Public & Private Children Law

Chairperson

HH Stephen Wildblood KC

Stephen Wildblood KC, Editor-in-Chief of Family Law Week, was the Designated Family Judge for the Bristol area for ten years before stepping down in November 2023. He practiced at the Family bar for 27 years, the last 8 ½ in silk. Stephen has extensive experience in all areas of family law, with particular expertise in public law children cases, including care proceedings and local authority matters.  He has written in over 20 legal textbooks on issues of family law and often lectures on the full range of family issues. He continues to sit, part-time, in the Family and High Courts.

Co-Chairperson

Mani Singh Basi

Mani Singh Basi is a Barrister at 4PB and Managing Editor of Family Law Week. He is a specialist in international child abduction disputes and has appeared in 80 published judgments, in the High Court or Court of Appeal.. He has won many awards including the 2025 International Family Lawyer of the Year award,  2023 Family Law Junior Barrister of the Year award, the 2024 Legal Aid Barrister of the Year award, the 2024 Legal Personality of the Year winner and the 2022 Legal Commentator of the Year award. He is also an author in respect of books across different topics of family law.

Anita Guha KC

Anita Guha KC, a barrister at 7BR, is a specialist in all areas of children law and international family law and was ranked as a Leading Junior for many years by Chambers & Partners and Legal 500 prior to her appointment as Kings Counsel in March 2024.

Teertha Gupta KC

Teertha Gupta KC, is a specialist senior barrister at 4PB and trial advocate with over 29 years of experience. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2012 and a (Family) Deputy High Court Judge in 2016. Teertha also sits as a part time Circuit Judge (a Recorder) in the Criminal and Civil courts.

His areas of expertise include complex domestic and international children cases such as relocation, cross-border parental abductions and acrimonious contact disputes.

Piers Pressdee KC

Piers Pressdee KC, a barrister at 4PB practises exclusively in the field of children law, undertaking high profile and complex cases across the spectrum of private and public children law.

Leslie Samuels KC

Leslie Samuels KC, a barrister at Pump Court Chambers specialises in children work both in public and private law cases and in financial remedies cases. He has 30 years of experience as a barrister and took Silk in 2011. In 2012 he was appointed as a Family Recorder on the South Eastern Circuit. He sits mainly at the Central Family Court in London.

Louise MacLynn KC

Louise MacLynn KC, a barrister at 1GC, is a specialist in the law relating to children and vulnerable adults. She has experience in all levels of court including the Supreme Court, and is often instructed in cases with and against leading counsel. Louise uses her broad experience to work collaboratively with those instructing her to achieve the best outcome for her clients.

Professor Rob George KC

Professor Rob George KC, a Barrister at Harcourt Chambers and a Professor of Law & Policy, University College London is a leading expert on international family law, particularly in relation to relocation disputes, child abduction, jurisdiction, and international and domestic surrogacy cases. He has published numerous books and papers on these subjects, and been involved with many of the leading cases in related areas.

Dr Beverley Barnett-Jones

Dr Beverley Barnett-Jones is Nuffield Family Justice Observatory‘s Associate Director for System and Impact. She works on expanding the capacity of Nuffield Family Justice Observatory to make its evidence count on the practice front by making connections, developing conversations and fostering opportunities for innovations and activities that will unlock system change in the family justice system.  For more information click here.

Cerys Sayer

Cerys Sayer is a specialist family law barrister at Westgate Chambers.

Having qualified as a solicitor in 2010 and a solicitor Advocate in 2015, Cerys understands both sides of the profession and how to advise and support lay and professional clients throughout the process. Whilst being recognised as a highly persuasive advocate she is also renowned for her compassionate client care.

Grant Keyes

Grant Keyes, barrister at 3PB, is a specialist family law practitioner in public and private children law representing clients in the County Court, High Court and Court of Appeal.

Grant has extensive experience of working with the most vulnerable individuals who have suffered significant trauma in their lives, and regularly works with intermediaries on particularly emotionally charged and complex cases.

Mark Calway

Mark Calway, barrister at 3PB is an experienced family law specialist advising on all aspects of the law.  He has recently been appointed as a Family Recorder to the Western Circuit and acts as an Independent Funding Adjudicator for the Legal Aid Agency.

Simon Craddock

Simon Craddock, a Partner at Brethertons LLP undertake all areas of family law with a particular specialism in International Child Abduction where he sometimes act as a trained mediator.

Forum Shah

Forum Shah, a Partner at Dawson Cornwell LLP specialises in private and public children law, with particular expertise in international child abduction and relocation. She receives instructions directly from the International Child Abduction and Contact Unit (ICACU). She acts for both Applicants and Respondents in cases concerning the 1980 Hague Convention, as well as the inherent jurisdiction of the High Court/wardship and non Hague Convention countries.

Somia Siddiq

Somia Siddiq, Senior Associate at ITN is a Solicitor in the Family Department and joined ITN in April 2018. She has over 12 years’ experience and has practiced exclusively in Children’s Law. She has advised a range of clients in Public and Private Law matters.

Dr Maria Wright

Maria Wright is a Senior Associate at Hunters Law LLP, specialising in children’s law, with a particular interest in international children’s law and child protection issues in both a domestic and international context.

James Evans

James Evans is a professional liaison for OurFamilyWizard. His role includes educating judges, barristers, solicitors, mediators and other family law professionals on the online tools that can be utilised to benefit and monitor parental communication in high conflict cases.