Louisa Ghevaert
Louisa is internationally recognised as a leading expert in UK fertility and parenting law. She is a solicitor and a founding partner of Gamble and Ghevaert LLP.
Louisa has dealt with some of the best known and groundbreaking fertility law cases in the UK. She represented parents:
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In the landmark High Court international surrogacy case Re X and Y in November 2008. The case was the first in UK legal history to test the law for British parents conceiving through an international commercial surrogacy arrangement, and Louisa was personally acknowledged by High Court Judge Mr Justice Hedley for her work navigating the complex and groundbreaking legal issues involved.
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Melanie and Robert Gladwin, helping them to save their frozen embryos from destruction and winning a high profile last minute change to the law in relation to embryo storage in September 2009. Louisa was featured as The Times' Lawyer of the Week (1 October 2009) and Law Society Gazette Lawyer in the News (17 September 2009) as a result.
Louisa Ghevaert regularly commentates in the national press and media on fertility and parenting law issues (see the Times, September 2009 and the Independent, May 2010). She has provided advice to the BBC and written articles for Bionews (November 2009 and February 2010 and May 2010) as well as national magazines. Louisa is a respected and widely published author on fertility and parenting law issues in leading legal journals including Family Law, International Family Law, Family Law Journal and The Review (see our publications section).
Louisa has a decade of family, fertility and parenting law experience and has been a member of Resolution (the professional association of family lawyers) since 2003, an accredited member of the Law Society Family Panel since 2005 and has practised as a collaborative lawyer since 2005. She has particular expertise in complex private children law matters, disputes and heavy weight litigation often with an international element including surrogacy arrangements, acquisition of legal status and parental rights for birth and non birth parents and other significant adults, as well as issues surrounding contact, residence and parental responsibility. Louisa works closely with other professionals to resolve disputes and improve the lives of children and their families and remains committed to helping families meet the demands of 21st century living.
Louisa was a member of the stakeholders' Parliamentary strategy group concerned with the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008 and its associated regulations, and has lobbied for legal changes on a diverse range of issues, including surrogacy and embryo storage. Louisa has submitted written evidence as an expert adviser to the HFEA's Ethics and Law Advisory Committee, and provided detailed legal comment to the Department of Health's 2009 consultation on proposed draft surrogacy regulations, which has won changes to the law on nationality in international surrogacy situations.
Louisa is a highly accomplished public speaker and in October 2009 was invited to address the American Bar Association's national conference in Montreal, lecturing on UK and international surrogacy law alongside other leading assisted reproduction lawyers and academics from across North America, Canada and India. Louisa regularly speaks at national events and co-presents fertility law training sessions for leading UK fertility clinics on complex fertility law issues.
Louisa provides regular help and assistance to charities and not-for-profit organisations including COTS, Surrogacy UK and Stonewall and hosts the Ask a Lawyer page on the online fertility patient forum Fertility Friends.
Louisa qualified as a solicitor in 2000 (after graduating from the University of Bristol with an honours degree in History and receiving a commendation for her postgraduate study at the College of Law in Guildford). She worked in private practice from 2000 to 2009 before founding Gamble and Ghevaert LLP with Natalie Gamble in May 2009.
Contact Louisa at:
louisa@gambleandghevaert.com
Tel. 0844 357 1604 (from outside the UK +44 1202 373400)
Photographs by nickiewestlakephotography.co.uk
