In June 1998 at the age of almost 72 the remarkable Claire Meltzer embarked upon one of the most ambitious projects of her remarkable life. She became a co-founder of the nascent law firm which was to bear her name: Levison Meltzer Pigott. At a time when most professionals have long since decided to hang up their boots or perhaps drift into and along the gentle stream of part-time consultancy, Claire chose instead to pursue to its ultimate aim her extraordinary career.

From then on, until she put things on hold in order to look after her beloved but ailing husband Joe in the summer of 2006, she entered the most interesting, productive and, as she often said, professionally satisfying time of her career.

By the time she stopped working (she never actually retired - always intending to return at the appropriate moment) Claire had built up a reputation as one of the top divorce lawyers in the country: loved by her colleagues and clients, feared by her opponents, respected by everyone.

Claire was born on 18th September 1926 in the city of London which she so loved and where she was to remain throughout her life. Devoted to literature, a passion which remained with her always, she won a place at Oxford but chose instead to study and take her degree at London University. There, in 1945 she met her husband Joe. It was love at first sight. They married in 1950 and remained together until his death only three months before her own.

Their union produced two children: Louise in 1957 and Daniel in 1960. When she became a grandmother to Ella in 2000 and Allegra in 2004 Claire’s joy was unconfined. Almost every week she would produce another round of the latest photographs of the young girls, proudly holding the babies herself and we would hear of her delight at the latest antic of one or other of them.

After she left college Claire went into journalism, eventually to become features editor of the respected fashion trade ‘bible’, the Drapers Record. In the late 1960’s, needing a new challenge, Claire became a director of a small fashion company, started by Sally Levison (the mother of the writer, the ‘Levison’ of LMP) called Levison Originals. The company specialised in hand-made designer knitwear. The clothes were made on the island of Gozo in the middle of the Mediterranean.

Over the next eight years or so Claire and Sally transformed this tiny start-up company into one of the two or three leading high profile knit and crochetwear organisations in the world. At its height it employed over 500 people knitting away in the Gozo factory and exporting to the major fashion houses world-wide. Whilst Sally provided the creative flair for the business it was Claire’s level-headed skill in interpreting Sally’s eccentric ideas which was so instrumental in enabling the business to flourish.

The writer believes that without Claire’s ability to transfer Sally’s ideas into pragmatic reality, Levison Originals would not have been the success that it was. Examples are now held in the Victoria and Albert Museum’s permanent clothing collection.

By the mid-1970’s (already approaching 50) and with her children leaving the nest, Claire decided that she needed another new challenge. In 1978, at the age of 52, she qualified as a solicitor. Encouraged by Jeremy to pursue her ambition to become a family law specialist, Claire left her first firm, Franks Charlesley. She joined Jeremy (and later Simon Pigott) at Theodore Goddard, becoming a partner there in 1981. She was to work with the two of them for the remainder of her career. Together they became partners at Collyer-Bristow in the early eighties. When Jeremy and Simon decided to move on, they knew they would not and indeed could not do so without Claire and this led to the formation of Levison Meltzer Pigott. Although filled with Jewish self-deprecatory angst that she was never quite good enough, that she would never attract another client, that she really ought to retire, Claire had nothing to worry about. She acquired an amazing practice. Included amongst her clients were some of the world’s most famous names: from film, music, business and all other walks of life, clients arrived in droves to be looked after by Claire and to benefit from the skill, passion and endless enthusiasm which she brought to her task. She was involved in some of the highest profile causes celebres of her day, even trying (and only just failing) to persuade the Beth Din to overturn 6,000 years of history by allowing women equal rights to men on the question of Jewish religious divorces.

Without Claire, LMP would never have achieved its present profile or level of success.

Her dedication to her career, though, never overwhelmed her myriad interests away from it. Prime amongst these was her devotion to her family, through its generations. She cared for her own mother until her end. Her marriage to Joe lasted 57 years. Her home always had its doors open for Louise and Daniel and then for Daniel’s wife, Sian and their children Ella and Allegra.

Nor did Claire ever lose the extraordinary physical beauty with which she had been blessed. Always looking at least twenty years younger than her age, Claire was an inspiration to anyone intending to retain youthful beauty in their later years. She was, simply, stunning.

She loved literature. Her house was a depository for over ten thousand volumes. She spent as much time as she could in the Shoe Lane library. Her journeys to and from work provided her with a much needed half hour to sit and read, although if too tired to concentrate properly on the book in hand she would, for light relief, turn her mind to The Times crossword. This she would finish with an easy nonchalance which was depressing for us lesser mortals. She loved music: the Wigmore Hall was a favourite stomping ground. She knew a great deal about cricket: a knowledge crafted, one suspects not entirely without reluctance, from the love of the game passed on to her by Joe. She enjoyed politics, religion, art, theatre, the Café du Marche, a glass or two of good wine. She had a loyal and devoted group of friends.

The writer of this piece first met Claire when he was 16, some 40 years ago. It is not exaggeration for him to say that she was one of the most influential mpeople he has ever had the privilege of knowing. An icon of beauty, charm, intellect, wisdom, ability, achievement.

For him, and everyone else who came into contact with her, she enriched their lives. She truly was a remarkable woman.

Claire was much loved during her life. She is now greatly missed.

Claire died on 30th January 2008 after a short illness. She leaves behind her her two children and her two grandchildren.