National law firm Shoosmiths has launched a new family law team in its London office, with the strategic hire of two well-established partners with significant expertise in high net worth work.
Joining as partners from city law firm Howard Kennedy, Juliette Peters and Jay Patel are joining Shoosmiths with more than 45 years’ experience in matrimonial law between them.
At Howard Kennedy, Juliette was originally the head of family law. She was also head of family law at Quastel Midgen and previous to that worked under matrimonial lawyer Raymond Tooth of Sears Tooth for seven years, specialising in high net worth work.
Juliette advises clients on private children work (in the High Court and the Central Family Court), pre-nuptial agreements, divorce and associated financial aspects, Civil Partnership Dissolutions and property claims between unmarried couples. Juliette is a Guernsey qualified Advocate with many connections in the Channel Islands and is a member of Resolution.
Jay has been a matrimonial lawyer for more than 20 years and was a partner at Howard Kennedy. Previous to that, Jay was a partner at CKFT Solicitors and head of family at Dean & Dean.
As a high net worth specialist, Jay has extensive experience in advising on financial remedy claims, advising on public and private children work, divorce law suits, pre-nuptial agreements, and international matters such as child abduction. Jay is on The Law Society Family law panel and is a Resolution trained Mediator and a member of the Family mediation Council.
Neil Hobden, who heads up the firm’s national family law practice, commented: ‘These appointments are another step toward developing our national family law practice. The skills of both Juliette and Jay, particularly with their experience of high net worth work, will help us to build our growing and enviable reputation in family law in both England and Scotland.’
‘We plan further significant recruitment to expand our national family law capacity and client base, using the national Shoosmiths office network to provide a range of premium legal services for individuals and will shortly announce details of strategic reinforcement of our family law team at our Nottingham office.’
The appointments follow those of John Fotheringham an experienced consultant from BTO who is based in Shoosmiths’ Edinburgh office and associate Naheed Taj, who joined the firm from Spratt Endicott and is based in the firm’s Milton Keynes office.
