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11 December 2025
Categories: Movers & Shakers , Profession
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Osbornes Law—Lee Henderson

Family team bolstered by latest partner hire

Osbornes Law has capped off the year with the appointment of Lee Henderson as its third new partner in recent months, marking another step in the firm’s ongoing growth strategy. His arrival follows that of Melissa Arnold from Bindmans and Hugh Johnson from Stewarts, adding further depth to one of London’s largest private client practices.

Henderson joins from Penningtons Manches Cooper, where he spent nine years specialising in family law. He brings extensive experience in complex financial cases involving high-value assets and international wealth structures, as well as particular expertise in children matters, including surrogacy. His practice also includes acting in significant litigation before both the High Court and Court of Appeal. Alongside his caseload, he mentors for the Social Mobility Foundation and volunteers with the National Centre for Domestic Violence.

Henderson said he is ‘passionate about helping clients navigate what can be one of the most challenging periods in their lives’ and ‘thrilled to be joining such a stellar team during this exciting phase of growth’. He added that the breadth of expertise across the firm means ‘collectively we can offer specialist advice on every aspect of family law’.

Managing partner Jo Wescott welcomed the appointment, noting that while Osbornes has grown from ‘humble beginnings’ into a major private client firm, its ethos remains unchanged. She said the firm’s culture is a key reason it continues to attract ‘high-calibre lawyers from top-tier firms’. Henderson’s arrival brings the partnership to a total of 31.

Image caption (L-R): Melissa Arnold, Hugh Johnson, Jo Wescott and Lee Henderson

MOVERS & SHAKERS

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NEWS
A High Court ruling involving the Longleat estate has exposed the fault line between modern family building and historic trust drafting. Writing in NLJ this week, Charlotte Coyle, director and family law expert at Freeths, examines Cator v Thynn [2026] EWHC 209 (Ch), where trustees sought approval to modernise trusts that retain pre-1970 definitions of ‘child’, ‘grandchild’ and ‘issue’
Fresh proposals to criminalise ‘nudification’ apps, prioritise cyberflashing and non-consensual intimate images, and even ban under-16s from social media have reignited debate over whether the Online Safety Act 2023 (OSA 2023) is fit for purpose. Writing in NLJ this week, Alexander Brown, head of technology, media and telecommunications, and Alexandra Webster, managing associate, Simmons & Simmons, caution against reactive law-making that could undermine the Act’s ‘risk-based and outcomes-focused’ design
Recent allegations surrounding Peter Mandelson and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor have reignited scrutiny of the ancient common law offence of misconduct in public office. Writing in NLJ this week, Simon Parsons, teaching fellow at Bath Spa University, asks whether their conduct could clear a notoriously high legal hurdle
A landmark ruling has reshaped child clinical negligence claims. Writing in NLJ this week, Jodi Newton, head of birth and paediatric negligence at Osbornes Law, explains how the Supreme Court in CCC v Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust [2026] UKSC 5 has overturned Croke v Wiseman, ending the long-standing bar on children recovering ‘lost years’ earnings
A Court of Appeal ruling has drawn a firm line under party autonomy in arbitration. Writing in NLJ this week, Masood Ahmed, associate professor at the University of Leicester, analyses Gluck v Endzweig [2026] EWCA Civ 145, where a clause allowing arbitrators to amend an award ‘at any time’ was held incompatible with the Arbitration Act 1996
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