Position: Head of department

Sarah Williams

  • 22 September 2025
Sarah Williams Head of Children in the Family Law team

Known for her “encyclopaedic knowledge of the law”, “phenomenal client care”, and distinguished by a Band 1 ranking in Chambers & Partners, Sarah delivers leading family law advice.

A Partner in the Family team and Head of Children at Forsters, Sarah brings extensive experience across a wide range of family law matters, with a particular focus on children and modern family law.

Sarah is renowned for her expertise in matters involving serious welfare considerations such as domestic abuse, coercive, controlling and alienating behaviours, vulnerable individuals, high-conflict disputes, recognition of and enforcement of foreign orders, protective injunctive relief, international abduction, international and domestic relocation as well as international surrogacy, international adoption, donor conception, parentage, parental responsibility, gender and matters of safeguarding.  Sarah also advises on nuptial, cohabitation and parenting agreements.

Sarah is known for her ability to navigate complex issues in a clear and efficient manner, seeking discreet, out of court resolution where possible.

She handles complex family matters for a client base including ultra-high net worth and high-profile individuals and families, working regularly alongside immigration, privacy, media and reputation lawyers and financial advisors.

Sarah is both a qualified children Arbitrator and qualified Mediator, and is widely esteemed throughout the legal profession – holding rankings in Chambers & Partners, The Legal 500 and being ‘Top Flight’ in the Spear’s Family Law Index. A leading market commentator, she is frequently invited to speak at major international family law conferences and regularly contributes to articles in The Times, The Guardian and The Financial Times, as well as leading domestic and international family law journals.

Sarah’s career began at the Bar, where she spent a decade representing parents, children, guardians, local authorities and the Official Solicitor in multifaceted and sensitive cases, giving her unique insight and perspective.

Sarah has completed the Family Law Bar Association’s Vulnerable Witness Advocacy Training. 

Victoria Towers

  • 29 August 2024
Victoria Towers

Praised for providing ‘invaluable and dynamic input to her clients’ businesses’ (Chambers UK 2026), Victoria is Head of the Commercial Real Estate team and Co-Head of Industrial and Logistics. She specialises in development, investment, acquisitions, pre-lets and complex forward fundings.

Ranked in all leading legal directories, clients note: ‘Not only is Victoria an excellent lawyer with in-depth knowledge of our business, but she is always seeking to further develop this knowledge and understand how she can add more value.’ (Chambers UK 2026). She likes to immerse herself in the deal and the sector she is working in. With extensive experience across the real estate sector, she has particular knowledge of industrial and logistics sector, acting primarily for developers and investors. Her involvement also extends to the office, restaurant and leisure sectors.

Victoria enjoys integrating herself into clients’ wider teams in order to fully understand their strategic thinking and objectives, ensuring that her advice is always clear and commercial.

At the forefront of industry trends, Victoria leads the Commercial Real Estate team’s sustainability offering, working and collaborating with clients to ensure their portfolios can achieve or exceed UK Government targets.

Benedict Walton

  • 29 August 2024
Benedict Walton

Noted by clients as “hugely commercial and great at litigation psychology”, Ben is Partner and Head of the Dispute Resolution team. He advises domestic and international corporate and individual clients on a wide variety of complex disputes, resolved by litigation, arbitration and by other alternative dispute resolution (ADR) methods. Ben attracts praise for his “good tactical sense and well-considered advice” and his “strategic and innovative” approach to litigation.

His particular areas of expertise include breaches of warranty and other contractual terms, competition litigation, breaches of directors’ duty, shareholder disputes (including unfair prejudice petitions), negligence, fraud, contempt of Court, investment, regulatory, and financial services disputes and group actions.

Ben has extensive experience of funded litigation and maintains excellent relationships with many of the major third-party funders, ATE insurance providers and brokers. This ensures that he is well placed, when required, to help clients find the most appropriate funding structure for their cases. While the details of funded cases remain confidential, Ben and Forsters have secured litigation funding solutions for some of the highest profile litigation to pass through the High Court in recent years.

Ben joined Forsters in 2015. He trained and spent the first 11 years of his career at Jones Day (formerly Gouldens), where he qualified as a solicitor in 2004.

