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Gordon Dadds

Gordon Dadds is an independent private client law firm based in Mayfair, London. It is well known for its work in family law, but also works in commercial, property, tax, wills and probate, and litigation and dispute resolution. Clients of the firm range from individuals and wealthy families to companies and charities.

Profile
Gordon Dadds is a small specialised firm of private client lawyers. It was originally founded by George (Tim) Gordon in 1920 with his army gratuity. He was joined by Howard Dadds in 1921. Their first clients were former army colleagues needing help with divorce and hence the firm's specialisation in family law began. Over the years the firm developed its private client work to include advising family businesses. Mergers with the commercial, property and litigation firms Jepson Goff (1996) and Camillins (2001) increased the range of services the firm could offer. The firm moved in 1947 to its offices in Mayfair, which it still occupies. This very discrete building is often mistaken for a private residence, including once winning a prize for its window boxes as part of Mayfair in Bloom.

Gordon Dadds employs up to 20 lawyers of whom 10 are partners. The firm is currently ranked in the fourth tier of both Chambers and the Legal 500 rankings of UK law firms for its family law work. The firm has maintained its focus on providing life-long advice to private clients, and in recent years has also developed a specialisation in advising small businesses and charities. The firm has a growing international practice in litigation, company and commercial and private client work and has affiliations with specialist advisers in the United States, Europe and the Middle East.

Areas of practice
•	Family: 25%

•	Private Client: 15%

•	Litigation: 25%

•	Property: 20%

•	Company & Commercial: 15%

Members of the different departments also work cross-functionally in the employment law and charities groups, to provide coverage of contentious and non-contentious issues in these areas.

Principal areas of work
Company & Commercial: This department advises on all aspects of UK and international transactions, including domestic and cross-border tax planning, company acquisitions, MBOs, disposals and corporate reorganisations in a range of business sectors. In addition to specialist services to the entertainment and media industries, the firm advises on all aspects of corporate law including employment, pensions, intellectual property, banking, FSA approval and compliance and commercial contracts, as well as environment and regulatory matters.

Family Law: The family law department works mainly with high net worth, celebrity and international clients, advising on complex financial cases as well as all matters in relation to children, divorce, separation agreements and pre-nuptial contracts. Cross-border disputes, emergency procedures, injunction proceedings and problems arising from cohabitation are also specialist areas. Partners aim to achieve out of court settlements in preference to litigation and will also practice collaborative law where appropriate.

Litigation & Dispute Resolution: This department has an international practice in Europe and the Middle East, and also advises on a range of litigation matters for UK-based commercial and private clients including media, employment, commercial including contractual disputes and fraud, company litigation including directors' duties and disqualification and shareholder and partnership disputes, intellectual property (including copyright and trademarks), insolvency and asset recovery, defamation, contentious wills, trust and probate including inheritance disputes, professional negligence, construction, property (including landlord and tenant), road traffic (civil and criminal).

Private Client: This practice advises on wills, tax and estate planning, and administration of trusts. There is a particular focus on contentious, international and high value probate matters and the department is also known for charity law, including all aspects of establishing and administration of charities.

Property: This department advises on property finance and litigation as well as commercial and domestic property transactions, investments and planning.

Recent notable cases tried
Karafarin Bank v Mansoury-Dara [2009]

Parabola Investments Ltd and anor -v- Browallia Cal Ltd and ors [2009]

S v S [2008]

Shuttleworth v Shuttleworth [2005]

CR v CR [2008]