“It is a real pleasure to work with someone of his calibre. He is very mature for his years of experience, is really determined and comes across in a very reasonable manner which judges love.”
Chambers & Partners, 2025
Experience
Year of Call: 2009
Qualifications
Law with French Law (LLB), 2008
Certificat Supérieur en Droit, (Paris II) (2006-7)
Education
UCL (2004-8)
Université Panthéon-Assas (Paris II) (2006-7)
BPP (2008-9)
Languages
French
German
Profile
Chris is known primarily for acting in child protection cases involving the most serious allegations of abuse, including inflicted injuries, sexual abuse and psychological harm. He frequently appears against King’s Counsel on his own, where he is led or is leading more junior counsel. He is regularly instructed in lengthy and contentious fact-finding hearings, especially those that involve complicated medical evidence. He is equally skilled in cases that require technical legal arguments: in 2019, he successfully represented the appellant in the leading Court of Appeal case on uncertain perpetrators of abuse.
Public Children Law
Chris is instructed in the most serious cases of child abuse. His work often involves alleged non-accidental injuries including unexplained fractures, bruising, head injuries and so-called “shaken baby” cases. Chris also acts in cases where children have suffered sexual abuse and significant psychological trauma. Recent cases of his have featured allegations of sexual abuse by a family member (including between siblings), multiple injuries to more than one subject child, and where the children’s mother was murdered by their father. He is regularly instructed where there are issues over whether a child should give evidence and is able to mount successful challenges to ABE interviews. Chris has experience of linked directions hearings in concurrent family and criminal proceedings.
Chris has completed the FLBA training on cross-examining vulnerable and child witnesses. He regularly acts for vulnerable clients, separately represented children and parties who lack litigation capacity. He is known for his empathetic and supportive approach whilst also delivering robust and realistic advice.
Private Children Law
Equipped with a wealth of experience of acting in public law proceedings, Chris is ideally positioned to act in the most contentious cases involving expert evidence and where there are allegations of drug and alcohol abuse, mental health difficulties, and physical, emotional and sexual harm. Recent cases in which Chris has been instructed have involved allegations of parental alienation as well as cases where there is a need for a fact-finding hearing in respect of allegations of rape and sexual abuse of children. Chris also acts in ‘leave to remove’ applications, both within and outside the jurisdiction.
Court of Protection
Chris acts in cases relating to the health, welfare and deprivation of liberty of vulnerable adults, bringing to his Court of Protection practice his experience and skills in Children Act work. He acts in matters involving disputes over living arrangements, contact and medical treatment. Chris appears in contested interim and final hearings as well as in cases where there is a need for fact-finding.
Professional Memberships
Family Law Bar Association
Association of Lawyers for Children
Gray’s Inn
Directories
‘Chris has a fine eye for detail and an assertive style of advocacy. He knows his papers and has a masterful grasp of his cases.’
Legal 500, 2025
“He has a wisdom beyond his call. He’s very good at seeing what the core issues at the heart of a case are.”
“It is a real pleasure to work with someone of his calibre. He is very mature for his years of experience, is really determined and comes across in a very reasonable manner which judges love.”
Chambers & Partners, 2025
“He has a real eye for detail and can pick cases up at the last minute.”
“Brilliant in negotiation and someone who makes fantastic submissions when he’s in court. He knows the facts of the case inside out.”
“Extremely impressive, very well prepared and always good in court. He is very thorough and tenacious, but also very pragmatic and open to negotiation.”
Chambers and Partners, 2024
‘Chris is an exceptional advocate and always has the ear of the court. His submissions are informed, well-researched, and his ability to get to the heart of the issues in cross-examination is always impressive.’
Legal 500, 2024
“Friendly and approachable outside of court, but tough once inside it, he certainly knows the difference between a good point and a bad one.”
Chambers and Partners, 2023
‘Chris is extremely conscientious and thorough. He is also an excellent advocate.’
Legal 500, 2023
“Committed to client care of the highest standard. He has a pragmatic approach but deals with clients in a sensitive and friendly way. He prepares cases very thoroughly and has a real attention to detail.”
Legal 500, 2022
“Attention for detail. Very clever. Passionate. Caring.”
“Stands out amongst children practitioners as technically strong with a fine reputation amongst judges.”
Legal 500, 2021