You can tell by the way Alastair Collett talks about his job that the BDB Pitmans partner enjoys his work. It’s a ‘fascinating vocation’, he says, with ‘infinite variety’. ‘One never quite knows who will call next with new instructions… Read More

With more than 25 years of experience in HNW affairs, Carolyn Reers joined Wiggin and Dana as a private client partner in February, where she supplies her expertise in all aspects of trust and estate planning and administration. Her arrival… Read More

‘This has been a landmark year – my 30th as a private client lawyer,’ says Barry Adamson, who specialises in private client tax planning, mainly for UK domiciled clients, including trusts, wills and related schemes. He is also experienced in… Read More

Clare Archer leads Penningtons Manches Cooper’s private client and tax team. With over 25 years of experience, she is a key partner in the private wealth group. The team focuses on complicated tax, trust and succession issues. It sits within… Read More

David Archer has made a name as the personal go-to for clients seeking special counsel in special situations. With a career that spans three decades, and all of the experience accumulated during this time, it’s no surprise that his advice… Read More

Almost five years after joining Wedlake Bell’s private wealth team from Trowers & Hamlins, Clare Armitage has been assigned in a key role helping to manage the firm’s third biggest client: the family office and trustees of a significant UK… Read More

Jeremy Arnold has over 30 years’ experience of advising on wealth structuring, tax, trusts and estate matters, having served a clientele that includes well known HNWs, family offices and entrepreneurs based in the UK and internationally. This broad range experience… Read More

Glen Atchison is Managing Partner at Harbottle & Lewis, and the fi rm’s go-to guy for UHNW and HNW individuals, family offices and trusts for UK and international tax and succession planning, asset protection, and succession structures. The fi rm’s… Read More

Jan Atkinson reports a ‘solid’ 2019 for Osbornes’ private client department, coming in above target and smashing expectations for the sixth consecutive year. Over the last 12 months Osbornes has seen real growth in contentious cases relating to high value… Read More

‘The complexity of our tax system is now combined with increasing HMRC scrutiny,’ observes Paul Ayres, who oversees all manner of HNW affairs for BDO as head of national private client services. His clients are mainly entrepreneurs, who approach him… Read More

‘For owners of family businesses, the political and economic upheavals of the last year increased the focus on protecting wealth long-term,’ says Boodle Hatfield’s Hayden Bailey. ‘Clients are focused on preservation of wealth, but at the same time do not… Read More

History graduate Suzanna Baker studied for her GDL and LPC at the College of Law in Bloomsbury, but spent some time at a boutique corporate finance firm before joining Osbornes. She now credits her spell in finance with providing a… Read More

While luvvies of stage and screen tend to be more associated with espousing hard-left ideologies than a stable fiscal plan, it is often right-wing governments who provoke the creative industries into their most productive phases. During times of instability, with… Read More

Change is afoot, says Rawlinson & Hunter’s David Barker, as the relationship between HMRC and the accountancy profession has become ‘appreciably worse’. That’s in large part because of ‘aggression’ on the part of HMRC, which has begun to target many… Read More

Richard Bate leads the wills, trusts, tax and probate team nationally for Weightmans; a top 45 UK law firm, with over 1,200 people working from offices in Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, London, Manchester and Newcastle. Bate is a full… Read More

‘My year has been brimming with clients wanting to get on with things,’ says William Begley, head of the Tax, Trusts and Succession team at Charles Russell Speechlys. Begley is a trusted adviser to both UK and non-UK domiciled clients… Read More

Catharine Bell is one of the leading lights of contentious disputes, and has been repeatedly praised for her ‘quick mind’ and ‘pragmatic and practical approach’ to a range of issues, from providing wealth structuring solutions and family governance advice as… Read More

PwC’s director of private clients has advised clients all over the world: Rachel Bentley’s work has taken her from Japan to the US and South Africa since 2012. Nowadays she’s particularly focused on developing a private wealth practice in Cape… Read More

‘I like people, I enjoy problem-solving and I wanted a stable career,’ says Frederick Bjørn, who is half-Danish, half-English and currently leads the firm’s Scandinavian initiative. Bjørn qualified at Slaughter and May and qualified into the corporate tax department, joining… Read More

