Withers LLP

Julian Lipson

Partner. Julian is considered one of the best family lawyers of his generation. He headed up the firm’s family law practice for 9 years, until 2017. Julian is a leading expert in the financial repercussions of relationship breakdown. His work frequently has an international dimension, often involving tax and trust implications, substantial assets or incomes. His reputation is for ruthless efficiency and cutting to the chase, and for giving clients the answer from the very outset. Julian has a market leading practice in negotiating pre-nuptial agreements, whether UK or international ones (often Anglo/US or Anglo/European). This is an area of practice which requires wisdom, direction, experience and tact. He also has considerable experience in disputes relating to children, both within and outside of the Court forum. He frequently acts for (or against) household names, but his clients also include City professionals, entrepreneurs, those in the arts/media, financiers, the independently wealthy and their spouses/partners. He speaks fluent French, and consequently is a leader in the field of Anglo-French work. He deals a lot with cases involving the USA.

Diana Parker

Partner. Diana is well known as one of London’s divorce lawyer elite. She often advises clients on high value, high profile matters involving complex finances and international, cross border elements. However, she recognises that the stakes are high for any client and, whatever the level of wealth, Diana contributes her experience, strategic focus and ability to come up with creative solutions that minimise the financial and emotional cost of disputes with one's partner. Whilst taking cases before the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal where necessary, Diana is also a mediator and renowned negotiator. Her preference is elegant and effective negotiation, providing clear and strategic advice. She fights hard for her clients and her commercial, pragmatic approach keeps everyone enthused.  Her objective always is to get the best possible outcome at the lowest possible cost, both financial and emotional. Both clients and opponents attest to her skill: 'There is no one to match her intellectually, or her wide ranging experience.' 'If I had to choose one solicitor in the entire world that I admired the most it would be her'.

Suzanne Todd

Suzanne leads the family and contentious trusts and succession teams in Europe and is one of the most highly accoladed family lawyers of her generation. She has more than 20 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'.

Alexander Breedon

Alex advises clients on all aspects of family law including divorce and civil partnership dissolution, financial disputes, cohabitation, children matters and pre and postnuptial agreements. He has particular experience in dealing with complex financial disputes as well as children matters, including those involving international relocation.

Claire Blakemore

Partner. Claire's predictions of outcome are spot on and she delivers the best results for her clients by being creative, solution focused but tough when needed. She protects her clients absolutely and they value her no nonsense approach, absolute support, and determination to achieve the right solution. Her work spans the full range of family law. Whether working with domestic or international clients, she deals with complex financial claims, children issues, pre and post-nuptial agreements, cohabitant disputes and has extensive experience advising on cases involving trusts. Her clients are in commerce, finance and tech, professionals, families with inherited wealth and those in the public eye. Whilst being highly experienced in difficult litigation she also has a thriving dispute-resolution practice as a mediator and collaborative lawyer. 

Brett Frankle

Brett advises clients on all aspects of family law, including divorce, cohabitation, children, prenuptial agreements and civil partnerships with a particular emphasis on the resolution of complex financial disputes.

Michael Gouriet

Partner. Michael advises on all aspects of divorce and family law (including pre- and post-nuptial agreements) with particular focus on the resolution of financial issues for wealthy individuals, whether married or cohabiting and often with international interests (including in particular those with US, Middle-Eastern and Russian connections). He also has extensive experience of child law matters, including international relocation. Michael has acted in numerous complex high-value divorce cases involving trusts and businesses, and in conjunction with his colleagues in the trust, tax and estate planning teams at Withers he is regularly instructed to advise on stress-testing of wealth structures.  His clients include city professionals, entrepreneurs and business people, landowners, sports and music stars, politicians, and their spouses/partners. Michael is a certified family law arbitrator and a qualified collaborative lawyer.

Katharine Landells

Partner. Katharine has an abundance of energy, which drives her efficient and effective practice.  She has particular expertise in complex cases involving an international element, whether concerning the relocation of children, trusts, or families with assets worldwide.  Katharine is a deft handler of highly contested litigation and has represented clients in a number of reported cases.  She will always fight her client's corner and she is an excellent strategist and problem solver.  But she knows when to put her negotiation skills to good use, settling cases where it makes sense to do so.  Katharine is recognised for her attention to detail and ability to combine theory and practice.  Her client service is second to none and she builds strong client relationships, combining empathy with clear advice and well defined strategy.  She is known for her 'intelligent, sharp, and emotionally intelligent approach'.

