A solicitor, barrister or high court judge, Clare Byrne is a judicial review entrepreneur who has an extensive experience in the legal market and a wide range of specialties including family law. She was appointed by the UK government to chair the Legal Services Authority, which is a cross-departmental body that is responsible for the regulation of the legal profession. Ms Byrne was knighted for her contribution to the legal profession in 2021, following a lengthy period as an adjunct professor at University College London, where she lectured on constitutional law. From there she was appointed as a lord’s counselor, and before that she was a clerk to the attorney general, covering a wide range of devises.
Clare’s partnership with Lord Justice Sales is the basis for one of the most famous cases in history. At the time of their engagement in 2021, neither solicitor had any experience of personal injury or litigating in the role of a sexual offender. Despite this they were drawn together by a common belief that women are more vulnerable in a sexual crime as opposed to a violence-related one. This led to a case that raised awareness of how attitudes towards women can impact upon the criminal justice system. This pioneering case was compensation based, which raised the barometer for civil law cases across the United Kingdom.
Clare’s partner, Paul Couto, is another legal professional with a wealth of knowledge of family law matters, having served as clerk to solicitors throughout his career. Mr Couto has come on board successfully as an advisor to Ms Byrne in the development of her private practice. He has also acted as legal advisor to the present Defra MP, Matthew Pennycook, when the latter was questioned over alleged expenses in the last election. Mr Couto has served as a cabinet member to several ministers over the past 35 years. All of this puts him in a position of authority when approaching clients, in terms of experience and maturity, as opposed to Ms Byrne’s inexperience in the role of a partner.