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Mairéad Rattigan, SC

Mairéad Rattigan, SC

Profile

Profile

Mairéad is a Senior Counsel with a strong company/commercial background and has developed an extremely busy matrimonial practice.

Mairéad joined Des Voeux Chambers in 1991 and has acted for clients such as HSBC, Cartier, Mansion House, Sun Alliance, Paramount Publishing, Shun Shing Construction and Samsung Corporation among others. She has appeared in numerous reported cases across a broad spectrum of family matters from Children’s Proceedings to complex financial and multijurisdictional disputes, she also regularly advises and acts for trustees and other third parties in such disputes. She has also given expert opinions on Hong Kong family law in proceedings in various overseas jurisdictions and is a qualified Collaborative Practitioner. She is contributing author of Family Law & Practice in Hong Kong and is a member of the Bar’s Special Committee on Family Law.

Mairéad has extensive expertise in Matrimonial Law including:

  • Forum and Jurisdiction
  • All forms of Ancillary Relief including cases involving pre and post nuptial settlements, companies, trusts and trustees as third parties
  • Advising trustees in ancillary relief proceedings
  • Children Cases: Custody, Care and Control, Access, Removal, Wardship and Hague Convention cases.
  • Multijurisdictional disputes including financial and children’s proceedings.

Mairéad is also experienced in Company and Insolvency law including:

  • Advising and representing parties to winding up proceedings, including creditor’s petitions, just and equitable petitions and public interest petitions
  • Reductions of Capital
  • Schemes of Arrangement, including Insurance Schemes and Schemes in Insolvency
  • Minority shareholder actions
  • Interlocutory applications in winding up petitions, including appointment of provisional liquidators and interim receivers, applications for injunctions, applications pursuant to sections 182 and 290 of the Companies Ordinance
  • Advising and representing parties in most forms of commercial disputes.

Publications / Lecture / Talks

Has given frequent lectures to practitioners on various aspects of Matrimonial Law and on Capital restructuring of companies including reductions of capital and schemes of arrangement
Contributing Editor “Hong Kong Family Law Practice & Mediation”

Accolades

for Mairéad Rattigan, SC

Mairead Rattigan SC has been recognised as a Tier 2 Leading Silk for Family and private client by Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2025 – Hong Kong Bar.

— Legal 500 Asia Pacific: Hong Kong Bar (2025)

Mairéad Rattigan SC was ranked by Chambers and Partners Greater China Region 2024 as Spotlight in the field of Family/Matrimonial.

Chambers Review shared that “Mairéad Rattigan of Des Voeux Chambers has practised family law in Hong Kong for three decades and operates across the full spectrum of practice area concerns, offering particularly focused expertise in the handling of financially complex pre- and post-nuptial settlements and jurisdictional questions.

— Chambers & Partners: Greater China Region (2024)

Mairéad Rattigan SC has been ranked as Preeminent Senior Counsel under the category of Leading Family & Divorce Law Barristers – Hong Kong.

— Doyle's Guide (2024)

Mairéad Rattigan SC of Des Voeux Chambers has practised family law in Hong Kong for three decades and operates across the full spectrum of practice area concerns, offering particularly focused expertise in the handling of financially complex pre- and post-nuptial settlements and jurisdictional questions.

Source commend “Mairéad is very knowledgeable in the area of family law. She is firm but polite; a great advocate who is always giving sensible advice and is easy to work with. When you have her on your side, you know your client will be well looked after.” “Mairéad is always the go-to barrister for family cases. Her submissions are on-point, and she understands the client, always offering pragmatic advice.” “She’s a very natural advocate who comes across as very practical, commercially minded and user-friendly.”

— Chambers & Partners: Greater China Region (2023)

Mairéad Rattigan SC is accredited as a Leading Silk for Family and Private Client.

Des Voeux Chambers was bolstered by Mairéad Rattigan SC taking silk in 2023. She is regularly instructed in a broad range of cases, lending particular expertise to ancillary relief and child law matters. She is praised as‘A reputable senior family barrister in Hong Kong.’

— Legal 500 Asia Pacific: Hong Kong Bar (2023)

Mairéad “is the name that springs to mind for family matters,” “At the top end we use Mairéad Rattigan. She takes on the passion of the client and the solicitor, she listens and comes up with ideas, she’s very good at cross-examination and in submissions, and the Family Court respects her enormously.” She has practised family law in Hong Kong for three decades and operates across the full spectrum of practice area concerns, offering particularly focused expertise in the handling of financially complex pre- and post-nuptial settlements and jurisdictional questions.