‘It’s been made unbelievably complicated, and that’s a pity,’ says Robert Blower, referring to the knottiness of UK tax law. But he’s up to the challenge. ‘A colossally good lawyer’, according to peers, and with 30 years’ experience in the… Read More

‘With increasing scrutiny into planning HMRC see as unethical, more of the old style tax avoidance falls into a grey area they often view as being too close to evasion,’ says David Boyce. ‘The role of a good adviser is… Read More

For more than a quarter-century, Lord Bridges has arguably been the pre-eminent lawyer in this field. Down the phone, Spear’s hears the voice that has guided not only the Queen, but also the Duchy of Lancaster through their tax affairs…. Read More

Stephanie Brobbey’s star has risen rapidly at Goodman Derrick. Her promotion to senior associate in 2016 broadened her practice further to include many of late founder Lord Goodman’s former clients. She reports that operating in the private client arena gives… Read More

A regular fixture of our Top Ten, Robert Brodrick has reached a position of considerable eminence in his field, as recently ratified by his appointment as Chair of the newly established management board. When Spear’s caught up with him at… Read More

‘The social value of our work in a capitalist society is not well understood,’ says Jonathan Burt, a partner in the private client and tax department of Harbottle & Lewis LLP since 2018. ‘Capital is a vital resource for business,… Read More

‘If you have assets in the UK, it’s better if they’re out,’ warns Mark Buzzoni of Taylor Wessing. ‘I suspect that if we’re going into a general election quite shortly there won’t be much time to do anything. An incoming… Read More

Saffery Champness has enjoyed ‘double-digit growth’ in the last year, says Dermot Callinan, a private client tax partner based in the Harrogate office. ‘We just completed on the sale of Hadrian Healthcare Holdings Ltd for over £100 million,’ he adds…. Read More

An accomplished cross-border practitioner, private wealth partner Amanda Chapman, who moved to DWF from Brechers in March, has a wealth of experience advising UK and non-UK domiciles, having worked in the estate and tax-planning landscape since 1998. Chapman specialises in… Read More

‘We’re seeing the work become really international,’ says Cohen, a long-standing partner at Farrer who works with Middle Eastern families on international structuring, family succession and family governance. ‘Clients are now getting to grips with transparency,’ he says. ‘There’s no… Read More

Jeffrey Cohen has had another good year, including being shortlisted for British probate solicitor of the year. A private client lawyer of 30 years’ experience, he has led private client departments at each of the three firms he has been… Read More

‘Chaos sometimes works well for lawyers,’ the ebullient Jonathan Conder tells Spear’s, as his department posts record revenues. Conder advises on all aspects of tax, trust, estate and succession planning, regulatory, immigration and philanthropic issues, and has expertise in advising… Read More

‘Becoming a trusted adviser is really what I think all lawyers should aspire to,’ Seddons’ private client head, Stuart Crippin, tells Spear’s. ‘I have had various clients follow me through the different firms at which I have worked, and that… Read More

A partner at a leading City law firm describes Toby Crooks as ‘quirky, but very good. We recommended him to a client we thought would benefit from his straightforward way of working.’ Crooks himself reports a busy year, with one… Read More

‘I’ve been phenomenally busy,’ says Ashley Crossley, who leads Baker McKenzie’s wealth management arm in London. The increasing scrutiny on offshore entities means families are onshoring, he says, increasing their presence in ‘stable’ financial centres such as London and New… Read More

Laura Dadswell has been spending a lot of time abroad this year, particularly the US office. According to tax law legend Martyn Gowar, she is ‘one of the stand-out private client lawyers of her generation,’ so it’s no wonder she’s… Read More

Having lately taken on a specialist investigator and negotiator with a ‘very detailed knowledge of Revenue powers’, Victor Dauppe says, ‘It’s great to have someone who can say with authority, “Actually you don’t need to give them that.”’ Dubbed by… Read More

Specialist tax and trust lawyer Paul Davidoff ‘helps people organise and plan their estate so that it goes to the right people, at the right time and in the right way – ideally in a tax-efficient manner. It sounds simple,… Read More

‘Brexit, Brexit, Brexit,’ sighs the top international tax accountant Mark Davies. ‘Obviously, the political uncertainty in the UK is causing some problems, mainly because foreign domiciliaries need a stable tax regime and immigration rules to make long term decisions –… Read More

