Year of Call
2022Solicitor
2016“Thank you so much for recommending Adrian Gordon at short notice yesterday. He did an excellent job. Cool as a cucumber.”
Instructing solicitor
Biography
Adrian qualified as a solicitor in 2016. After training in private client and corporate work, he became interested in family law work and particularly in childcare work. 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:
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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;
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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;
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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
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Providing legal advice to social workers at Legal Gateway advice meetings, care planning meetings and Public Law Outline review meetings.
In January 2023 Adrian transferred to the Bar and immediately began to build a busy practice across the full range of family law including family finances, TOLATA cases and public and private children law. Recent feedback from a solicitor was "Adrian did a great job at court last week and achieved an excellent outcome for the client."
Adrian is a calm and competent advocate who provides thorough and carefully considered advice. His background as a solicitor means that he is particularly good at dealing with clients, anticipating the needs of solicitors and meeting those needs. He is down to earth, realistic in his advice and a strong advocate on behalf of his clients.
Family finances and TOLATA
Adrian is building his practice in family financial disputes, and is keen to expand his experience in this area. His background in private client and corporate law means that he is very good with numbers, and particularly good at dealing with cases where there are company structures in the background as well as shares, pensions and other assets.
He has experience in First Directions Appointments, and FDRs including those where settlements have been reached. He accepts instructions in all family finance and TOLATA disputes.
Children law (public)
Adrian has a huge amount of experience of dealing with public law children proceedings, particularly on behalf of local authorities. He understands the processes which local authorities have to go through when contemplating proceedings, and the decision making which feeds into this. As a result, he is very well suited to acting for local authorities.
Since coming to Chambers, Adrian has also started to represent parents at a number of hearings including short notice ICO hearings, CMHs and DOLs hearings. His experience working for local authorities helps him to advise parents on the process and to anticipate the sorts of issues which will need to be resolved.
Children law (private)
Adrian accepts instructions in disputes relating to children and has a wide range of experience including FHDRAs, DRAs and a multi-day fact finding hearing. In addition, he has advised clients on the pursuit of Child Arrangement Orders, Prohibited Steps Orders, Specific Issue Orders and Occupation Orders where clients seek both Lives With and Spend Time with orders.
Adrian's in depth knowledge of the family courts, coupled with his calm demeanour, make him a very good choice for this type of work.
Injunctions / Domestic Abuse
Adrian is experienced in dealing with urgent applications for injunctions particularly where there are allegations of domestic abuse. He is able to pick up cases on short notice, familiarise himself with the facts quickly and advocate strongly on behalf of his clients.
Civil litigation
Adrian has experience of civil litigation and is keen to build on this at the Bar. He has experience of public law and costs law dealing with judicial review challenges, wasted costs order applications and Human Rights Act claims. He understands the rules which apply to civil proceedings, and the costs orders which are typically made, and is able to advise clients about those.
Adrian is particularly keen to act in cases which straddle the civil and family jurisdictions such as TOLATA and cases where he has relevant experience from his time as a solicitor such as employment and commercial disputes.
Instruct
To instruct Adrian in a family case please contact Jay Dorton.
To instruct Adrian in a civil case please contact Rob Johnstone.
Education
- University of Cambridge: BA (Hons) Law
- University of Warwick: LLM in International Corporate Governance and Financial Regulation
Memberships
- Resolution
Notable Cases
Re W – Adrian negotiated a satisfactory agreement at an early stage for resolution of financial proceedings in connection with divorce proceedings.
Re S – Adrian represented the respondent wife at a Financial Dispute Resolution hearing in matrimonial finance proceedings involving lack of clarity surrounding the holding of overseas assets and complex interfamilial financial arrangements
CT v AH – Adrian assisted the applicant wife at a First Directions Appointment hearing in respect of her application for financial provision arising from divorce, seeking that fair provision be made for his client on account of her contributions to the marriage and for her personal difficulties arising from the marital breakdown.
A local authority v PS v MA – Adrian advised a local authority on the exceptionality test to withhold service from a respondent parent in a complex matter involving concerns of honour-based violence.
A local authority v ZW v WL – Adrian appeared on behalf of a respondent parent at a week-long trial at the conclusion of care proceedings lasting over 2 years, with extensive evidence and witness examination involved.
A local authority v SH v BC – Adrian represented a respondent parent at an urgent hearing concerning a local authority application seeking a DOLs order to deprive the parent’s child of their liberty at a residential placement.
A local authority v MS – Adrian appeared on behalf of a local authority as a Claimant in committal proceedings brought against a Defendant pursuant to rules 37.3 and 37.4 of the Family Procedure Rules 2010 for breach of an existing Non-Molestation Order.
In the matter of C and J – Adrian appeared for a parent at a multi-day fact-finding hearing in respect of historic abuse allegations involving considerable documentation and evidence.
In the matter of JD – Adrian advocated on behalf of a mother in private law proceedings as to his client’s concerns surrounding the lack of professional support services management and advice to underpin his client’s continued care of her children.
In the matter of DF – Adrian advised an applicant father at a final hearing in respect of his application for contact with his child, where matters were resolved by consent following negotiation and agreement between Adrian and opposing counsel on behalf of their respective clients.
In the matter of E – Adrian assisted a parent with representation in complex private law proceedings with respect to children subject to social services involvement, obtaining Lives With and Spend Time With orders for his client.
AA v AB – Adrian successfully obtained a non-molestation order on behalf of his client protecting her from further harassment and intimidation in her home from the respondent, as well as orders preventing the respondent from having knowledge of her movements outside of her home
SH v HH – Adrian obtained an Occupation Order on behalf of his client requiring ex-husband to vacate the Former Matrimonial Home, having been exposed to significant domestic abuse during the course of the marriage.