Tracy Evlogidis

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Listed in Legal 500’s esteemed Hall of Fame for Immigration, Tracy is described as “the best lawyer on earth” and recognised as “very patient, very well educated and knowledgeable about her work”. Bringing over 25 years of experience, Tracy supports businesses and high net worth individuals on all aspects of UK immigration.

As the head of our Immigration practice, Tracy leads a market leading team advising on UK immigration and nationality law. With particular expertise in providing strategic advice to businesses and senior executives, she crafts solutions on issues including the EU Settlement Scheme, permanent residence, complex citizenship and passport applications.

Tracy prides herself on giving the personal touch, helping clients to navigate complex issues and bureaucratic processes with care and attention. This combined with her well-established connections in the industry provide an exceptional track record of success, including residency and citizenship applications which require Home Office discretion. Her international network also enables Tracy to seamlessly co-ordinate the global immigration needs of her clients. 

Acting for high net worth individuals and leaders in a wide range of industries including, finance, fintech, legal, luxury brands, fashion, sport, education, design and charitable institutions. Tracy has successfully completed many visa applications for tech founders.

Tracy’s corporate clients value her strategic advice on sponsor licence compliance, stress testing practices for right to work audits, as well as evolving workforce patterns involving digital nomads and hybrid working. Her highly respected profile in the industry means she has influence on important policy proposals, working closely with the Home Office and in her role as convener of the Business and Operational Forum and as an active member of UKVI’s steering group.

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Peter Selwyn

Peter Selwyn

Peter is a Partner in the Commercial Real Estate team. He joined the firm in 2010 and has a wide range of experience in all aspects of commercial property, including sales/acquisitions, mixed-use developments, landlord and tenant work, geared leases, rights of light and “sustainable” initiatives including electric vehicle charging deals.

Peter specialises in work for funds – in particular, Swiss Life Asset Management and Columbia Threadneedle – and Central London estates/endowment funds including The Mercers Company and The Corporation of Trinity House.

Peter has an ability to avoid ‘legalese’ and provide succinct ways around problems, whether in redevelopment, sales/acquisitions or traditional asset management. With 15 years of experience in the field on a wide range of projects, he is adept at finding solutions to any issues that might arise.

He has acted for clients on a flagship London redevelopment, and a range of logistics and mixed-use office and commercial projects.

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Elizabeth Small

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Elizabeth is a go-to tax lawyer who has an enthusiasm for out-of-the-box thinking and has been described as ‘committed, technically sound’ and ‘pragmatic’.

As a Partner and Head of Corporate Tax, Elizabeth specialises in corporate tax, focusing on M&A and corporate reorganisations/restructurings. She advises large institutional clients on forward-funding transactions and high-end mixed-use developments. Elizabeth provides comprehensive guidance on various tax issues, including VAT, SDLT and CIS, ensuring all aspects of the transaction are considered for optimal tax efficiency. Additionally, she advises on the use of entrepreneur’s relief and employee incentives to further benefit her clients.

Elizabeth has particular expertise in dealing with enfranchisement matters. Her work includes acting for the Phillimore Estate and the Crown Estate, dealing with their enfranchisement claims and management issues arising from their property portfolios.

Her experience in commercial and residential property encompasses the full range of property types, including hotels, bars, care homes and student accommodation, as well as offices and prime residential property and she works with the whole spectrum of clients who have interests in property, including pension funds, international property developers and landed estates.

Elizabeth is an enthusiastic and engaged tax lawyer who loves her subject and enjoys getting the best commercial outcome for her clients. Thinking creatively, she brings a wide range of experience to the matters she works on.

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Fiona Smith

Fiona Smith

Fiona is an experienced private client lawyer, having specialised in the area throughout her career. She works mainly with UK-based clients from landed estates to entrepreneurs, advising on a range of matters including wills, trusts, tax, probate and issues of mental capacity.

Described as ‘outstanding in her technical ability’ Legal 500, 2023 , she aims to provide clients with creative but practical solutions to their legal problems. Fiona frequently collaborates with colleagues and other experts in related areas such as Trust and Estate Disputes, Residential Property, and Corporate Tax.  Her practice often calls upon her additional qualifications as a Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA) and Notary Public.

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Helen Streeton

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A Partner in the Commercial Real Estate team and Head of Build to Rent (BTR), Helen has lots of enthusiasm for real estate; she enjoys the industry’s tangible nature and working with a diverse range of stakeholders in the sector. She is proactive and a creative thinker who always endeavours to understand the client’s perspective, its strategic priorities and the risks it faces.

Helen constantly prioritises clear and succinct advice, while keeping deals and projects moving towards completion.

She has an extensive background in advising developers and funders of large-scale business, leisure and mixed-use projects, build to rent schemes and other complex development sites. Helen has worked on key developments and schemes in the UK, particularly in and around London. She has particular expertise in development.

