Personal profile

Personal profile

Philip is a senior lecturer in the Department of Law and Criminology. His research interests focus on comparative private law. His current research explores the intersection of private, family and property law (particularly in relation to LGBTQ+ families and relationship breakdown). Philip is interested in extending his research on the extent to which family law adequately engages with the interests of individual family members into other areas of private law (e.g. what significance should intimate relationships and non-commercial subject-matter have on contractual principles?) and property law (e.g. how should intimacy in personal relationships be reflected in property rights?)

Philip undertook a socio-legal, empirical PhD at the University of Exeter under the supervision of Professor Anne Barlow on the legal recognition of gay and lesbian co-parenting arrangements following assisted reproduction. His subsequent research has focused on family formation through surrogacy and other aspects of LGBTQ+ families. Philip is interested in examining the ways in which the law recognises diverse families including through the birth registration system and the effect of intimate relationships on property rights.

Philip is currently working on a project examining the significance of gender in the context of legal parenthood. This project explores the ways in which legal and bureaucratic processes require a particular gendered conception of parenthood, for example, in relation to birth registration. Philip is also involved in a project examining the property consequences of forming intimate cohabiting relationships. The project considers the extent to which concepts from land law and equity are capable of achieving fair outcomes in the context of non-martial cohabitation in the absence of statutory intervention.

Philip is keen to supervise PhD students in the areas of family law, sexuality and the law, and trust law. He particularly welcomes students hoping to undertake socio-legal and empirical research in relation to same-sex parenting or exploring LGBTQ+ individuals and families.

Philip has participated in a number of conferences, which have brought together academics, memebers of the judiciary, legal practitioners and other interested parties. These include: New Families and Genetic Identities: Developments in law, policy & research, London School of Economics (ESRC Funded) and Leverhulme International Network on New Families; New Governance Final Conference, University of Notre Dame London Campus.

Along with Karl Mason (Social Work) and Daniel Bedford (University of Portsmouth), Philip is involved in a BA/Leverhulme Small Grants project on safeguarding vulnerable adults and the inherent jurisdiction. The research team also recently conducted civic university funded external engagement workshops around this with four London Boroughs.

Philip is currently a trustee (2019 – 2025) and treasurer (2022 – 2025) of the socio-legal studies association.

Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years

Recent external collaboration on country/territory level. Dive into details by clicking on the dots or