Jennifer Dickson

Jennifer specialises in legal issues arising from the breakdown of a relationship. Her practice encompasses financial remedy claims (both for married couples and unmarried parents), disputes about how children should spend their time, relocation cases and prenuptial and postnuptial agreements. Many of her cases have an international dimension or involve trust interests or complex corporate structures, and clients come from many walks of life - often they are high-net worth individuals and sometimes in the public eye, wishing to stay out of it. She works with clients sensitively and pragmatically to reach a settlement swiftly and amicably. In some cases, court proceedings may be unavoidable, in which case Jennifer will litigate to achieve the best outcome for her client. Jennifer has been involved in supporting clients on a number of high profile cases - she worked with Diana Parker in advising hedge fund manager, Sir Chris Hohn, on the biggest divorce in the English courts, successfully protecting his business from division and defending his wife's claim for 50% of the assets. The judge also agreed with Sir Chris that there should be certain reporting restrictions protecting financial and personal information (Cooper-Hohn v Hohn [2014] EWCA Civ 896).

Adele Pledger

Adele deals with all aspects of family law, including divorce and financial remedies, pre and post nuptial agreements, cohabitation agreements and separation, occupation and non-molestation orders, child contact and living arrangements, and other private children law issues. Adele has particular expertise in dealing with complex, often high net worth and with an international dimension, financial division upon divorce. Adele is known for giving clear, strategic and pragmatic advice, to achieve the best outcome for her client, as quickly and painlessly as possible. She tends to settle the majority of her cases out of Court, but if necessary she has no fear in fighting her client's corner in litigation and achieving the desired result that way. In Legal 500 2022, Adele was described as follows: 'Adele Pledger is a Diana Parker in waiting. Adored by clients, especially those with the most complex financial affairs and commercial backgrounds, she is a creative lawyer and a match for anyone doing the work. Her down to earth manner makes her approachable, inspires confidence and she spots points few others do.' Chambers & Partners 2023 said the following about Adele: 'She has particular expertise in high-value, multi-jurisdictional matrimonial finance cases. An impressed barrister reports: "She is so incredibly impressive; she is as numerate as any solicitor I have seen, and I'm a numbers nerd. She is incredibly charming, extremely bright and has such a wonderful manner with clients. She is the total package." A source notes: "She is an incredible lawyer. She is so thorough and detailed, but is also somebody that I find so approachable and easy to deal with."' Adele is well recognised and respected in the market. She won the 2021 Spear's Wealth Management Award for 'Future Leader in Private Client Services', and she was ranked: as 'Up and Coming' in the 2023 UHNW Chambers & Partners Guide;  'Top Recommended' in Spears 500 2023 'Next Generation Partner' in Legal 500 2022; and in Citywealth's 'Future Top 100 Leaders' in 2019. Adele is also a trained Mediator, with particular focus on facilitating resolution of financial matters on divorce, however complex the circumstances may be.

Laura Winterbottom

Laura advises on all family law issues that flow from separation, divorce or dissolution with a view to achieving a resolution. She offers pragmatic and sensitive advice and helps her clients to reach commercial solutions.Her practice includes advising and guiding clients through the divorce process, the division of family finances, drafting pre/postnuptial agreements and pre/post civil partnership agreements. She regularly advises on issues between unmarried couples to include drafting cohabitation agreements and advising on property disputes. Laura also advises clients in relation to matters regarding their children, to include contact disputes, international relocation and financial support.Laura advises a broad range of clients including those with complex financial affairs, trusts, company structures and inherited assets. A large proportion of her cases have an international element.Laura joined the family team in 2007 having trained with the firm. She is a member of the Resolution, having formerly being a member of the London Resolution Committee and firmly believes in their ethos of promoting a conciliatory and constructive approach to family disputes. She also regularly volunteers at the Citizens Advice Bureau.