Shaili Gohil-Desai

Associate

About Shaili

Shaili joined Burgess Mee in December 2021 as a newly qualified solicitor and was promoted to Associate in October 2024.  

She advises on a wide range of modern family issues, such as domestic and international surrogacy matters and sperm donor agreements. She represented the intended parents in the reported case of Re Z (Surrogacy: Step-parent Adoption)[2024] EWFC 20 (30 January 2024) which was nominated for Family Law Case of the Year 2024. She is on the My Surrogacy Journey directory of legal advisors.

Shaili has been shortlisted as a finalist for the Rising Star of the Year Award for the Modern Law Awards 2025. She is also the modern family law contributor for Courtney Legal, which is a platform on a mission to share the expertise and insight of the best lawyers in the UK with anyone facing a legal issue.

Shaili also regularly advises clients on complex financial disputes on divorce and private children matters, including issues pertaining to foreign nationals and business structures. As a member of Resolution, she promotes a constructive and non-confrontational approach to family law cases.

"Shaili has been an extraordinary support and critical ally through what has been a complex and at times emotionally charged divorce. Her guidance has been first rate, so much so that I have begun to rely on it to a similar degree to that of her equally impressive Partner. She has provided steady, compassionate advice at times when the whole process has appeared overwhelming. Step by step we are making progress to an agreement and I find it difficult to imagine we would have gotten nearly so far without Shaili's hard work and diligence." Client Testimonial (2024)

Shaili is a respected legal commentator, writing for publications such as the Financial Times, Solicitors Journal, The Review and Lexis Nexis:

Having read Law at the University of Warwick, Shaili went on to obtain a distinction in her masters in alternative dispute resolution in family law at the University of Law. She also worked at prestigious institutions, including the Ministry of Justice and an international law firm in Beijing, before coming to Burgess Mee.

In her spare time, Shaili is an avid follower of the American political scene and is passionate about women’s reproductive rights.  

testimonials

"Shaili has been an incredible support to us through a very complicated and emotional surrogacy dispute. She has an amazing attention to detail and has been exemplary in case managing our proceedings. She always kept us informed and updated on developments in a professional and timely manner. However, most of all we thank Shaili for her friendly, caring and compassionate manner, which has made such a difference to us in very difficult circumstances. Shaili is a fantastic solicitor who has worked incredibly hard on behalf of our family and for that we will always be so grateful."

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