Given the scale and complexity of matters that Helen routinely works on, she has become an adept collaborator, frequently working alongside colleagues, clients and other professional advisers to ensure that targets and desired outcomes are achieved.

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Craig Thompson

Craig Thompson

Craig is a Partner in the firm’s Corporate and Commercial team and is recognised as a ‘Top Recommended Lawyer’ in the Spear’s 500 2023 and the Spear’s Corporate Lawyer Index 2023. He collaborates closely with clients, leveraging his deep understanding of their businesses to help achieve their strategic objectives in both legal and commercial contexts. Known for his intellectual approach to resolving complex issues, Craig’s clients appreciate his extensive experience, business acumen, and approachability.

Craig possesses extensive knowledge in the manufacturing sector, particularly in steel, automotive, and aviation industries. He is also experienced in the corporate real estate and tech sectors and is recognised for his expertise in leading international transactions.

His advisory work encompasses share and asset acquisitions and disposals, reorganisations, joint ventures, shareholder and partnership arrangements, and commercial contracts. Craig’s clients range from small start-ups to well-known brands, including entrepreneurs, high net worth individuals, family offices, private equity firms, property companies, funds, and corporates.

With a long-standing career at Forsters, Craig has significant relationships with colleagues across various departments, including Corporate Tax, Dispute Resolution, Commercial Real Estate, and Private Client, enhancing his ability to provide comprehensive and integrated legal solutions.

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Julia Tobbell

Julia Tobbell

Hailed as ‘arguably the very best property litigation lawyer in the business’ (Legal 500, 2024), Julia is ranked in both the Legal 500 and Chambers UK Guide 2025.

Julia is a seasoned litigator specialising in real estate disputes. She has particular experience in commercial real estate, including development and investment disputes, especially those concerning trophy assets and valuable portfolios. She also acts for high net worth individuals in their personal property disputes. She has significant litigation experience, including lengthy and high-profile trials. Julia also has many years’ experience of other forms of dispute resolution, including negotiation, mediation and early risk identification/mitigation. She is a qualified Solicitor Advocate with rights of audience in the higher courts.

She is able to steer even the trickiest and most complex litigation in the right strategic direction. She is tenacious and has a knack of getting to the heart of the issue. She will always work hard to achieve the best possible outcome for her clients, while keeping costs in check.

Julia has a particular interest in development disputes and is regularly consulted by Real Estate colleagues on aspects which have the potential to complicate developments. She also handles contractual or tortious disputes where property is the underlying asset, such as professional negligence claims or purchase disputes.

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Victoria Towers

Victoria Towers

Praised for her ‘deep knowledge and understanding of the real estate sector’ Chambers 2024, Victoria is Head of the Commercial Real Estate team and Co-Head of Industrial and Logistics. She specialises in development, investment, acquisitions, pre-lets and complex forward fundings.

Ranked in all leading legal directories, Victoria provides her clients with a “high level of service and responsiveness’ Chambers, 2024. She likes to immerse herself in the deal and the sector she is working in. With extensive experience across the real estate sector, she has particular knowledge of industrial and logistics sector, acting primarily for developers and investors. Her involvement also extends to the office, restaurant and leisure sectors.

Victoria enjoys integrating herself into clients’ wider teams in order to fully understand their strategic thinking and objectives, ensuring that her advice is always clear and commercial.

At the forefront of industry trends, Victoria leads the Commercial Real Estate team’s sustainability offering, working and collaborating with clients to ensure their portfolios can achieve or exceed UK Government targets.

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Naomi Trinh

Naomi Trinh

With a passion for commercial and pragmatic advice, personal service and plain English delivery, Naomi has 20 years of experience as a solicitor. Naomi is thoughtful and proactive, consistently demonstrating a dedication to responsiveness, approachability, and clarity. Naomi is a ‘Top Recommended Lawyer’ in The Spear’s 500 2023 directory.

As an integral member of the Corporate and Commercial team, Naomi specialises in acquisitions, disposals, reorganisations, joint ventures, both shareholder and partnership arrangements, and has additional expertise in commercial contracts. Naomi is also a member of the Hotels group, where she frequently advises on hotel transactions, hotel management agreements and contractual arrangements, including terms and conditions, supply agreements and distribution arrangements.

Naomi’s broad client base includes corporates, family offices, start-ups and entrepreneurs, high net worth individuals, property companies, and hotel owners and operators.

Naomi recognises the value of effective collaboration with colleagues across the firm, including those in the Commercial Real Estate, Private Client and Banking and Finance teams.

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Daniel Ugur

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Described by clients as “incredibly bright and personable” Chamber HNW Guide 2024, Daniel is highlighted for his “deep understanding of complex family dynamics and governance structures. With vast experience in Asia”. He is also a ‘Recommended’ tax lawyer in the Spears’ 500 and ranked in The Legal 500.