A partner in Baker McKenzie’s esteemed tax and global wealth management practice in New York, Paul F DePasquale advises HNWs and multinationals on a diverse range of issues relating to tax and wealth management. His areas of specialism include international… Read More

‘My clients come from all over the world, but with concentrations in India, the Middle East and the Far East,’ says the impressive and urbane partner Basil, adding: ‘There are also plenty of UK-only clients; this area of my practice… Read More

As her move from Withers – after 16 years – to Charles Russell Speechlys generates interest within the tax and trusts world, Sophie Dworetzsky says the business world and the private client world are growing ever closer, and the cusp… Read More

‘Ultimately, I help my clients with the protection, provision and preservation of their wealth for generations to come,’ says Yorke Eaton. He and his Manchester and Leeds-based team specialise in providing bespoke services and solutions on both a national and… Read More

Tom Elliott is head of private clients and Crowe, specialising in advising HNWs and their families on all aspects of taxation. Clients come from a variety of backgrounds and jurisdictions and their aspirations and ambitions are equally diverse. Clients often… Read More

‘My clients range from HNWs and their businesses to large corporates. They include celebrities, sports stars and senior professionals,’ says Lee Ellis, a partner in the tax litigation and investigations department at litigation behemoth Stewarts. ‘All are looking for expert… Read More

Sarah Farrow heads up Frank Hirth’s UK tax team, which helps non-doms structure their tax affairs in the most efficient way possible. ‘Consideration of public perception is important,’ Farrow points out. ‘For people in the public eye, this often does… Read More

David Ford advises HNWs and UHNWs including UK resident non-domiciled clients on all UK tax matters. His clients are predominantly people with complex tax affairs, including those in the sport, media and entertainment sectors, UK and foreign trusts and UK… Read More

A partner at the exceptionally discreet Currey & Co, Sabina Fortescue specialises in private client trust, probate and wills work as well as general family, charity and tax issues. Founded in 1812, the firm serves clients who are ‘land-owning, and… Read More

‘When there are problems, or the country is in a bit of turmoil, we tend to have work to do,’ says Spear’s contributor, award winner and industry grandee Ceris Gardner. It’s been a year dominated by client worries on Corbyn… Read More

In the past year, Hunters’ Jonathan Godwin-Austen has been busy with ‘two particularly large generational transfer projects for big landed families’ – an area he has come to specialise in. He describes the steps involved: ‘Defining who “family” is, who… Read More

Respected private client lawyer Peter Golden joined Linklaters in 2016 to head up its trusts team. He relishes the firm’s international reach and the ability to offer his expertise in a support role on a wide range of transactions. ‘With… Read More

A published author on tax and estate planning and partner at Mishcon de Reya, Andrew Goldstone is well placed to comment on the tax implications of the current political climate. ‘We’ve seen on-and-off talk from clients about a possible Corbyn… Read More

Dawn Goodman was one of the first to specialise in private client work in the arena of succession and probate in the 80s. ‘At law school I would have thought of it as rather dusty and esoteric,’ she says. ‘I… Read More

‘Very lively, very busy,’ is Farrer’s partner Jeremy Gordon’s description of his year, citing an increase in domestic wills disputes and inheritance tax claims. ‘People prepare wills and trusts they expect to stand up to scrutiny. Sometimes human nature intervenes… Read More

‘The distinctive thing about Macfarlanes is that we have a reputation as the only firm that has a leading reputation for both private client and corporate work,’ says Charles Gothard, the razor-sharp co-head of the firm’s family office group. It… Read More

It’s full speed ahead for Benjamin Grist, who has been particularly busy with the ‘increasing complexity’ of tax legislation and ‘toughening approach’ from HMRC, which has been keeping him occupied with a considerable number of new enquiries. The Dixon Wilson… Read More

Mark Harris, Rawlinson & Hunter’s London liaison partner, comes highly recommended by a partner at a top City firm. As well as covering all elements of UK tax, Harris also oversees the progress of the firm’s offices in Bermuda and… Read More

Mary Hase is private client director at Buzzacott, with a strong specialism in advising clients in accountancy and taxation matters. She observes that nowadays clients are more concerned about whether their money is going to last, or whether it will… Read More

It’s been a year of navigating opportunity against a backdrop of uncertainty , reports James Hender, a nominee for our 2018 Private Client Accountant of the Year award. He heads up Saffery Champness’s excellent private wealth team. ‘We’ve been particularly… Read More

