Piers is an excellent advocate and is known as one of the stand-out children’s law silks at the family Bar.
Legal 500 2024 – Top Tier
Experience
Year of Call: 1991
Year of Silk: 2010
Education
St John’s College, Cambridge (MA) (Hutton Prizewinner)
Inns of Court School of Law (Astbury Scholar, Middle Temple)
Appointments
Co-chair, Association of Lawyers for Children, 2008-2010
National Family Justice Board, 2008-2010
President, Cambridge Union, 1988
Profile
Shortlisted – Family Law KC of the Year (Family Law Awards 2024)
Shortlisted – Family Law Silk of the Year (Legal 500 Awards 2024)
Piers practises exclusively in the field of children law, undertaking high profile and complex cases across the spectrum of private and public children law.
In silk he has forged a predominantly private children law practice, principally involving disputes over child arrangements and allied issues. He is particularly well-known for his expertise in relocation cases (international and domestic) and in intractable disputes (including those involving allegations of domestic abuse and parental alienation).
In the public law field, Piers has vast experience of appearing for local authorities, parents, other family members and guardians and regularly undertakes cases entailing allegations of the most serious physical, sexual or emotional abuse.
His practice also includes cross-border abduction and jurisdictional disputes.
Piers is frequently instructed in appeals on important points of law and practice and has appeared in numerous reported cases at first instance and appellate level.
For over 15 years he has been consistently recommended for children law by the major guides to the legal profession and is currently ranked in the top tier for children law by the Legal 500. He is typically brought in from the outset of cases to strategise and run them from start to finish. He regularly acts for UHNW and HNW individuals and his recent clients have included leading figures from the worlds of sport, business, finance and entertainment.
A former co-chair of the Association of Lawyers for Children, he co-authors the leading practitioner work, Dictionary of Private Children Law, published annually. He took silk in 2010 and joined 4PB in 2021.
Publications & Lecturing
Co-author, Dictionary of Private Children Law (Class Legal, annual).
Revised and updated the ‘Children and Young Persons’ volumes of Halsbury’s Laws of England (5th edition, 2012).
Co-author, The Public Law Outline: The Court Companion (Family Law, 2008).
Co-author, Contact: The New Deal (Family Law, 2006).
Contributor to Family Law journal and Family Law Week.
Regular lecturer of judges and practitioners on children law topics (including most recently on challenging section 7 reports for the 2023 White Paper Children Law Conference).
Interviews on children law and practice to The Times, The Observer, The Independent, BBC and Sky News.
Professional Memberships
Association of Lawyers for Children
FLBA
Directories
“Piers is an excellent advocate and is known as one of the stand-out children’s law silks at the family Bar.”
Legal 500 2024 – Top Tier
“Piers Pressdee KC is an expert private law children practitioner instructed by London’s top firms …. He demonstrates strength in child arrangements and relocation cases and is experienced in abuse and parental alienation cases. “Tactical, technical and so reassuring, Piers is fantastic to work with.” “Piers is really skilled and controls the courtroom.” “A highly experienced, thoroughly respected and very clever children law specialist.”
Chambers & Partners 2024
“Piers is an incredibly persuasive and effective advocate. He is extremely well prepared and will go above and beyond to try and achieve the best outcome for his clients. He is a strategist and is not afraid to consider all avenues within the course of proceedings if it might achieve a more favourable outcome for a client.”
Legal 500 2023 – Top Tier
“Piers Pressdee impresses with the commitment and energy he brings to his cases.” “He’s a brilliant, calming influence, who’s fantastic at getting to grips quickly with complicated situations and working towards a solution. He’s a great tactician, who puts clients at ease, making them feel comfortable and confident in cases.”
Chambers & Partners 2023
“Piers is beyond doubt one of the pre-eminent practitioners in the field of private children law. Well liked and respected by his opponents and judges alike, and a highly intelligent strategist. His cross-examination is forensic and deeply impressive.”
Legal 500 2022 – Top Tier
“Doesn’t waste a single word and works collaboratively with his clients. He commands the courtroom and concentrates on the major issues in a case.” “He’s thorough, well thought of and hard-working.” “A smooth, organised advocate.”
Chambers & Partners 2022
“Alongside his assiduous preparation and carefully considered paperwork, he brings to a contested trial great intelligence and psychological insight. He is hugely skilful in extracting from witnesses the evidence he seeks to persuade the tribunal to find in his client’s favour.”
Legal 500 2021 – Top Tier
“Highly astute, articulate and user-friendly … has got a good way of dealing with clients, opponents, and the courtroom, and is extremely charming and effective.”
Chambers & Partners 2021
“Is a terrific advocate and brilliant at directing the strategy of a complicated case … Known as the favourite children’s counsel to the rich and famous.”
Legal 500 2020
“His work is immaculately presented and prepared … He has a great wealth of knowledge and is very good with anxious clients.”
Chambers & Partners 2020