Fiona Shackleton

Spear’s Review

Baroness Fiona Shackleton of Belgravia, partner at Payne Hicks Beach, is Britain’s most feared and revered divorce lawyer. It’s not just Spear’s saying this, but her peers in the profession as well. Some industry observers have described her as ‘the greatest family lawyer of all time’.

Her client book is unlike any other in the profession and has included Paul McCartney, Stephen Hawking, the Aga Khan, Liam Gallagher, Norman Foster and Princess Haya bint Hussein of Jordan. She was famously chosen by now-King Charles to represent him in his divorce from Diana. In an unusual turn of events, Diana even sent Shackleton a bouquet of flowers as a token of gratitude for conducting the proceedings without acrimony.

She has played a key role in a great many landmark cases, including more recently Standish v Standish [2025] and Helliwell v Entwistle, and most notably the landmark case of Potanin v Potanina [2024], where she represented one of Russia’s richest men, Vladimir Potanin. Shackleton has also been hired to represent Earl Spencer in his third divorce.

It’s not just her inner grit that has earned her the nickname of ‘the Steel Magnolia’, but also her exterior polish and unwavering sense of control in the courtroom. Shackleton almost never speaks to the media, but her cases are pored over by the press.

Despite her many victories, Shackleton is driven by a greater purpose. ‘I like sticking up for people, making sure they’re not taken advantage of,’ she once said. ‘It helps to have a rod of steel in your back and lots of charm.’

Another family lawyer, when asked about Baroness Shackleton’s role in the industry, remarks: ‘The famous tennis player Peter Fleming once said of John McEnroe: “The best doubles pair is John McEnroe and anyone.” I think about that quote in relation to Fiona Shackleton often, because the magnitude of her practice and the plaudits that she gets would instantly make any firm she is with a success.’

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Rank: Top Flight