Brabners boosts family law offering with key hires

Leading independent law firm Brabners has enhanced its nationally recognised family law team with the appointment of two senior experts, Chris Fairhurst and Hannah Saxe. Both join the Brabners Personal practice, which specialises in supporting business owners and high-net-worth individuals through complex family legal matters.

Chris Fairhurst joins as a partner, bringing over 25 years of experience in handling complex financial cases related to divorce and separation, particularly those involving multiple assets and multi-million-pound pension funds. Based in Brabners' Lancashire office, Chris will leverage his strong ties to Lancashire and Cumbria to serve clients locally, nationally, and internationally. He also has significant expertise in child arrangement disputes, including relocation cases.

Hannah Saxe, appointed as a legal director, brings 18 years of experience in complex financial cases and children’s law, including cross-border disputes and matters reaching the Supreme Court. She also has specialist knowledge in modern family issues, such as domestic and international adoption, surrogacy, and fertility law. Additionally, Hannah is experienced in supporting neurodivergent parents and children, bolstering the firm’s inclusive family law offering.

Brabners' family team, led by partner Cara Nuttall, is part of the wider 100-strong Brabners Personal practice. With more than 500 colleagues across its offices in Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, and Lancashire, the firm serves clients both nationally and internationally.

Cara Nuttall said: “Chris and Hannah are a welcome addition to our team. Their deep expertise and commitment to providing comprehensive, holistic support align perfectly with our ethos of guiding clients through life’s most challenging moments.”

Nik White, managing partner at Brabners, added: “Brabners Personal exists to support clients through whatever challenges they’re facing, at whatever point in their life. These new hires reinforce our commitment to offering first-class guidance in complex family legal situations, reflecting our strategy to attract top-tier legal talent and meet growing client demand.”

A certified B Corp, Brabners continues to be recognised for its purpose-driven approach and was recently named the Best Law Firm to Work For in the UK by Best Companies. The addition of Chris Fairhurst and Hannah Saxe underscores the firm’s dedication to delivering expert, compassionate service across all aspects of family law.

Picture - L-R Cara Nuttall, Chris Fairhurst and Hannah Saxe