Xavier Nicholas

  • 29 August 2024
Xavier Nicholas

Recognised as one of eprivateclient’s “50 Most Influential” private client professionals and one of Legal Week’s Private Client Global Elite, Xavier leads Forsters’ award-winning private client practice.

As the Head of Private Client, Xavier advises individuals, families and trustees in the UK and overseas on personal taxation, trust and estate planning. Xavier has specialist expertise in the establishment, taxation and operation of cross-border asset holding structures – including companies, partnerships, trusts, private trust companies and foundations.

Technically excellent and commercially astute, he is a trusted advisor to international wealthy families. He has particular experience in advising families and trustees with business interests – including on the creation of family charters and constitutions, and other aspects of family governance.

For overseas clients, Xavier advises on pre-arrival tax planning for individuals seeking UK residency, and succession planning for those with assets in more than one jurisdiction. He frequently advises clients who have a US connection, both on the UK aspects of US/UK estate planning, and the interaction between UK and US taxes.

Andrew Parker

  • 29 August 2024
Andrew Parker

Noted by clients as “brilliant”, “very client-friendly” and “on top of everything”, Chambers 2025, Andrew is a Partner and Head of the Construction Disputes team and the Building Safety team. He advises on the resolution of all types of construction dispute, from detailed final account and complex delay claims through to defects caused by poor workmanship and/or negligent design.

He has a deep understanding of how construction projects are run and the wide range of defects that can occur in completed buildings, ranging from external wall systems and structures to mechanical and electrical systems, including heating/cooling, air conditioning, ventilation, water and drainage.

Andrew helps clients on live construction projects where issues have arisen to avoid full blown disputes. Where a dispute is unavoidable, Andrew takes a logical and organised approach to put clients in a strong position to navigate the pre-action protocol and negotiate a successful outcome, whether by settlement or any other dispute resolution mechanism including mediation, arbitration, court or adjudication proceedings.

Joanne Edwards

  • 29 August 2024
Joanne Edwards

Hailed as ‘simply one of the leading family lawyers of her generation’ (Chambers UK 2024), Jo is recognised for her expertise in complex finances on divorce, child arrangements (including relocation) and nuptial agreements, especially in cases with an international element and/or involving trusts or wider family wealth. Clients describe her as ‘a first‑class lawyer who provides a first‑class service’, and fellow professionals say, ‘I feel confident if I refer a case to her that she will do a brilliant job’ (Chambers Ultra High Net Worth 2024).

Head of Family, Jo works with a range of clients, from professional sportsmen and women (with a particular interest and expertise in football work), business owners, entrepreneurs, landed gentry, those in private equity, lawyers/accountants and other professionals, those from the political sphere, creatives and various others, as well as spouses/partners of the same.

Whilst Jo has extensive court experience, she embraces a conciliatory and pragmatic approach to settling cases when beneficial to her client. Recognised in Chambers High Net Worth as one of only a couple of dozen leading family mediators nationwide, mediation is an increasingly significant part of Jo’s practice as the family justice system requires couples to focus ever more closely on alternatives to court. She is skilled in mediations involving married and unmarried couples, often where there are complex, high‑value assets involved or where a parent wishes to relocate overseas with the children. She often mediates with court proceedings ongoing in the background and frequently succeeds in getting couples to agreement, no matter how far advanced the litigation. Increasingly, Jo is also called upon to mediate in cases where thinking outside the box is required, e.g. helping couples resolve key terms of nuptial agreements before taking advice, helping families in crisis repair adult relationships or resolving disagreements over provision on death.

As a fearless campaigner for family law reform, Jo has sat on Resolution’s National Committee (the national family lawyers’ association) since 2009, having previously held the position of Chair from 2014 to 2016. She leads on policy work and has featured in several high‑profile family law campaigns, met with MPs and the judiciary, given evidence to various parliamentary committees and appears regularly on national TV and radio and in the broadsheets.

Internationally, Jo is a member of the Family Law Section of the Law Council of Australia, to where she travels regularly. Closer to home, she has ties north of the border, with a home and extensive family law contacts in Scotland.

