We are delighted to announce the appointment of Archie Best to Partner.

Archie trained at Payne Hicks Beach before joining Hughes Fowler Carruthers as an Associate in 2011. He was promoted to Senior Associate in 2017.

Archie has over 11 years of experience within the family law sector and was described by The Legal 500 UK 2021 as a “talented associate”.

He has advised on a wide range of family and divorce matters, including in the first reported case on service within the EU following the landmark decision of Thum, in complex cases involving litigation across several jurisdictions, a broad range of children matters, the only reported case of a successful application for an order relocating children from this jurisdiction to live with a non-resident parent abroad and on negotiating both pre-nuptial and post- nuptial agreements for clients with complicated and international asset portfolios. Archie has also assisted on a variety of high-profile family and divorce matters. Mostly notably, he assisted in advising Temur Akhmedov in relation to the Akhmedova v Akhmedov matters.

Archie recently co-wrote with Partner Mark Harper a chapter on family law in the recently published Global Mobility of Ultra-High-Net-Worth Individuals, which has been described as an invaluable tool for lawyers, tax advisers, bankers and all professionals who assist Ultra-High-Net-Worth Individuals. He was also a key contributor to the Third Edition of International Trust and Divorce Litigation, also co-authored by partner Mark Harper, which has been described as “the must have leading authority providing an indispensable steer for lawyers, trust practitioners, bankers and others through the legal jungle that is international trusts in a divorce law context”.

Commenting on his appointment, Mark Harper said: “An exciting and talented addition to the team, for his years Archie has unparalleled experience in complex international cases and is brilliant in his analysis and approach to the trickiest cases”.

Joy Brereton QC of 4PB commented: “Archie is a phenomenal lawyer who is highly thought of in the family law world. He has that unique combination of razor sharp intelligence and excellent client skills second to none.

He brings a sense of calm and focus to every case that is hard to find but is not to be underestimated as he is an astute tactician who knows every possible argument and is always ahead of everyone else in the room in terms of the way forward and game plan. He is one of the best family solicitors in London.”

Archie commented: “I’m very excited to be embarking on this new chapter in my career, and delighted to have joined such an incredibly strong partnership.”.

His appointment takes effect Friday, 1st April 2022.