MILES PRESTON - Key Persons
Harriet has been a specialist family lawyer since qualifying in 1993. At the start of her career, she worked with Peter George at Charles Russell and then moved as a partner to Payne Hicks Beach in 2004. She joined Miles Preston in October 2013.
Julia qualified in 1984. Since then, she has practised solely in the area of family law with particular interest in complex financial cases, often involving trusts and overseas assets. She has carved out a niche for herself acting for third parties intervening in cases where that third party's interests are before the court in finance and property proceedings between husband and wife.
Julia has several reported cases which are leading authorities on issues ranging from costs allowances by way of maintenance provision to the valuation of minority interests in private, family companies.
She is a skilled negotiator and aims to address and resolve issues cost-effectively. Another strength is her direct and clear advice. Julia also has a strong sense of humour which often makes for a well developed solicitor/client relationship.
She has received plaudits from both Chambers and Partners and Legal 500. Legal 500 says that she is "highly professional, no-nonsense and offers straight and unbiased advice".
Miles Preston set up Miles Preston & Co with Julia Stanczyk and Siobhan Readhead in 1994 and is now a non-practising retired former solicitor consultant to the firm.
The firm quickly established an excellent reputation as a specialist family law niche practice and has sustained that reputation ever since.
For many years, Miles has been recognised as one of the top family law practitioners in the country.
Miles' work encompassed the full spectrum of family law but, increasingly over the years, he was consulted in relation to the resolution of complex financial disputes, many of which had an international dimension.
Marcus Dearle is a 26-year veteran of Withers in London and Hong Kong (1990-2016) and has over 35 years of experience acting in complex domestic and international family law cases. Marcus has specialist expertise, in particular, acting for trustees in HNW and UHNW divorce and trust cases, advising on HNW and UHNW pre- and post-nuptial agreements (PNAs) and dealing with international divorce litigation involving PNAs and trusts. He has recognised pioneering expertise in international surrogacy law and medico-legal/fertility law issues.
He is the Immediate Past Chair of the International Bar Association, Family Law Committee, and a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers.
In addition to being admitted in England & Wales, he uniquely practises in Hong Kong family law from London. He is also admitted, but not practising in, the BVI.
Marcus is ranked in the Chambers High Net Worth Guide in the Family/Matrimonial Finance: Ultra High Net Worth section and is recognised as a leading trusts and divorce litigation practitioner advising HNW and UHNW clients in ALM's Private Client Global Elite directory. The directory is entirely reliant on peer nominations.
Marcus acted for the corporate trustee of an offshore Guernsey trust in a major and complex divorce and trust case which went to trial in the High Court in London in 2001, and then to the Court of Appeal in 2008: Judge v Judge [2008] EWCA Civ 1458. Lord Justice Wilson in the Court of Appeal found that the trustee had, ‘adopted a stance not only properly defensive of the interests of the trust, but also both neutral as between the husband and the wife and essentially helpful to the court.'
He is currently representing Sir Frederick Barclay in a leading high profile case relating to a web of highly complex overseas trust arrangements see: case reference [2022] EWHC 2026 (Fam) https://www.judiciary.uk/judgments/lady-hiroko-barclay-v-sir-frederick-barclay/. See also the judgment [2021] EWFC 40 https://www.judiciary.uk/judgments/barclay-v-barclay/.
During the 11 years he was based in Hong Kong Marcus led the family law teams acting in a number of groundbreaking international family law cases that went to the Hong Kong Court of Appeal and/or Court of Final Appeal, including the Florence Tsang case TCWF v LKKS [2014] HKEC 1593 (the largest Hong Kong divorce case), and the landmark divorce and trust, Court of Final Appeal, case of Otto Poon [2014] HKEC 1174, when he acted for the professional trustee, HSBC International Trustee Limited - a case involving a Jersey trust which the Financial Times reported as having ‘Rattled the Trust Industry' in Hong Kong.
He also acted successfully for the financially stronger US husband in LCYP v JEK [2019] HKCFI 1588, which is now the leading PNA case in Hong Kong.
Marcus acted for the left-behind parent in the first Hague Convention Child Abduction case in Hong Kong (unreported - 2012) between Hong Kong and Singapore, after Singapore acceded to the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction.
He was shortlisted as International Family Lawyer of the Year at the Lexis Nexis Family Law Awards 2018.
He wrote the chapter on Divorce and Trusts in Sweet & Maxwell's 2010 publication ‘Family Law and Practice in Hong Kong' and in the 2nd (2014) and 3rd (2018) editions.
He lectures widely at international conferences and has been interviewed on international TV news networks, including by the BBC and CNN.
"He's the only lawyer who made my wife settle, I kid you not."
Rahanna Choudhury is a 6-year qualified senior associate
Rahanna has significant experience in all aspects of family law, with a particular focus on HNW and UHNW financial cases. Many of Rahanna's cases have an international element, such as dealing with complex asset structures, trusts and family businesses.
Rahanna also has extensive experience of dealing with the most challenging aspects of private children's work, often involving safeguarding and welfare issues. She has particular experience of dealing with cases involving the appointment of guardians and allegations of domestic abuse.
Rahanna joined Miles Preston in January 2023, having spent her time upon qualification at a leading regional boutique practice, under the mentorship of Claire Hamilton-Russell who was formerly a partner in the family law team at Farrer & Co. Rahanna is valued by her clients for giving clear, pragmatic advice at what is the most difficult of times. Rahanna is tenaciously committed to ensuring that her clients feel supported throughout the legal process and will always try to find a way to resolve matters outside of court if possible, if this is in her clients' best interests.