Roberta Harvey

  • 29 August 2024
Roberta Harvey

Featured in the Legal 500’s Hall of Fame and described as “incredibly empathetic and really good to work with” in Chambers Private Wealth Disputes, 2024, Roberta is Head of the Trust and Estate Disputes team.

She has an excellent reputation in representing high net worth individuals, family offices, trustees, protectors, executors and beneficiaries. With wide-ranging expertise covering validity issues, breach of trust, removal applications, construction arguments, freezing injunctions, asset tracing and recovery, Roberta advises on the full remit of estate disputes.

Roberta’s supportive and constructive approach to litigation inspires confidence in her clients. Noted for being sympathetic and calm, she fiercely defends her clients’ best interests, while always considering the wider and long-term implications for their personal, financial and commercial interests. Roberta also works closely with her family and private client colleagues, often advising on divorce issues, post and pre-nuptial agreements, and on stress testing trust structures.

Her reputation as a leader in her field was recognised recently by her appointment as a member of the Association of Contentious Trust and Probate Specialists (ACTAPS) committee.

Catherine Hill

  • 29 August 2024
Catherine Hill

Hailed as a ‘leader in the field’ Legal 500, 2024, Catherine’s focus is advising UK domiciled and resident clients. Catherine is praised as ‘an extremely good technical lawyer with a practical approach’ and as having ‘fantastic client skills’. She specialises in estate planning, devising holding structures for family wealth including companies, partnerships and trusts.

With long experience of managing complex estates in the UK and abroad, Catherine works closely with the Corporate and Commercial and Family teams at Forsters to deliver strategic advice on asset structuring, succession and taxation that consider both the personal and commercial perspectives.

Catherine is also highly ranked in the latest Chambers UK Guide for Art and Cultural Property Law, described as having ‘an excellent reputation for dealing with contemporary artists and their estates. She is extremely knowledgeable in this space and has all the contacts that artists need”. As well as heading up Forsters’ Art and Cultural Property group, Catherine collaborates with specialist art advisors via Artistate Limited, an organisation that she co-founded to provide the complementary services required to support artists and their estates secure an enduring legacy.

Jo Keddie

  • 29 August 2024
Jo Keddie

Featured for the second time in her career in The Lawyer’s prestigious Hot 100 in 2024, described by Chambers as ‘a first-class strategist and communicator’ and by Legal 500 as ‘all-round top-notch and brilliant’ – Jo brings her strategic approach, technical excellence and unwavering client commitment to her leadership of our employment law offer.

With a track record spanning 35 years, she advises on contentious and non-contentious employment and partnership law for businesses, partnerships and individuals. As one of the UK’s leading employment lawyers, and arguably one of the most renowned, she has significant experience and expertise in representing clients on high-profile litigation matters, arbitration processes and sensitive investigations. She is particularly experienced in acting for clients in financial and insurance institutions, professional partnerships, private equity and other highly complex and regulated sectors.

Jo is strategic, commercial, client-centred and resolutions-driven. She fosters an approach that balances the ability to listen with the agility to act decisively. She balances her first-class track record with a tireless drive to understand the new. It’s why her colleagues enjoy working with her. It’s why clients approach her and stay, enabling them to navigate the increasingly complex world of employment and employment law – with one client commenting: “She is an outstanding lawyer and highly talented. With Jo on my side, I couldn’t have felt better represented.” (Chambers 2026).

Jo has earned significant market recognition, including being ranked in the Legal 500’s 2026 “Hall of Fame” for Partnership and Senior Executive work for several years. She is Top Ranked in Chambers 2026 for Partnership and Senior Executive work and also ranked for Employers work. Additionally, Spear’s Legal Indices 2025 names her a Top Recommended Lawyer for Senior Executives, Family Offices, and Companies.

Lucy Barber

  • 29 August 2024
Lucy Barber

Ranked in all leading legal directories, Lucy is also recognised as a ‘Top Flight Property Lawyer’ in Spear’s Property Advisers Index. Under her leadership, the Residential Property team was named ‘Residential Property Team of the Year’ at the Chambers High Net Worth Awards 2022 and a finalist in 2024.