‘Incremental tinkering doesn’t really have the desired effect,’ says Elizabeth Henson, calling for a tax sphere ‘fit for the future’. Henson heads PwC’s private client and private business teams, and is the go-to for UHNW families with global investments and… Read More

Rather than follow in her parents’ footsteps into law, Clare Hetherington instead chose to study music at Oxford. After a few years working for a concert venue, however, she decided that she wanted to ‘really challenge myself, properly test my… Read More

Deloitte’s vice chairman and head of family office services, Paula Higgleton has advised families for 25 years, ‘making sure that they can respond to any changes that come down in the pipeline,’ she says. She believes family offices ‘need to… Read More

Up and coming star Emma Holland (who joined Stewarts in May 2017 as senior associate, following eight years at Withers) describes the past year as ‘busy but rewarding!’ ‘Generally, we tend to assist where disputes arise, or are contemplated, involving… Read More

It was an eventful 2018 for Roger Holman, who in March joined DWF’s new private capital team as director. Holman has more than 20 years’ experience in the field, specialising in private wealth tax, both in the UK and internationally,… Read More

Boutique chartered accountant BKL started as a one-practitioner firm in 1980, and has since grown to become a top 50 firm with nearly 200 staff and 19 partners, four of whom are dedicated tax partners. ‘The high value we place… Read More

At dinner, the legendary Muhammad Ali once told one of Craig Hughes’ clients that ‘the greatest thing you can give to others is your time, as this is the one thing that nobody else can give.’ It’s a quote that… Read More

Daniel Hyde describes his client base as consisting mostly of ‘Americans whose children speak with British accents’. With Trump’s tax reforms and the non-dom reforms in the UK, that client base has been significantly buffeted in the past year. ‘The… Read More

‘We’ve always been on the UHNW end,’ says partner Stuart Janaway, ‘and we’re certainly winning more complicated mandates in lots of different jurisdictions.’ His momentum is built on his experience acting for an array of offshore trusts in Europe, the… Read More

‘It’s a more appropriate firm for me to work towards retirement,’ Simon Jennings tells Spear’s two years after his move to Smith & Williamson from Rawlinson & Hunter, where he was partner for over three decades. Jennings is impressed by… Read More

The private client tax team at BKL specialises in high-level tax advice for HNWs and UHNWs, especially for property, non-domiciled and non-resident individuals. BKL clients range from HNWs in the Middle East or Far East (where significant numbers of clients… Read More

Former EY partner David Kilshaw recently told Spear’s that if he’d told a client a decade ago their tax bill wasn’t zero,’they’d have fired him. Now, he said, the reverse is true. ‘The “Daily Mail test” has definitely gone into… Read More

The head of contentious trusts and estates at Charles Russell Speechlys ‘really knows his stuff and is fantastically good at soothing troubled waters’, says one industry colleague. Kleiner trained at Withers, where he became partner before being recruited by Speechly… Read More

It’s been a busy year for Sue Laing, who has been advising clients on the changing legislative framework. She provides guidance on succession planning, long-term asset protection, capital and income taxes, trusts, private companies, partnerships and the family businesses themselves…. Read More

Private client lawyer Helen Langworthy believes ‘those who can develop a relationship of trust with clients will always succeed’. Langworthy’s own relationship of trust with one client put to the test when she had to meet them while they were… Read More

Charles Russell Speechlys partner Dominic Lawrance specialises in UK tax advice for foreign domiciled and internationally mobile HNWs and UHNWs. Demand from clients is consistently high, he says, and his work has been keeping him extremely busy over the past… Read More

Christiana Lazo of Kirkland & Ellis runs an established practice that analyses sophisticated tax and estate plans for family offices, entrepreneurs and their various businesses. She notices that subtlety is an emerging trait among structures, as HNWs are ‘consolidating and… Read More

Caroline Le Jeune is a formidable partner in the private client world, having overseen succession planning advisory at BDO as well as specialising in chartered tax advisory at PwC for a decade. A qualified solicitor, she joined Blick’s in 2014,… Read More

Michael Lewis, the personable director at Frank Hirth, wants clients to understand one thing above all about his practice. ‘Our approach is that we’re always looking to be more than just pure tax advisers – we want to be their… Read More