As a Partner in the Private Client team, Daniel advises international individuals, families, trustees, beneficiaries, family offices and private banks on succession planning, personal taxation, and trust law.

Daniel has particular expertise in the succession of family businesses, including the creation of family governance structures to ensure a successful transition between generations. He always takes the time to understand the family’s needs before putting in place the most appropriate legal framework.

He has extensive experience in advising families that are either based in Asia or looking to move to or from the region. The Chambers HNW Guide also recognises Daniel as a foreign expert in Singapore; one of only three individuals recognised in this area of private wealth law. While growing his Asian business, he continues to develop his practice worldwide. Daniel continues to be involved in complex tax and structuring matters all of which involve cross-border elements.

Taking a commercial and solution-driven approach to advice, Daniel is always mindful that laws and tax rules are always changing. He consistently ensures that clients have flexibility inbuilt into any arrangement or structure, to stand the test of time.

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Benedict Walton

Benedict Walton

Noted by clients as “hugely commercial and great at litigation psychology”, Ben is Partner and Head of the Dispute Resolution team. He advises domestic and international corporate and individual clients on a wide variety of complex disputes, resolved by litigation, arbitration and by other alternative dispute resolution (ADR) methods. Ben attracts praise for his “good tactical sense and well-considered advice” and his “strategic and innovative” approach to litigation.

His particular areas of expertise include breaches of warranty and other contractual terms, competition litigation, breaches of directors’ duty, shareholder disputes (including unfair prejudice petitions), negligence, fraud, contempt of Court, investment, regulatory, and financial services disputes and group actions.

Ben has extensive experience of funded litigation and maintains excellent relationships with many of the major third-party funders, ATE insurance providers and brokers. This ensures that he is well placed, when required, to help clients find the most appropriate funding structure for their cases. While the details of funded cases remain confidential, Ben and Forsters have secured litigation funding solutions for some of the highest profile litigation to pass through the High Court in recent years.

Ben joined Forsters in 2015. He trained and spent the first 11 years of his career at Jones Day (formerly Gouldens), where he qualified as a solicitor in 2004.

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Andrew Lane

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As a former farmer, Andrew has unique insights into the needs of agriculture clients. Ranked in ‘Hall of Fame’ Legal 500 for agricultural and estates work and Band 1 in Chambers UK, Agriculture and Rural affairs, Andrew is famed for his highly strategic approach, founded on his huge experience and knowledge.

Working with a range of individuals, families, landowners and trusts, he has handled some of the largest and multi-faceted land transactions in the market, many of which have complex tax elements. His expertise is frequently applied in multidimensional projects, where, if necessary, he is also able to draw together experts to solve complex legal and regulatory issues for clients. He frequently works alongside Forsters colleagues in the Family, Corporate Tax, Private Client and Landed Estates teams, among others.

His expertise is frequently applied in multidimensional projects (often with multi-jurisdictional considerations) where, if necessary, he is also able to draw together experts to solve complex legal and regulatory issues for clients.

Andrew acts as a trustee for a number of large family trusts and landowning families. He is also a Director of numerous family-owned businesses.

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Ronan Ledwidge

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Ronan is a Partner in the Commercial Real Estate team and heads up our Student Accommodation practice. Active across mainstream and alternative sectors, such as offices, industrial, student accommodation and build to rent, he leads multi-disciplinary teams acting for funds (institutional and private equity, domestic and offshore) and developers in relation to investment acquisitions and disposals, developments and financings.

He has particular expertise in high value investment transactions (including large portfolios and income strips) and complex development related projects such as forward fundings and forward commitments, as well as in the unique and thriving student accommodation sector. This stemmed his later interest in the wider living sector, where he has become an experienced advisor in the build to rent, later living, hotel and student accommodation sectors.

Having been with Forsters since 1998, Ronan has developed a deep understanding of the practice areas in our business and collaborates daily with colleagues from Construction, Corporate, Tax and Planning, alongside other teams in the firm. Paired with his pragmatic, commercial and technically astute advice, Ronan is able to guide his long-standing clients along every step of the way and acts as an extension of their own team.

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Alfred Liu

Alfred Liu

Alfred advises high net worth individuals and families, family offices and fiduciaries on a range of private wealth matters, often where there are international and multigenerational complexities.

Valued for seeing things from his client’s perspective, he seeks to exceed his clients’ expectations and prides himself on his empathy, accessibility and user-friendly ways to communicate complex issues. Described as ‘very hard working and reliable’ Legal 500 (2024), Alfred always ensures his clients based in the UK and across the world are kept fully informed and regularly updated with practical and commercial advice.

Noted as a Rising Star in The Legal 500, he is also a committee member for STEP’s Business Families Global Special Interest Group.

