The Family Team received the prestigious award at the ceremony that took place on 11 July 2024 at the National Gallery. Nick Manners, Head of the Family Department received the award on behalf of all of the team, in an evening that honoured the very best national and international law firms across the world based on research for the forthcoming edition of Chambers High Net Worth 2024. The award recognises the Payne Hicks Beach Family Team’s pre-eminence advising high net worth clients and reflects the team’s achievements over the past 12 months including outstanding work, impressive strategic growth and innovation, and unparalleled excellence in high net worth client service.
The Payne Hicks Beach Family Team includes some of the most pre-eminent practitioners in the field including the peerless Baroness Shackleton whose international reputation is unparalleled. The team, under the leadership of Nick Manners, has an outstanding and renowned reputation for dispensing high quality specialist advice and delivering bespoke solutions for complex family law issues to high profile, ultra-high net worth and high net worth individuals. All of our lawyers are technically excellent and well-versed in the law but at the same time recognise that family law requires sensitivity and the need to provide emotional support for clients. At the heart of the team is a desire to foster a deeply engaged connection with clients – their lives, their businesses and above all, their families.
The Payne Hicks Beach Family Team is frequently instructed in high profile cases and appears in the Senior Courts including the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal and has been involved in cases that have developed the law in a number of key areas: notably nuptial agreements, Part III MFPA 1984, treatment of pre-acquired and inherited wealth, special contributions, compensation, the matrimonialisation of assets and the international relocation and return of children.
The past year has been another stellar year for the Family Team continuing to engage in high profile and ground breaking cases. Matters have included:
- Potanina vs Potanin – Supreme Court Judgment – acting for Mr Vladimir Potanin and successfully achieving a significant landmark victory on 31 January 2024 when the Supreme Court handed down Judgment. The Judgment clarifies the test for permission for those seeking to bring applications under Part III of the Matrimonial and family Proceedings Act 1984.
- AS v RS [2024] – acting for the Respondent Husband in this reported case that concerned an application under Part III of the Matrimonial and Family Proceedings Act 1984 following the parties’ divorce in Malaysia and whether the applicant wife had a substantial ground to bring her application in England. The case also examined the applicable costs regime.
- L v O [2024] EWFC 6 – representing the Respondent Wife when the Judge’s decision provides some rare and helpful guidance as to the potential interim remedies that the Court can grant in a case where one party is seeking to vary, discharge or set aside a final financial order. The Final Hearing is to be heard in Summer 2024.
- Prospective Adopters v London Borough of Ealing (1), SK (2), NS (3) and E (by the Children’s Guardian AS) (4) [2023] EWFC 294 (B) – representing the prospective adopters and successfully obtained an Adoption Order for them in this sensitive and complex case.
- WK v GC [2023] EWFC 151 – acting for the former wife, WK, who successfully obtained a capitalised lump sum based on an increased level of spousal periodical payments, as well as an order for costs.
- Re S (Inherent Jurisdiction: Transgender Surgery Abroad) [2023] EWHC 347, acting ProBono, represented the mother of a transgender adolescent in a case brought under the Inherent Jurisdiction of the High Court. In his Judgment, the President of the Family Division set out his commentary as to proper engagement of s.100 Children Act 1989.
The Chambers High Net Worth Awards recognise law firms’ pre-eminence in key jurisdictions, and honour national and international law firms and lawyers across the world based on their research for the forthcoming edition of Chambers High Net Worth 2024 due to be published later this month. Thank you to Simon Christian and all the team at Chambers High Net Worth for their hard work that goes into the extensive research process and in turn the awards.
The full list of winners and finalists of the Chambers High Net Worth Awards 2024 can be found here
For further details on our on our Family Department and their expertise in family law click here
To view our Practical Guide to Divorce and Family Law click here
To view our Practical Guide to Modern Family Law click here
To access our dedicated web page with free Essential Resources for Supporting and Protecting Vulnerable Clients click here.
To view the profiles for both the Family Department and also the firm in the Chambers High Net Worth guide click here