Fiona Lewsey’s role is to advise City professionals and entrepreneurs on their wills, estate planning and trusts. She has a particular expertise in formulating tax-efficient strategies to protect worldwide estates and ensure smooth succession to future generations. ‘Many of my… Read More

The personable Greg Limb has 25 years’ experience in tax, including a spell acting as an adviser to HMRC. He now heads KPMG’s London private client team, advising individuals, family offices, entrepreneurs and private equity executives on personal tax. The… Read More

Urbane, with a calm, confidential manner, Charles Lloyd is a muchliked figure in the profession. It’s a reputation borne of hard work. ‘I’ve been quite busy for the last six months,’ he says. ‘There are things I should do, like… Read More

Private client tax partner at Smith & Williamson’s family office services division Andrew Lockwood describes his client base as ‘a portfolio of families who have interests in land, mostly oldfashioned landed estates, spread around the country. I help them to… Read More

‘Wither the classic English trust?’ asks Fladgate partner Helena Luckhurst rhetorically, to give Spear’s a sense of the diminishing clout of the conventional trust in HNW affairs in recent times. She observes that more and more families are abandoning it… Read More

Deloitte tax consultant Lucy Lukic first worked at the Big Four firm in 2012, in its scholar programme, before joining the organisation full-time in 2016 as an analyst. ‘I support the partners in acting as an adviser on tax affairs… Read More

Withers partner Christina Baltz has broad and varied experience, thanks to a career that has seen her spanning senior roles at leading law firms as well as financial institutions. As a result, she has the perspective to lay out the… Read More

Based in London, Suzanne Reisman, who is dual qualified (New York and the UK), started her boutique practice in 2004 working primarily with American entrepreneurs, private equity fund principals and philanthropists living in London. Over the years her reputation for… Read More

‘A gentleman, a genius and a valued adviser’, said a leading industry peer of Macro, who has set up several family offices for clients with net worth in excess of $2 billion. He has also been praised for his innovative… Read More

‘Our clients are made up of offshore and onshore trustees, protectors and HNW beneficiaries from around the world, particularly the Middle East and the Subcontinent,’ says Richard Manyon, head of contentious trusts and estates at Payne Hicks Beach. ‘They expect… Read More

Lara Mardell, a senior associate at BDB Pitmans, specialises in providing advice on tax, trusts and succession planning to individuals, families or their representatives; particularly where there is an international connection. ‘I find cross-border matters particularly interesting,’ she tells Spear’s… Read More

As an advisor on a comprehensive range of international and UK personal tax, trust, succession and estate planning matters, Charles Russell Speechlys’ Piers Master acts for some of the firm’s largest private clients and leads the Private Wealth team. He… Read More

‘Katten is unique in that it is a full-service firm,’ says Kathryn von Matthiessen. Within its private client department alone, the company has 700 attorneys – all with varying specialisms. Von Matthiessen’s focus is on sophisticated personal and estate planning… Read More

‘Choppy waters ahead is the ancipation,’ Clare Maurice tells Spear’s when asked for her shortto- medium-term outlook. The possibility of a Corbyn government and greater uncertainty are the two things her clients are worried about. ‘An awful lot of it… Read More

‘By its nature, private client work is driven by each family’s needs, and their challenges and needs are invariably also their planning opportunities, says Rosamond McDowell of Payne Hicks Beach. McDowell trained at Charles Russell, before becoming a partner at… Read More

Lisa Mead is a partner in the private client team at Crowe, drawing on her extensive experience advising HNWs on a variety of UK tax issues. Assistance is mostly given to clients with an international component to their financial affairs,… Read More

David Mellor believes the tax code is overdue major simplification. ‘Technically, it is achievable and would be an incredibly good thing,’ he says, ‘[but] whether there is the political will is a different matter – politics is a short-term game.’… Read More

It’s a case of gamekeeper turned poacher for Jeff Millington, who started his career at HMRC aged 17 and left 24 years later. ‘It helps if you know what the inspector is thinking.’ He says inexperienced inspectors often get lost… Read More

A private client partner in Withers’ esteemed tax team, Patricia Milner advises on tax, trust and estate planning for both UK and non-UK resident and domiciled individuals. It’s been another year characterised by the uncertain political climate. ‘The biggest issue… Read More

