Mike Rebeiro, international lawyer, children’s advocate and adopter, has been appointed as Chair of the Board for Adoption UK.  Mr Rebeiro and his wife Judith adopted siblings in 2007.

Adoption UK is a charity providing support and advocacy for all those parenting or supporting children who cannot live with their birth parents. They connect adoptive families, provide information and signposting and campaign for improvements to adoption policy and the law.

Mr Rebeiro said:

This is an exciting opportunity to bring together my personal and professional interests in support of the work of an organisation that is already making a big difference to some of the most vulnerable children in the UK. Adoption UK puts adopters and their children at the heart of all it does, from services to advocacy. As an adopter myself, I fully support that approach and am looking forward to building on it for the future. 

During a 30 year career as a city lawyer Mike Rebeiro held senior positions at global law firm Norton Fulbright LLP, where he led a team of 300 lawyers and played an active role in the firm’s LGBT and BAME employee groups. 

For the past decade Mr Rebeiro has been a volunteer for Action for Children, helping to raise £12 million as co-chair of an annual corporate sleep-out event, Byte Night. He has also been a Trustee of Drive Forward Foundation – a charity that helps young care leavers into full time employment.

Adoption UK’s Chief Executive Sue Armstrong Brown said: 

Mike is joining us on the cusp of our 50th anniversary, when we’re reflecting on how adoption has changed and where it – and Adoption UK – need to go in the next 50 years. Given the breadth and relevance of his experience, we feel very lucky to have him with us on this journey.

Mike Rebeiro takes over from Peter Seymour, who has held the position for 12 years.

Photo: Adoption UK