As Partner and Head of the Residential Property team, Lucy specialises in all aspects of acquisitions and disposals of freehold and leasehold property. She is a member of the Enfranchisement team, acting for both landlords and tenants in connection with enfranchisement claims. Her work includes advising the Phillimore Estate and the Crown Estate on their enfranchisement claims and management issues arising from their property portfolios.

Lucy is also a specialist in advising on listed buildings.

Lucy acts for a variety of private individuals, developers, investors and lenders and is passionate about building personal and long‑lasting relationships. As a ‘highly respected senior practitioner’ who is ‘technically strong and has a positive, can‑do and commercial approach’, Lucy provides practical advice to ensure the best outcome is reached for clients.

Ben Barrison

  • 29 August 2024
Ben Barrison

Ben has a wealth of experience in all aspects of real estate disputes, from high‑value complex property litigation to day‑to‑day portfolio management support issues. He has particular experience in development risk management/elimination issues, such as rights to light and vacant possession strategy.

He provides the full range of advisory dispute‑resolution/avoidance services, guiding a variety of clients through both informal solutions and the formal processes of litigation, arbitration and mediation.

Ben is the Head of Forsters’ top‑ranked Real Estate Disputes team, where he leads a 30‑strong group of expert litigators. The team is widely considered one of the UK’s leading practices, with specific expertise crossing both commercial and residential matters.

Simon Collins

  • 29 August 2024
Simon Collins

Simon is a Partner in Forsters’ Banking and Finance team, advising on domestic and international banking and finance in all its forms, including alternative lending structures and real estate finance. His in‑depth understanding of financial institutions has been enhanced by a secondment at the Royal Bank of Scotland plc.

He has particular expertise and experience in high‑value secured lending, particularly in the real estate (development and investment) finance sector, trade and export finance, debt‑restructuring and debt‑conversion programmes, and secured and unsecured syndicated and bilateral credit products. Simon is adept at advising on all forms of debt financing, from real estate to art.

Acting for a wide variety of clients, both onshore and offshore, Simon’s lender clients include private banks, challenger banks, alternative lenders and bridge lenders. In addition, he has previously acted for a range of institutional lenders. His borrower clients comprise both corporates and individuals, and include investment and asset management companies, developers, funds, high‑net‑worth individuals and entrepreneurs.

Sarah Cook

  • 29 August 2024
Sarah Cook

Noted by clients as “an outstanding partner” (Legal 500 2024), Sarah founded and leads the non‑contentious side of the Construction team and has particular experience in real estate developments. Ranked Band 2 in Chambers for Construction: Non‑contentious, she is acknowledged for her advice on contracts and other construction documentation for major development projects, including high‑end residential, commercial and retail schemes.

She has worked on a long list of landmark developments, including town‑centre and out‑of‑town regeneration; commercial, retail, sports, residential and mixed‑use developments; student accommodation; hotels; and infrastructure projects.

With over 25 years of experience in the construction industry, Sarah ‘always delivers’ (Chambers, 2024) and takes a hands‑on approach to projects. She is down‑to‑earth, personable, prides herself on excellence, and is committed to driving a matter forward. Sarah likes to develop strong relationships with her clients and maintain these over the long term.

Having joined Forsters in 1998, Sarah knows how to get the best out of her team and colleagues from across the firm. She frequently works alongside lawyers in the Commercial Real Estate, Residential Property, Rural Property and Private Client teams, among others.

Victoria Du Croz

  • 29 August 2024
Victoria Du Croz

Ranked as a Leading Individual in Legal 500 Planning 2025 and among the top practitioners in Chambers, Victoria is noted for ‘her brilliant legal mind’ and her ability to ‘simplify complex issues and provide pragmatic advice quickly’.

Victoria heads the Planning team at Forsters and is one of few senior lawyers to specialise in representing commercial and private clients, including major developers, institutional investors and public sector entities. She advises on all aspects of redevelopment and regeneration, from advice on planning applications to planning appeals, judicial review, statutory challenges and disposal strategies.

Victoria has a proven track record in the redevelopment of central urban sites, including those that are highly constrained.

She prides herself on robust, strategic and commercial advice, drawing on her extensive experience coupled with a detailed understanding of specific site restrictions and opportunities for development. She is passionate about new buildings and changing skylines.