‘Helping individuals manage the complexity and burden associated with holding vast wealth’ is how Chris Moorcroft describes his role at Harbottle & Lewis, where he is a partner in its esteemed personal tax and private client departments. Moorcroft advises UHNW… Read More

Frank Hirth’s board director is a guardian of the client-centric culture the firm has forged since its inception over 40 years ago. ‘We are focused problem solvers and trusted advisors,’ James Murray tells Spear’s. He is proud of the unity… Read More

Paula Myers started her career in the largest private client practice in Newcastle. ‘I felt that I had become a trusted advisor when clients came to me for everything, and I introduced them to other lawyers in the firm,’ Myers… Read More

‘We’ve been blown away by the quality of the clients,’ Julian Nelberg remarks to Spear’s. The former PwC rising star joined US firm Andersen Tax in January to help consolidate its UK base and hasn’t looked back since. ‘We have… Read More

Filippo Noseda focuses on international tax, governance, succession and matrimonial property issues, frequently establishing or restructuring trusts and philanthropic foundations. Dual-qualified in England and Switzerland (as well as the BVI), Noseda converses with clients in his native Italian, as well… Read More

A disconnect between different jurisdictions when it comes to interpreting the CRS rules has thrown up ‘unhelpful anomalies’ in the tax world, says Liz Palmer. The head of private client and family at Howard Kennedy, who specialises in offshore cases,… Read More

Bart Peerless regularly works on complex succession matters, often involving lawyers in several jurisdictions. The great thing about Charles Russell Speechlys is that it has a network of offices in the key centres for private wealth globally – which allows… Read More

David Pickstone, head of Stewarts’ tax litigation team, is a formidable lawyer, acting in some of the most significant cases of the past 15 years. The list ranges from Prudential’s privilege litigation and Littlewoods’ case concerning compound interest, to the… Read More

Anthony Poulton has built up a highly international practice based on exceptional competence, as well as an amiable personality. His clientele includes trustees, executors, protectors, beneficiaries and interested third parties. He’s known for handling work with a Middle East, Far… Read More

James Price heads up Stewarts’ team dedicated to trust and probate disputes, regularly advising where conflicts arise – or are contemplated – from trust issues. This often involves friction between beneficiaries, with Price and his talented team having to assist… Read More

Robert Pullen, 31, is the youngest partner in the history of Londonbased accounting, tax and advisory practice Blick Rothenberg. With a civil engineering and architecture background, he started his career in private client tax at Deloitte, before leaving for a… Read More

Stephenson Harwood’s head of private client pulls no punches in his most recent catch-up with Spear’s, giving a stark warning against HMRC’s newly set up HNW unit, which he says is coughing up ‘a staggering amount of money’. ‘That’s really… Read More

A go-to sage for international UHNWs on wills, trusts and personal tax planning, Edward Reed has spent his career dealing with ‘Western European matters’: matters he is well suited to handling, having spent his formative years in France. Reed still… Read More

John Riches is an expert in some of the most complex areas of tax and holds a unique place in the industry. RMW Law’s private client and tax consultant is both a practitioner and trusted adviser to HNWs, as well… Read More

Marc Rinaldi is the partner-incharge of PKF O’Connor Davies, an accounting and advisory firm that ‘holds itself to a higher standard – going beyond passive value calculation to active value creation’. Rinaldi is known for his expertise in sustainable investing,… Read More

It’s been a meteoric rise for Roberts, who became one of Deloitte’s youngest-ever partners in 2011, playing a pivotal role in serving a global clientele. Roberts works with a broad set of family offices and HNWs, with a particular speciality… Read More

Nick Rucker, head of the London tax, trusts and estates team at Irwin Mitchell, specialises in international structuring for HNW individuals and families. He recently handled the estate of a deceased husband and wife whose children and grandchildren were domiciled… Read More

‘The internationalisation of private client work in London has been a big change,’ says Irwin Mitchell partner Alex Ruffel. ‘The world has become smaller in terms of communication and where people have their assets.’ Ruffel specialises in working with global… Read More

Simon Rylatt has just been through a caseload of international trust projects featuring themes such as restructurings, governance reviews and investment approach arrangements. Despite new areas of interest, simplicity in tax and estate structures is uppermost in the minds of… Read More

Alexandra Sarkis tells Spear’s, ‘On Monday morning, the phone call could be about almost anything! For many of our clients, a key concern is the preservation of wealth for the benefit of future generations, while at the same time ensuring… Read More

