Melanie Foo
Call: 2014
Inn: Lincoln's Inn
Professional Profile
Melanie became a member of Chambers in 2021 following successful completion of pupillage under the supervision and guidance of James Cullen. Melanie has since built a busy multi-disciplinary practice across chambers’ core practice areas: Civil and Family. She balances court-based advocacy with a busy paper practice.
Before coming to the Bar, Melanie worked as an employed advocate and Costs Lawyer for various leading national law firms representing both Claimants and Defendants across the UK in matters involving costs, personal injury and regulatory law. She gained specific experience prosecuting cases of serious professional misconduct for the Teaching Regulation Agency covering a range of allegations, including those involving fraud, sexual misconduct and non-accidental injury of children.
Areas of Work
Civil Litigation
Melanie’s previous legal experience has assisted her in building a successful civil practice which is primarily focused on personal injury, credit hire and clinical negligence. Melanie is regularly instructed across all three areas by both Claimants and Defendants and has an excellent practical knowledge of these areas of law. Melanie accepts instructions to represent clients at all stages of civil litigation including Stage 3 / disposal hearings, infant approval hearings, interim applications, Small Claims Track and Fast Track Trials as well as costs and case management conferences.
Alongside her busy court practice, Melanie also accepts instructions for written advices on quantum and liability as well as statements of case and schedules of loss. Instructions are accepted on a Conditional Fee Agreement basis where the merits of the case allow.
Melanie is often instructed in a variety of civil matters for the Police by various police forces. She appears in both the Magistrates’ Court and Youth Court on variety of matters such as applications for and/or breaches of; Sexual Harm Prevention Orders, Stalking Protection Orders, Anti-Social behaviour injunctions, applications to amend police bail, and matters involving proceeds of crime.
Family
Melanie is regularly instructed in private law children matters, representing parents from FHDRA stage through to fact-finding and contested final hearings in child arrangement disputes. Melanie has specific experience in dealing with applications for specific issue orders, prohibited steps orders and enforcement applications as well as Family Law Act applications for Non-molestation and occupation orders.
Melanie is keen to develop her family practice further and welcomes instructions in public law children matters.
At all stages of a case in which she is instructed, Melanie is accessible to instructing solicitors for informal advice and assistance. She is renowned for forging excellent relationships with both instructing solicitors and lay clients, managing client expectations and providing clear, practical advice at all stages.
Melanie has completed the FLBA Vulnerable Witness training programme.
