Alia Lewis is a director within the family and child care department at Duncan Lewis Solicitors. Alia’s expertise extends to all aspects of family law and she has a particular specialism in public law care cases and secure accommodation. Alia has extensive experience representing children through their guardian and through separate representation. She also represents parents, extended family members and interveners, and has conducted cases on behalf of the official solicitor. Her cases involve a range of issues including; physical, sexual and emotional abuse; neglect; factitious illness; non-accidental injury; drug and alcohol addiction; domestic abuse; learning difficulties; mental illness; psychological disorders, and physical disability. She conducts numerous cases that have an international element and undertakes the majority of her own advocacy in order to provide a continuity of representation to her clients. She is also experienced in chairing experts meetings.
England - South East • Private client
Duncan Lewis Solicitors
The ‘exceptional’ practice at Duncan Lewis Solicitors dispenses advice on the full spectrum of family law matters, with a particular emphasis on international child abduction cases, special guardianship orders, and wardship issues. In Harrow, Adeeba Naseem has broad knowledge spanning surrogacy issues, adoption cases and financial proceedings, while Alia Lewis is particularly adept at acting for children in public law care cases. Dividing her time between Milton Keynes and Luton, Krina Parmar has extensive expertise in advising on forced marriage and female genital mutilation matters. Luton’s Emma Bilsborrow has a great deal of experience in handling high-net-worth divorces and cohabitation agreements, and in Milton Keynes, Shazia Rana often assists clients with obtaining non-molestation injunctions, and care and emergency protection orders.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘A local firm with national reach. The team has excellent understanding of their clients’ needs and strong relations with local courts. It has excellent client service and care.’
‘Shazia Rana is a child law expert. Within public law, she has significant experience of complex cases with allegations of non-accidental injury. She is an excellent listener and offers a sympathetic ear to clients going through very difficult times. She is a strong team player, working together with counsel to ensure that her clients receive the best possible outcome, even in very difficult cases.’
‘The team is exceptional. I have recommended dozens of clients to this firm because of the attention to detail they have.'
‘I hold Krina Parmar in extremely high regard. Her manner puts you at ease. She always finds time for clients and other legal professionals. She is my go-to recommendation in family law in the UK, she never lets me or the clients down.’
‘They go the extra mile and have good legal knowledge.’
‘Adeeba Naseem is experienced in child abduction cases, and is very good at building relationships with her clients.’
Work highlights
- Represented a vulnerable mother in a complex international child abduction matter.
- Represented the mother in wardship proceedings as part of a complex international child abduction matter.
Lawyers
Next Generation Partners
Adeeba Naseem is a director of family and child care at Duncan Lewis Solicitors.Adeeba’s area of expertise is in handling international and domestic family law proceedings at the high court, in particular child abduction, surrogacy, adoption, and international adoption cases. She regularly deals with separation, divorce, and both domestic and international financial proceedings, including pre and post-nuptial agreements and rare cases involving the Queen’s Proctor. Recent cases include B (A Child : Abduction: Article 13(B)) [2020] EWCA Civ 1057 an international child abduction case, and LC (A Child - Placement Order) [2020] EWCA Civ 787 a child placement order.In child abduction matters, Adeeba regularly issues family proceedings both domestically and in different jurisdictions outside the UK; she liaises with organisations and authorities in other jurisdictions to ensure vulnerable children are successfully returned to their home country. She has handled a significant number of cases worldwide including the return of children abducted to Pakistan and Jamaica, two highly complex cases as neither country’s accession to the Hague Convention is ratified.Adeeba aslo has expertise in surrogacy cases when couples have a surrogate mother in England or another country to carry their child and looks to secure parental orders to ensure the couple are legally recognised as the child’s parents.Adeeba handles both privately and publicly funded matters and has undertaken advocacy at the high courts and lower courts UK-wide. Her broad client base includes vulnerable victims of abuse, international high-profile clients, and cases with a public interest due to concerns of extremist links or children’s medical conditions. She works closely with a number of non-profit organisations that support and advise vulnerable members of their communities. These include children centres, food banks and charities and she often give talks and pro bono advice at domestic violence organisations focussing on securing protection through emergency injunctions for victims of abuse.Adeeba has previous experience practicing both immigration and criminal law and has undertaken her own advocacy at the Magistrates’ Court and at the Crown Court.
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Adeeba Naseem, Alia Lewis, Ravi Mahey, Krina Parmar, Emma Bilsborrow, Shazia Rana