch in Family/Matrimonial.
Kingsley Napley LLP
Abby is a Partner in the Family & Divorce team. She has established her reputation working on some of the team’s most complex and challenging high net worth financial cases, many with an international element. Abby has represented the successful wife in Daga v Bangur [2018] EWFC 91, a significant decision involving trust assets and non-matrimonial wealth estimated to be in the region of £1.3 billion and the Applicant in M v F [2018] EWFC 35, high value Schedule I proceedings, involving a world-wide freezing order and enforcement costs provision. Highly regarded for her capability in complex, HNW financial cases and named in Chambers UK, Chambers UHNW and included in The Legal 500, Abby has also been shortlisted as “Woman of the Year: Rising Star” in the Citywealth Powerwomen Awards and is recommended in the Spear’s Family Law Index. Abby regularly writes and speaks about issues affecting HNW families and she is part of the Next Generation HNW committee for ThoughtLeaders4 HNW Divorce. She has chaired the Divorce Proofing Wealth Planning conference and spoken at Asset Recovery in Divorce and Enforcing a Divorce Award.
Kingsley Napley LLP
A Partner in the family team with experience of all types of private family work relating to both children and finances. Lauren is also a mediator and helps clients to work through the practical and legal issues arising from family relationship breakdown.
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Charlotte Bradley