Naomi was called to the Bar in 2016, after having achieved a First Class undergraduate degree in Law from the University of Birmingham.
Ranked in the 2024 edition of the Legal 500 as Rising Star (Tier 1) in Family (Children and Domestic Violence)
Ranked in the 2023 edition of the Legal 500 as a Rising Star (Tier 1) in Public and Private law
Ranked in the 2022 edition of the Legal 500 as a Rising Star in Family (Children)
Children - Public Law
Naomi has developed an extremely busy children law practice over the past few years, in both private and public law. She is frequently instructed on multi-day fact finds and final hearings. She is recognised by her peers and instructing solicitors as a star of the future. Naomi is frequently applauded for her attention to detail in cases, which means that every case she prepares is to the highest standard. She has exceptional interpersonal skills and is recognised as an outstanding advocate.
Naomi has built up a strong practice representing the local authority in complex public law proceedings and is highly regarded by her peers, judges and instructing solicitors in this area.
Naomi regularly appears in the High Court in public law cases, and has been successful in arguing the issue of designation at this level.
For example, within the last twelve months she has been instructed on cases involving the following issues: cases where the parents lack capacity and the Official Solicitor has been instructed; cases involving serious allegations of non-accidental injuries to a child; cases where fabricated illness has been a live issue before the Court; finding of fact hearings involving allegations of sexual abuse of a child; and cases involving deprivation of liberty safeguards in respect of children.
Naomi has also built up a strong parent practice within public law proceedings, alongside her local authority practice. She has represented parents with significant learning disabilities at final and interim hearings. In a recent multi-day final hearing she challenged the local authority extensively about the lack of support they had provided to her client, referring in detail to the case law and regulations and criticising the local authority for not exercising their duties in accordance with the law and regulations. She was recognised by the judge for her “painstaking analysis” of the case and that her client could not have been “better represented”, which was recorded within the written judgment.
Naomi has also been instructed on a 10-day final hearing for the local authority in a complex private law matter involving jurisdictional elements.
Naomi wishes to progress her public law work further and has a particular interest in developing her practice in cases involving medical evidence and NAIs.
Children - Private Law
Naomi is very experienced in private children cases. She is experienced in acting for parents, children, and members of the extended family in all aspects of private-law disputes. Naomi prides herself on her ability to build a strong rapport with clients from the outset; giving straightforward and practical advice to help the situation that the individual family member finds themselves in.
Naomi has recently been instructed in cases with issues including the following issues:
- Parental alienation
- Sexual and physical abuse of the child and/or the parent
- Transfer of living arrangements
- International and national relocation
- Serious psychiatric and psychological issues where experts have been cross-examined and challenged
Naomi is a mentor at Gray’s Inn and regularly provides training to students, which comprises the following: she reads over pupillage applications; she judges advocacy exercises and mooting competitions for the Inn and on circuit; she has attended pupillage advice evenings whereby she has provided intensive advice to prospective candidates.
Recommendations
“Naomi is a truly excellent children’s barrister and very much a rising star. She is always thoroughly prepared and is a strong advocate with excellent attention to detail.”
Legal 500 2024
“Naomi is always fully prepared and builds a strong rapport with the client from the outset. Her approachable manner immediately puts clients. She is robust but fair and not afraid to challenge an unfair decision or an unreasonable opponent. She delivers sensible advice and thinks of solutions “out of the box” to obtain the very best outcome for her clients.”
Legal 500 2023
“conscientious, thorough, and well organised.”
Legal 500 2023
“Kind and compassionate towards her clients. Excellent drafting skills. Always well prepared. Approachable. Excellent after care, she will always give advice on the next steps, and a clear note on what happened at a hearing.”
Notable Cases
T v R
2020
Naomi represented the local authority throughout this 10-day final hearing which took place as a hybrid hearing. This required knowledge of Brussels II and the working arrangements of the local Polish local authority and the Polish courts. There was an additional complicating factor due to the British exit from the European Union which was scheduled for the 31st of December 2020. Therefore, for the Court to utilise Brussels II, the decision had to be made and the plans approved prior to this date.
N v P
2021
Naomi represented a local authority in the High Court where she successfully argued the issue of designation. She was complimented by the High Court Judge on the skeleton argument she had produced for the hearing.
W v H
2020
Naomi represented the Mother at a multi-day final hearing where the local authority had applied for a care and placement order of the parents’ child. Mother an extremely low IQ and a ‘significant learning disability’. Naomi had to be extremely vigilant during the course of Mother’s evidence to ensure that Mother was receiving a fair hearing in light of her learning disability. This case had complicated factors due to the legal aspects that were involved, due to the local authority applying for both care and placement orders and the Mother having a learning disability. Naomi had to undertake extensive legal research and take the social workers through their duties, in reference to the law and regulations, in intricate detail, suggesting that the local authority had failed to comply with the requirements under the regulations and case law.
B v H
2020
Naomi was instructed to represent the Mother at a multi-day complex hybrid finding of fact hearing. The finding of fact comprised cross-allegations of sexual abuse of the parties’ daughter, allegations of parental alienation and allegations of exposure to an intrusive and inappropriate sexual examination.
Awards
During pupillage, Naomi was recognised as being an outstanding pupil barrister and was awarded the Ann Goddard Scholarship for publicly funded pupillages (Gray’s Inn, 2017). This is a highly prestigious scholarship which was awarded to her after a competitive interview and application process.
Lord Justice Holker Scholarship, Gray’s Inn, 2015
University of Law Performance Award for the BPTC, 2015
University of Law Wig Scholarship, 2016
Lady Barber Prize for Mooting, University of Birmingham, 2015
Runner-up in the Camm Cup Mooting Competition, 2015
Memberships
Family Law Bar Association member
West Midlands FLBA
Gray’s Inn
The Midland Circuit
Women in Family Law
Qualifications
LLB University of Birmingham 1st Class
BPTC University of Law
