Barbara Reeves

Practice Areas

Barbara is a Partner in the firm's Family team and assists international families, their family offices and their businesses on a wide range of matters. She is also recognised as one of London's leading and most highly-regarded Family lawyers in all areas of Family work, specialising in both complex and international work, nuptial agreements as well as wider issues that affect family life including addiction and coercive control.

She has been involved in many leading high net worth cases and is renowned for her handling of the financial fall-out from divorce, with significant experience in cases that include non-disclosure and enforcement issues, as well as covering other discrete issues such as injunctions, overseas children relocation, cohabitation, separation, surrogacy, and mental capacity.

Barbara has also been recognised for her private client and family services and is listed in the Spear’s Family Lawyers 2025 as a Senior Statesperson Family Lawyer and in the Citywealth Leaders List 2025. She is a member of Resolution and the International Academy of Family Lawyers. Legal 500 describe her as "wickedly intelligent" and "strategically minded" and Chambers call her "exceptionally knowledgeable". While acting for a wide number of clients, including many high-profile cases, her strength lies in being a trusted advisor for many families and their family offices.

She is a qualified mediator and is a member of the ADR group. She is also a member of the Development Board of the Young Vic and a trustee of the WOW Foundation. She is a frequent broadcaster and speaker at conferences.

Career

Partner, Mishcon de Reya LLP

Partner, Head of Family, Mishcon de Reya LLP

Partner, Mishcon de Reya LLP

Industry Sector Expertise

Re D (A young man), [2020] EWCOP 1

C v C [2018] EWHC 3186 (Fam)

Rapp v Sarre (Formerly Rapp) [2016] EWCA Civ 93

B (Children) [2012] EWCA Civ 1082

Miller-Smith v Miller-Smith (No 2) [2010] 2 FLR 351

Miller-Smith v Miller-Smith [2009] EWHC 3623

F (A Child) [2008] EWCA Civ 938

Morgan v Hill 2006 EWCA 1602

Re P (child provision) 2003 EWCA Civ 837

Re B 2002 EWCA Civ 1225 <

Otobo v Otobo 2002 EWCA Civ 949

IN v CH [2024] EWFC 233 - Acted for the husband who made a competing application against the wife for an order for sale in respect of the matrimonial home and a yacht. No beneficial interest was found and an order for sale was made (within financial remedy proceedings). The wife’s application to sell the yacht was unsuccessful as it belonged to a company, AB, who had not been joined to the proceedings.