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Melissa Lesson, Partner, Family

Melissa Lesson

Partner

Personal Profile

Melissa is a barrister and Partner in the Family department and heads up the Anglo-French Family Law team. She is also head of the Firm's French Group. She is a dual French and English national and is a multilingual speaker, speaking French and Italian. Many of her cases have a Francophone angle. Melissa specialises in separation, divorce, trusts and jurisdictional disputes, including complex, multi-jurisdictional cases involving significant assets. These often also include private children matters such as residence and contact, prohibited steps and specific issues. Many of Melissa’s clients have been high profile figures, and she regularly works on cases with lawyers in Paris and on international prenuptial agreements.

Melissa has law degrees from both the Universities of London and Paris and was a pupil at 1 Hare Court. She was called to the Bar in 1998 and became a Partner at Mishcon de Reya in 2008. Melissa speaks at international conferences and is a member of the International Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL). She leads Mishcon's membership of the French Chamber of Commerce and regularly contributes articles to their website.

Melissa was listed as a Family Law expert in the 2013 London Super Lawyers directory and has been included in the Citywealth Leaders List 2013.

Melissa is a Trustee of the Soke Foundation which funds initiatives aimed at caring for the mental health of the vulnerable, and those unable to seek help due to financial or other circumstances beyond their control.

Key Experience

  • Minwalla-v-Minwalla [2004] - Family (With permission of LexisNexis Butterworths).
  • Representing the French wife of a high profile French sportsman, with regards to a divorce issued in France. The case was settled in conjunction with a lawyer in France and the negotiations and round table settlement discussions took place in London. 
  • Acting on behalf of a French wife in relation to her divorce from her Italian husband. The couple were living in London but their assets were held in France and Italy and required input and assistance from a French lawyer to put in place the financial structure ultimately agreed.
  • Representing a HNW French husband in relation to his divorce from his Dutch wife. The main issue in contention was the French prenuptial agreement which was not considered fair and therefore valid in the jurisdiction of England and Wales; as such his considerable wealth was not protected by the agreement.

Career History

Partner, Mishcon de Reya LLP
Barrister, Mishcon de Reya (dual qualified as a Solicitor in 2008)
Pupillage at the Chamber of Philip Moor QC, 1 Hare Court
University College London, LLB Law with French Law Diplôme d’Etudes Juridiques from Université de Paris II : Panthéon-Assas

Melissa est avocate et associée dans le service des affaires familiales. Elle est bilingue, de nationalités française et britannique, et traite de nombreuses affaires sous un angle francophone.

Melissa est spécialiste des affaires de séparation, divorce, trust et autres conflits de compétences, y compris les affaires complexes concernant plusieurs juridictions lorsque des actifs importants sont en jeu. Ces affaires concernent aussi souvent des enfants, le lieu de résidence, la division de temps entre les parents, les interdictions et les 'Specific Issue Orders' (par exemple vis-à-vis l'education de l'enfant). Melissa négocie les contrats prénuptiaux, souvent  internationaux. De nombreux clients de Melissa sont des personnalités. Les affaires qu'elle traite l'amènent à être régulièrement en contact avec des avocats de Paris. 

Melissa est diplômée des universités de Londres et de Paris, et a été stagiaire au cabinet 1 Hare Court. Elle a été reçue au barreau en 1998 et est associée chez Mishcon depuis 2008. Membre de l'International Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL), Melissa intervient dans des conférences internationales.  

Melissa figurait en tant que spécialiste du droit des affaires familiales dans l'édition 2013 de l’annuaire du London Super Lawyers et dans la Citywealth Leaders List.

Expérience

Minwalla-v-Minwalla [2004] - Affaire familiale (avec l'autorisation de LexisNexis Butterworths) 

Exemples d'expériences récentes d'affaires francophones de Melissa, les trois affaires ci-dessous illustrent le type de défis rencontrés et l'efficacité du travail accompli avec des confrères français : 

  • Représentation de l'épouse française d'un sportif français célèbre dans le cadre de son divorce en France. L'affaire a été menée en collaboration avec un avocat en France ; les négociations et discussions de règlement ont eu lieu à Londres.  
  • Représentation de l'épouse française dans le cadre de son divorce de son mari italien. Le couple vivait à Londres, mais le patrimoine était en France et en Italie. Les conseils et l'assistance d'un avocat français étaient indispensables à la mise en œuvre de la structure financière mutuellement convenue a Londres. 
  • Représentation d'un Français fortuné dans le cadre du divorce d'avec son épouse néerlandaise. Le point principal du dossier portait sur le contrat prénuptial français, considéré injuste et par conséquent non valide en Angleterre, privant donc la fortune considérable du mari de la protection prévue au contrat.

Parcours professionnel

Associée, Mishcon de Reya LLP 
Avocate, Mishcon de Reya (doublement qualifiée en tant que 'Barrister' et 'Solicitor' en 2008) 
Stage au cabinet 1 Hare Court 
University College London, LLB Law et Droit Français

Diplôme d’études juridiques de l'Université de Paris II : Panthéon-Assas 

Melissa è avvocato e Partner nella sezione Famiglia. Ha doppia nazionalità francese e inglese, è bilingue e ha un buon livello di italiano.   Molti dei suoi casi hanno un'inquadratura Europea, sopratutto francese e italiana. Melissa è specializzata in separazioni, divorzi, controversie in materia di trust e giurisdizionali, comprese cause complesse e multigiurisdizionali relative a beni di significativa consistenza. Si occupa spesso anche di aspetti quali questioni riservate relative ai figli, come la residenza e i contatti, misure di interdizione e problematiche specifiche. Molti dei suoi clienti sono figure di alto profilo, e Melissa lavora regolarmente su casi con avvocati a Parigi, Milano e Roma e su accordi prematrimoniali internazionali.

Melissa ha conseguito la laurea in giurisprudenza presso le università di Londra e di Parigi ed è stata allieva dello studio professionale di 1 Hare Court. È stata ammessa all'Ordine degli Avvocati nel 1998 ed è diventata Partner di Mishcon de Reya nel 2008. Melissa interviene a conferenze internazionali ed è membro dell'International Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL).

Melissa è stata inserita come esperta di diritto di famiglia nell'elenco dei London Super Lawyers 2013 ed è stata inclusa nella Citywealth Leaders List 2013.

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