Adrian Gordon

Biography

Adrian is a solicitor who is in the process of transferring to the Bar. After training in private client and corporate work, he became interested in family law work and particularly in childcare work. Prior to starting pupillage, he worked in house at a local authority dealing with care proceedings as well as developing a broader practice in public law and costs law dealing with judicial review challenges, wasted costs order applications and Human Rights Act claims.

Adrian is an experienced advocate and undertook his own advocacy for several years before taking on a full time advocacy role in February 2022. His practice included:

• Handling multiple care proceedings involving adoption care plans which required him to advise client departments on the strict test under Re B-S given the draconian nature of relevant orders and whether care planning steps have been sufficiently exhaustive;

• Obtaining a range of public law orders, including a location order and a secure accommodation order from the High Court in order to safeguard the welfare of missing children at risk of child sexual exploitation;

• Representing the Local Authority at a variety of hearings including contested interim care order hearings determining separation, case management hearings, application hearings and issues resolution hearings; and

• Providing legal advice to social workers at Legal Gateway advice meetings, care planning meetings and Public Law Outline review meetings.

Adrian is a calm and competent advocate who provides thorough and carefully considered advice. He is particularly well experienced in public law children proceedings, but is also able to accept instructions in private law children and other family cases, and in family finance disputes.