— Chambers & Partners Greater China Region (2022)

Mairéad Rattigan is a key name in the set for child law cases. ‘She can see the big picture in a case.’ She is recognised as a Leading Junior for Family and Private Client.

— Legal 500 Asia Pacific: Hong Kong Bar (2022)

Mairéad Rattigan has been ranked as Preeminent Junior Counsel for Hong Kong Family & Divorce Law by the Doyles Guide 2022.

— Doyles Guide (2022)

Mairéad Rattigan is endorsed as a “go-to” and “true” family law barrister. She is praised for her broad coverage of matrimonial and child-related cases. She has practised family law in the jurisdiction for almost three decades, and she is “very experienced in Hong Kong and sees the big picture.” She operates across the full gamut of family law, but is particularly well versed in handling cases involving pre-and post-nuptial settlements involving companies and trusts matters, in addition to issues of jurisdiction.

— Chambers & Partners Asia Pacific (2021)

“Very experienced in Hong Kong, she sees the bigger picture.” Mairéad Rattigan is one of two juniors at Des Voeux Chambers who is held in high regard by peers and solicitors, particularly for her child law work. Mairéad Rattigan  is commended as a Leading Junior for Family & Private Client Law.

— Legal 500 Asia Pacific: Hong Kong Bar (2021)

For the 5th year in a row, Mairéad Rattigan has been acclaimed by Doyles Guide, Hong Kong 2021 as a Preeminent Junior Counsel for her expertise in Hong Kong Family, Divorce and Matrimonial law.

— Doyles Guide (2021)

Mairéad Rattigan of Des Voeux Chambers is described by interviewees as a “go-to senior junior, all-rounder matrimonial barrister” who “knows the field and is well respected by judges,” her status as “an exceptionally good, forceful but fair advocate” attracting special praise. Experienced in both the financial and child-focused spheres of the family law discipline, she offers focused expertise on ancillary relief issues, including those involving trustees, and also advises extensively on cross-jurisdictional questions.

— Chambers & Partners Asia Pacific (2020)

Mairéad Rattigan is accredited in the Preeminent Junior Counsel category by the Doyles Guide for Leading Family & Divorce Law Barristers – Hong Kong, 2020

— Doyles Guide (2020)

Mairead Rattigan of Des Voeux Chambers is acclaimed as a “very experienced” and “great practitioner” in this space, operating in both the financial and child-related sectors of the practice area and being valued, not so much as a barrister favouring one side or the other than as someone who “sees the big picture” and can address matters holistically.

— Chambers & Partners Asia Pacific (2019)

For the 3rd year in a row, Mairéad Rattigan has been acclaimed by Doyles as a Preeminent Junior Counsel for her expertise in Hong Kong Family, Divorce and Matrimonial Law (2016, 2017 and 2018)

— Doyles Guide (2016, 2017 and 2018)

Mairéad Rattigan of Des Voeux Chambers operates across the full family law spectrum, handling both financial and child-related issues, one interviewee characterising her as a “very experienced” practitioner who is “very popular among family law solicitors because she can address all the different aspects.” She is further described as a “very fair and pleasant opponent” and “someone you’ll hear no criticism of” in the family/matrimonial sphere. She acted for the respondent father in N v W, a notably intractable custody and appropriate split of time case with complex financial dimensions.

— Chambers & Partners Asia Pacific (2018)

“Mairéad Rattigan of Des Voeux Chambers is widely recognised as one of the most experienced lawyers handling family matters at the junior Bar, maintaining a broad practice area with key strengths in child custody and ancillary relief. She is singled out by sources as a “firm advocate who fights her corner appropriately.””

— Chambers & Partners Asia Pacific (2017)

In 2016 and 2017 Mairéad Rattigan was recognised as a Preeminent Junior Counsel by Doyles for her expertise in Hong Kong Family & Divorce Law.

— Doyles Guide (2016 - 2017)

“Mairéad Rattigan of Des Voeux Chambers enjoys an excellent reputation as one of the field’s best-known juniors, earning praise for being “very knowledgeable on the law and client-friendly.” She focuses on a variety of matrimonial cases involving financial issues, including prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, as well as handling child matters.”

— Chambers & Partners Asia Pacific (2016)

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