My friend Katherine Gieve, who has died aged 74 of lymphoma, was a solicitor who specialised in family justice and children’s law. Her calm, compassionate empathy with her clients, combined with great legal skill and professionalism, propelled her to become one of the UK’s top family lawyers.
Voted the industry’s family law partner of the year in 2012, she was one of the country’s leading legal advocates for children in particularly difficult cases, including in the landmark conjoined twin case in 2000. Failure to separate the twins, Jodie and Mary, would have meant the death of both – but separation would kill the weaker one, a course of action that their parents felt unable to authorise. After a three-month legal battle the operation took place, saving the life of the stronger twin, Jodie, whom Katherine had been chosen to represent.
