Our Trust and Probate Litigation team has been named Contentious Trusts and Estates Team of the Year (midsize firm) by STEP at their 18^th annual Private Client Awards.

Head of Department James Price says: “We are thrilled to have won in this very prestigious category at last night’s STEP Private Client Awards. It is fabulous for the hard work put in by each member of the team for our clients to be recognised in this way. My thanks to STEP and the Judging Panel, and many congratulations to the other nominees and winners on the night.”

Host Gyles Brandreth noted that the judges had identified Stewarts as “a strong handpicked team that has worked on leading cases, demonstrating the depth of its experience on a range of matters in different jurisdictions.” The judges were “impressed by the firm’s commitment to wider societal issues, its green credentials and its diversity and inclusion efforts.”

Partners Marcus Parker and Emma Holland and senior associate Luca del Panta attended the ceremony and collected the award on behalf of the team. Stewarts was also proud to sponsor and present the award for Trust Company of the Year (midsize firm) to Meritus Trust Company. The Contentious Trusts and Estates Team of the Year (midsize firm) award was sponsored by ZEDRA.

Our team

The Trust and Probate Litigation team advises on complex, large-scale and often high-profile disputes in the UK and other jurisdictions.

We act for high net worth individuals, families, family offices, trustees, trust companies, protectors and charities. The work we undertake includes both onshore and offshore trust litigation, domestic and international probate disputes, as well as work in the Court of Protection.

Our Trusts team is recognised by the leading legal directories and is now top ranked by Chambers High Net Worth in the Private Wealth Disputes section. “Stewarts continues to impress the private client market,” the guide notes. “The firm’s purely litigation model ensures that partners are well placed to handle significant private wealth disputes, including those with offshore elements.” Sources describe Stewarts as “a very strong litigation firm with ability to handle complex and multi-jurisdictional matters. The work they do is first-rate and top tier.”

The Legal 500 also ranks the team in Tier 1. Interviewees highlighted the “very high quality” of the team “which comprises several of the leading lawyers in this field, ensuring that it is engaged in many of the high-profile cases in this area.”  The guide singles out the department’s high-quality work with an international dimension.

Partners James Price, Geoff Kertesz, Marcus Parker and Emma Holland are all Top Recommended or Recommended by Spear’s in their guide to the best contentious trust lawyers for high-net-worth individuals.

More about STEP

STEP is a global professional body, comprising lawyers, accountants, trustees and other practitioners that help families plan for their futures. As specialists in inheritance and succession planning, STEP members advise families on how best to structure their finances to ensure compliance and preserve their assets for future generations.

The Private Client Awards (PCAs) were founded in 2006 and celebrate excellence in private client practice. They are recognised across the industry as a hallmark of quality. STEP’s judging panel represents its international membership, with experts from Barbados, Brazil, Canada, the Cayman Islands, Guernsey, Hong Kong, Italy, Jersey, Singapore, Switzerland, UAE, the UK and the US. Our sponsors include Katten and Crestbridge Fiduciary.