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Susan Apthorp
Partner
Specialism: Lawyers Family and Matrimonial
Company: Keystone Law
Location: London, England
Susan Apthorp currently has no profile.
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2017
Susan Apthorp currently has no Citywealth award
Average client size: £5 million - £25 million
Fixed fee offering: No
Number of offices globally: 1-5
T: +44 (0)20 3319 3700
Private client review:
Susan is worth her weight in gold and has a heart of gold. Competent, knowledgeable, thorough, incredibly well connected, highly skilled, adept AND a joy to work with.
She takes a wonderfully pragmatic approach to complex and emotionally exhausting situations. I am eternally grateful to her for walking me so patiently through some of my darkest hours. Susan is a wonderful lawyer and I would not hesitate to recommend. She is the first lawyer I call. I value her opinion highly.
Peer review:
Susan is an extremely competent Family Lawyer who is results-driven. She provides an excellent service to clients and has a natural ability to put clients in stressful circumstances at their ease. She is the "go-to" lawyer in complex family divorce/disputes cases!
Peer review:
I have been instructed by Susan in a number of cases as a Private, Party and Single Joint Expert. She gives clear and precise instructions and, in Private and Party cases, encourages pro-active and constructive relationships and welcomes commercial and fiscal advice so as to provide her clients with the best possible advice. Susan's broad commercial and financial knowledge and experience compliment her legal expertise. She is readily accessible to both clients and experts and likes to lead a team approach.
Private client review:
A joy to work with. Finds creative solutions to highly complex issues and tenaciously sees the matter through to a close. Highly recommended to anyone I talk to needing sensitive family law problems resolving.
Peer review:
One of a handful of the very best matrimonial lawyers in London. There is no situation, however complex, however international, that she has not seen many times before. Professionally she is unfailingly courteous and calm, but she is pure steel underneath. Clients who are fortunate enough to obtain her services have someone in their corner full-time, with complete commitment. I would recommend her without hesitation, particularly for complex financial work.
Peer review:
With no doubt, one of England's finest matrimonial solicitors. Blessed with charm and an easy manner Susan also manages to contextualize difficult legal concepts with ease. Above all she is wise and strategic.
If I were ever to find myself unlucky enough to ever need the services of a divorce lawyer Susan would easily be my first choice.
Peerless.
Private client review:
Susan Apthorp has an amazing ability to find ways through complex family litigation that is outside the box and focused on problem solving. Her belief in the justice system shines through every task and if there is a way she will find it. Family litigation is not only stressful but heart wrenching and she is always there to help one through moments that are especially hard.
She will not be bullied in to fast resolve since fairness is always at the top of her mind.
Private client review:
Great strategist and ferocious as necessary, although couches her clients with understanding and empathy.
Susan is the solicitor for complex cases, totally reliable to achieve results.
Peer review:
Susan has proven to be an efficient negotiator when dealing with complex matters. She has a keen eye for detail, and it has been a pleasure working alongside her.
Institutional client review:
An experienced and smart woman. Effective, kind and on the ball.
Private client review:
A skilful negotiator. Susan is resolute as a mediator yet achieves resolution with understanding.
Peer review:
Ferocious like her partner, Ray Tooth, but a great strategist, with an easy smile and the ability to be kind. Susan is slowly emerging from Ray’s, shadow.
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Susan Apthorp currently has no reviews
Bezeliansky v Bezelianskaya [2016
Acted for the wife opposing the husband’s appeal against the enforcement of £ 2m arrears order. We had applied for orders that the husband be committed to prison for failing to pay child maintenance of £ 270 k per year. The husband, a billionaire, made an application for payments to be reduced, maintaining he had no assets and was under house arrest in Israel. Assets included a French property held through a company with a complex tax structure and a myriad of off-shore trusts. The Court of Appeal dismissed the husband’s appeal. We then negotiated a settlement to capitalise the child maintenance at £2m on the basis that the judgment would not be released by the Court of Appeal if H paid the £2m and the other debts owed by him in full and final settlement of all of the wife’s claims. This was a novel approach that required the cooperation of the Court of Appeal who we approached. The husband did not comply and the judgment was released. Susan was creative in achieving resolution and a final settlement figure for the wife which she can seek to enforce without concern that H might reapply for a downward variation of her child’s child maintenance during their minority.
FF v KF [2017]
Acted for the Wife in financial remedy proceedings. This was a big money (the husband was worth £34 m) short marriage (less than 2 years) case. Following novel points of law advanced by Sears Tooth in these proceedings including the fact that the wife was diagnosed with PTSD in part arising from her treatment by the husband during the marriage which affected her earning capacity. The wife was awarded £ 4.2 m and the husband appealed. The appeal was dismissed and the Court awarded the wife her costs.
BC v DE [2016]
Acted for a wife who had signed 3 pre-nuptial agreements, in three different jurisdictions as well as a jurisdiction agreement which requiring her matrimonial claims to be heard in Sweden. The wife issued a financial provision application in the UK and the husband issued in Sweden. We were successful in the Court finding that the English Court had jurisdiction. To protect our client we also issued proceedings for maintenance, legal fees funding and for housing provision under the Children Act.
The wife was awarded substantial provision for housing and maintenance under the Children Act as well as half the matrimonial home. The wife has appealed the court’s refusal to entertain a sharing claim and to uphold the jurisdiction agreement and that hearing will be held in June 2018
Private client review:
03 Nov 2020
Peer review:
Abbas Lakha QC 9 Bedford Row Chambers
02 Nov 2020
Peer review:
02 Nov 2020
Private client review:
29 Oct 2020
Peer review:
29 Oct 2020
Peer review:
28 Oct 2020
Private client review:
28 Oct 2020
Private client review:
Pamela Owen Self
28 Oct 2020
Peer review:
28 Oct 2020
Institutional client review:
28 Dec 2019
Private client review:
29 May 2019
Peer review:
19 Aug 2018
Your personal data is used for internal purposes only and is never sold or shared. For any enquiries, please email assistant editor Karen Jones at kjones@citywealthmag.com