Six partners from our Trust and Probate Litigation and Tax Litigation and Resolution teams are listed as some of the best lawyers for high net worth individuals in the latest edition of Spear’s Tax & Trust Advisers Index.
In the Contentious Trust Lawyers index, James Price, Emma Holland, Geoff Kertesz and Marcus Parker are all Top Recommended. David Pickstone and James Le Gallais are Top Recommended in the Tax Lawyers index.
Spear’s publishes annual rankings of the top private client advisers and service providers to high net worth individuals. Peer nominations, client feedback, telephone and face-to-face interviews, data supplied by firms, and information gathered by the Spear’s editorial and research teams are taken into account.
Best contentious trust lawyers for high-net-worth individuals in 2023
“Contentious trust lawyers represent clients involved in disputes over trusts and estate matters. The best lawyers guide their clients through these difficult and complex situations, handling them with the sensitivity and detail that is demanded of such cases,” Spear’s says. Our team advises clients in complex, large-scale and often high-profile disputes in the UK and other jurisdictions.
Head of Trust and Probate Litigation James Price is Top Recommended for onshore and offshore work. “This type of work brings with it particular challenges created by events like death, divorce or family breakdown, so lawyers in this area require both emotional intelligence and technical expertise in equal measure,” James says in the index.
Emma Holland is listed for her work acting for beneficiaries, trustees and fiduciaries. Spear’s credits her largely international practice with “impressive breadth”, and notes she and the team have “undertaken some of the most complex cases in the landscape involving high-value assets.”
Geoff Kertesz “aims to strike a balance between securing results and managing emotions”, recognising the highly personal nature of this area of law. “Whether there is conflict within the family, tension within a trust structure, or illness or death has struck a family member, my clients need sound commercial guidance,” he acknowledges.
Marcus Parker joined the Trust and Probate Litigation department as a partner in 2022, and is described by Spear’s as “a highly experienced and trusted practitioner in the management of complex disputes between wealthy families and their associated wealth structures.” Having been based in the Cayman Islands, he is “very well versed in the island’s laws and corporate structures and has managed many trust companies there.”
Best tax lawyers for high-net-worth individuals in 2023
Spear’s says: “Tax lawyers act for private clients on a range of tax-related issues. They are able to provide advice on areas such as compliance, planning, document drafting, cross-border issues and contentious matters.” The Stewarts team advises high net worth individuals, owner-managed businesses, trusts and large corporates on tax disputes with HMRC, from enquiry stage through to appeals before the tax tribunals and courts.
Head of Tax Litigation and Resolution David Pickstone “has developed large class actions, including the Ingenious, Eclipse, Scotts Atlantic and Invicta 43 group actions, and acted for various well-known HNWs in individual tax disputes.” He is once again Top Recommended by the Spear’s guide for his working acting for families, businesses and large corporates.
James Le Gallais “has drawn praise for his work supporting clients in their disputes against promoters of failed film financing schemes.” Spear’s notes that “much of his current practice involves representing clients in disputes related to tax, financial and investment advice.”
You can find further information regarding our expertise, experience and team on our Trust and Probate Litigation and Tax Litigation and Resolution pages.
If you require assistance from our team, please contact us.
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