Jitu Shah observes the HNW world is suffering from a dual paralysis. ‘People aren’t making any decisions because of Brexit,’ he notes. ‘Property transactions seem to have come to a standstill, especially among foreign buyers.’ The other thing on everybody’s… Read More

When it comes to the tax system as a whole, Nimesh Shah is ‘a huge believer in simplification’: ‘When I started there were two books: A and B, and now it’s A to H plus indices. The myriad of rules… Read More

Highly regarded among the Spear’s network, Chris Shepard has looked after the tax affairs of families with both inherited and newly acquired wealth for 30 years. A partner at Smith & Williamson since 1996 and a nominee for Private Client… Read More

The Common Reporting Standard can make things tricky for clients, says Daniel Sopher, who has been running Sopher + Co since 2014. ‘Often they have to prove that something isn’t taxable. It can be difficult to prove a negative, but… Read More

‘It’s very much been a question of people trying to make sure that their affairs are organised in a flexible and agile way so that they can deal with whatever comes at them from a political point of view,’ says… Read More

‘The best part of my job is the constant challenge and opportunity that work and life presents – the clients we help, the people we meet along the way, the places we visit and the experiences that we have,’ says… Read More

Clare Stirzaker is excited by the growing demand for family office support in the West African market, which she noticed while travelling across the Middle East and Africa. Her role at the Big Four firm is to ensure that multigenerational… Read More

Jon Sutton trained at Dixon Wilson and qualified 22 years ago. He is now a partnerat the firm and advises on matters including landed estates, personal tax, trusts and capital tax planning. He also works with businesses and entrepreneurs –… Read More

‘I’m not someone who’s got my head in the tax law book the whole time,’ says Saffery’s chairman James Sykes. ‘For me it’s more about going out and meeting people, helping them achieve their aims.’ He says: ‘Rich people are… Read More

‘If litigators were dogs, a client would need a mutt with a mix of qualities – not bred for anything in particular, and so able to adapt,’ is Rupert Ticehurst’s theory. His background is in advising on non-contentious trusts, wills… Read More

The last year has been an odd year, says Menzies’ head of private clients David Truman, as he reports fewer than usual unannounced changes to tax law in the past 12 months. A private client specialist with a diverse and… Read More

‘I left university with little idea of what I wanted to do as a career and ended up working at the Foreign Office. I then saw an advert for a job in HMRC and the rest – as they say… Read More

Following almost a decade in Jersey, James Walker returned to the UK, where after a stint as a non-dom specialist at an accountancy firm he set up his own practice. He now heads up the Buzzacott private client team and… Read More

Wedlake Bell’s head of private client reports that Brexit is hardly a problem for the international community. ‘One of the [Turkish] family members told me, “If you want political uncertainty, go and live under Erdogan, where you can be locked… Read More

Wendy Walton is in celebratory mood following the success of BDO’s merger with Moore Stephens, which sets it on a path to deliver £600 million in revenue. ‘It’s been fantastic for our business,’ exclaims Walton, describing it as her proudest… Read More

Trevor Warmington specialises in complex UK tax affairs but, since becoming a partner in 2017, has broadened his focus, working with an increasingly international client base across Europe and into China. He began his career at Deloitte, and moved to… Read More

The head of the private client department at Taylor Wessing, Nick Warr notes his clients are ‘much more aware of the need to preserve wealth – it’s become part of their business strategy.’ When it comes to the UK, he… Read More

‘I think there are all sorts of ways that the UK is attractive, and has remained attractive despite various tax changes that are against nondoms,’ says Simon Weil, whose practice spans everything from contentious trusts to advising the government on… Read More

Suzanne Willis thinks of many of her clients as ‘being in the middle of the Atlantic’ – because of the way that business interests and family relationships tend to push and pull them from the UK to the US and… Read More

A partner in Hunters’ private client department, Molly Wills advises on various issues around UK estates, succession and tax planning, wills and powers of attorney, probate and estate administration, tax and trust administration, and international issues. ‘As clichéd as it… Read More

Frank Hirth director Iain Younger says an emerging trend of 2019 was that fewer advisers understand the private client world – along with the risks that HNWs often face in the global tax landscape. However, the growth in the US… Read More