Mackrell LLP has appointed Anest Mathias as a Senior Associate in its Family and Relationships team, bringing one of the country’s most recognised specialists in fertility, surrogacy and modern parenting law to the firm.
Anest joins from another leading law firm with more than 20 years’ experience as a family lawyer.
She is individually ranked by both Chambers and Partners and The Legal 500 and holds the Law Society’s Family Law Advanced accreditation.
Her work and support of clients has helped shape how the law in England and Wales recognises families created with the help of donors and surrogates.
She has acted in a series of landmark declaration of parentage cases. The late Sir James Munby, former President of the Family Division, and Lord Justice Jackson in the Court of Appeal have described her cases as unprecedented.
Most recently, she acted for the mother in P v Q, where the Court of Appeal upheld a declaration that her daughter’s legal parent was the intended sperm donor rather than her former wife, who had been named on the birth certificate.
Alongside her fertility and surrogacy work, Anest has a broad private family law practice covering divorce and financial remedy, child arrangements, relocation, domestic abuse injunctions and property disputes between unmarried partners.
Many of her cases involve an international element, including financial matters where assets are held across different jurisdictions.
This plays into Mackrell LLP’s respected position as an international law firm and founding member of one of the world’s leading legal networks, Mackrell International.
Adeeba Naseem, Head of the Family and Relationship Team at Mackrell LLP, said: “Anest is one of the most respected family lawyers in her field and her arrival is a significant addition to our team.
“Her work in fertility and surrogacy law has set precedents that other practitioners now rely on and she brings the same care and rigour to every client she represents. We are delighted to welcome her.”
Speaking about her appointment, Anest said: “Families are formed in many different ways today and the law has not always kept pace.
“For me, the most rewarding work comes from achieving great outcomes at the end of each case, whether it is helping with the relocation of a child to another jurisdiction or securing a financial settlement enabling a client to move on with their lives.
“I am delighted to be able to continue this work in my new role at Mackrell LLP.”
