Aysel Akhundova
Solicitor Aysel.Akhundova@dawsoncornwell.com
Aysel is the recipient of the Westminster & Holborn Law Society's Newly Qualified Rising Star Award 2020. She trained at Dawson Cornwell and qualified as a solicitor in 2020. She has at this early stage in her career been recognised as a “Recommended Lawyer” by The Legal 500 2022.
She advises on all aspects of children law, including international and domestic child relocation, international child abduction cases, recognition and enforcement of overseas orders and domestic disputes about child arrangements.
Aysel also frequently acts for ‘Intended Parents’ in obtaining Parental Orders in this jurisdiction, following both domestic and international surrogacy and has a growing practice specialising in surrogacy, assisted reproduction and same-sex families.
She is a member of the Resolution Parenting After Parting Committee, a member of YRes, the Child Abduction Lawyers Association (CALA), the Surrogacy Network and the Westminster & Holborn Law Society. Additionally she mentors law students with the University of Law and the London Young Lawyers Group (“LYLG”).
Aysel has an Upper Second degree in law from the University of Bristol, where she studied Advanced Family Law and International Child Law as her final year modules. She achieved a Distinction in her Legal Practice Course from the University of Law, which she obtained in conjunction with an MSc in Law, Business and Management. During her time at the University of Law, Aysel volunteered with the National Centre for Domestic Violence.
Aysel is fluent in Azerbaijani and Russian. She also speaks some Turkish and has a basic understanding of French and German.
- Shortlisted for the YRes Rising Star Award at the 2022 Resolution Awards.
- NQ Rising Star Award
Aysel was awarded the Westminster & Holborn Law Society “Newly Qualified Rising Star Award” in October 2020. The award celebrates the inspirational achievements and hard work of trainee solicitors.
Recommended Lawyer
Aysel Akhundova was named as a "Recommended Lawyer".
Legal 500 2022
- Cupid’s Quest: How do I save my assets, if the marriage cannot be saved? Aysel was part of a panel at a Russian-speaking Q&A session hosted by International Advisers Association. She spoke about the divorce and separation of assets in England & Wales (February 2022)
- Aysel was a part of the private client panel at a webinar for English Law Day Ukraine 2021, organised jointly by the Law Society, Bar Council and Ukrainian Arbitration Association (UAA). She spoke on cross-border children matters, the 1980 Hague Convention and how the courts in England and Wales approach child arrangements (26 April 2021)
- Aysel Akhundova conducted the first of a series of three webinars on behalf of the Westminster & Holborn Law Society Junior Lawyers Division. Aysel interviewed Kathleen Heycock, partner at Farrer & Co. They discussed working during lockdown, managing a return to work, as well as the challenges junior lawyers and graduates currently face (October 2020)
- Aysel was interviewed for Legal Women magazine about qualifying as a solicitor and fulfilling her childhood dream (October 2020)
- Aysel was interviewed for Zima magazine in Russian about divorce and family law in England – Answers to the most popular questions (25 June 2019)
- Lost in Translation? Interpreters and Family Courts WHLS Central London Lawyer magazine (November 2020)
- Article 13(b) of the Hague Convention and Covid-19 IBA Family Law Committee (June 2020)
