Christina Blacklaws
"To thrive in the new legal world you need solicitors who have a deep understanding both of the way the legal market works now and of how it is changing - and most importantly, how legal practice needs to adapt to meet the needs of the modern client. Christina has this in spades"
Neil Rose, Legal Futures
Background:
After studying Jurisprudence at Oxford, Christina qualified as a solicitor in England and Wales in 1991 and became a partner in community law firm, JB Wheatley. She remained at JB Wheatley- heading up the family department and leading the business’ strategic direction- until setting up her own bespoke family law practice- Blacklaws Davis LLP- in 2006.
Christina is an experienced Children Panel Representative, All Issues Mediator and Supervisor and Higher Rights’ Advocate.
Blacklaws Davis grew to be the largest family law practice in the country with an innovative consultancy model which enabled practitioners to work on a self-employed and flexible basis- a hybrid model which combined a virtual and high street practice. When the firm merged with TV Edwards LLP in 2011, Christina employed 50 staff and had over 50 consultants working with the business. Christina was, briefly, a senior member partner of TV Edwards responsible for business development prior to joining the Co-operative Legal Services in late 2011.
As a statutory director and board member at the Co-operative Legal Services, Christina initially led the development of the new family law division which pioneered a full range of fixed and transparently price services and delivery models. The aim was to provide enhanced accessibility, value for money services and a consistent, quality, national service. Additionally, Christina developed a significant range of free legal advice and self-help tools for the public including YouTube content, Twitter feeds, web chats etc. As part of her long term commitment to access to justice, Christina developed CLS family law as the largest provider of family legal aid in the country, holding one of two national telephone legal aid contract and 78 face to face contracts across the country with services being delivered from Co-operative Bank branches and offices and barristers and partners’ premises.
After the family law service had been established, Christina was appointed as Director of Policy with CLS and held responsibility for external engagement, business development and strategic direction.
Christina’s role included significant commercial aspects with responsibility for horizon scanning, market insight and business development opportunities. Christina delivered a number of significant partners to CLS and maintained and managed their relationships.
Christina held sole portfolio responsibility for the delivery of the family law budget and corporate responsibility for CLS, the Co-operative Trust and the Co-operative Life Planning.
Christina has maintained a number of important representative and regulatory roles since joining the Law Society Council in 2002 (currently representing the Women Lawyer’s Division). Christina sits on the Regulatory Affairs Board and is a former member and chair of the Law Society’s Legal Affairs and Policy Board, Family Law Committee (member and chair) and a member of the Children Law sub-committee. She held the position of Chief Assessor of the Law Society's Children Panel from 2009-2012.
Christina holds two public appointments- an executive member of the Family Justice Council and on the Ministerial Task Force on Mediation. She has recently responded to a number of government consultations on behalf of these bodies.
Chambers and Partners UK Guide 2011 says "She is exceptionally committed, not just to her clients but to family justice as a whole." Christina was acknowledged for management skills in the annual “Hot 100” list by the Lawyer in 2012 and was awarded the Modern Law Awards ‘Lawyer of the Year’ in 2013.
Christina is regularly asked to contribute to the press and media and is the author of a number of articles and publications on family law, regulation and the legal services market. She speaks regularly at national and international conferences and has recently addressed the European Parliament, International Bar Associations, Harvard Law School, Parliamentary Select Committees and the Westminster Policy Forum.