With a particular specialism in advising cross-border families in Asia owning multinational businesses, Alfred has family roots in Hong Kong and speaks conversational Cantonese. He has a deep, personal understanding of Asian cultures and how different generations resonate with traditional and modern ideologies, which is vital when addressing succession, wealth preservation and dynastic planning. He frequently travels to Asia showing his commitment to advising clients on these areas and more.

He has a lead role in the firm’s Private Client Immigration team, specialising in UK immigration laws most relevant to overseas private clients.

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Hannah Mantle

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Hannah is a Partner in the Trust and Estate Disputes team, recognised for her expertise in domestic and international private client disputes, including contentious probate, trusts disputes, Court of Protection and capacity matters.

She mixes emotional intelligence and technical expertise to advise clients with sensitivity and empathy whilst taking a robust and proactive approach to disputes, to obtain the best result for each client. She recognises the importance of mediation and other negotiated settlements when they are strategically and commercially advantageous. Hannah represents a variety of clients both onshore and offshore, including professional and lay fiduciaries, individual beneficiaries and other parties, across a full range of private wealth disputes.

Hannah takes pride in effective collaboration with clients, other teams at Forsters, and professionals in other jurisdictions, often co-ordinating and managing cross-jurisdictional teams on international matters, as well as cross-departmental teams on contentious and non-contentious matters with private client, family and property colleagues.

Ranked in Chambers High Net Worth Guide 2024 and praised in The Legal 500 2023 for ‘excellent litigation management skills’, Hannah is described in directories as ‘brilliant’, and ‘practical, collaborative and sensible’.  She is a full member of ACTAPS, STEP and AIJA, and is deputy chair of the STEP special interest group for Contentious Trusts and Estates.

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Helen Marsh

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Hailed as ‘exceptional’ Legal 500, 2024, Helen is recognised as a Top Recommended lawyer in Spear’s Property Advisers Index and Spear’s 500 directory. She is ranked among the leading practitioners Chambers High Net Worth Guide, which notes that Helen ‘makes proactive suggestions and leads transactions in the best interest for everyone.’

As a Residential Property Partner, Helen has a wealth of experience in dealing with high value conveyancing, secured lending and landlord and tenant issues. She offers specialist expertise in residential and mixed use developments, advising on set-up, legal structuring and drafting, and guiding clients through strategic sales across schemes.

Helen acts for a wide range of clients including developers, investors, banks, trust companies and private individuals. She frequently co-ordinates cross-departmental teams in delivering a full service to clients.

She believes in going the extra mile for her clients and is motivated to get the deal done. She always endeavours to be responsive and proactive, constantly demonstrating that she cares about her clients and their objectives.

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Rowena Marshall

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A Partner in the Banking and Finance department, Rowena represents lenders and borrowers on a broad range of financings, including domestic and cross-border transactions. She has particular expertise in real estate finance, encompassing investment and development of both commercial and residential properties, as well as the financing of rural estates across a diverse sector range including residential development, retail, hotels, student accommodation, offices, life sciences, healthcare, alternative living and PRS.

Outside of real estate finance, Rowena has significant acquisition expertise in corporate finance including asset-based lending as well as fund finance.

Her lender clients include retail and private banks, challenger banks and alternative lenders. On the borrower side, she acts for funds and institutional investors, corporates, high net worth individuals, trustees and family offices among others.

She is approachable, commercial and pragmatic with a focus on quality advice, collaborative working, the client’s ultimate objectives and what really matters.

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Rupert Mead

Rupert Mead

Rupert is ranked in the latest editions of Chambers UK and The Legal 500. Clients recognise him as ‘extremely knowledgeable whilst also offering pragmatic solutions.’

Rupert is renowned for advising the owners of landed estates, farms and other family businesses on succession planning and family governance and acts as trustee of a number of significant estates in England and Wales. He is an established lawyer in the drafting and administration of trusts, capital tax planning, drawing up wills and powers of attorney, probate and charity law.

He specialises in developing structures that maximise agricultural and business property relief, as well as conditional exemption of heritage property, including works of art, buildings and land.

Rupert provides strategic advice to individuals, families and trustees involved in running a modern estate, which often involves a diverse range of activities and business enterprises, including in-hand farming; agricultural, residential and commercial lettings; holiday lets; land development; forestry; the exploitation of sporting and mineral rights and renewable energy sources; and the commercial use of historic houses. He will draw on the expertise of specialists from across the firm, including Corporate, Employment and Dispute Resolution to provide his clients with holistic advice that helps to deliver their personal and commercial objectives.

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Jade Metcalf

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A Partner in the Commercial Real Estate team, Jade has particular expertise in development work in the industrial and logistics sector and investment work across Central London estates.

She develops longstanding relationships with clients and prides herself on achieving their desired objectives as quickly and efficiently as possible. She has an approachable and friendly manner, and always strives to be commercial and proactive.

Jade regularly collaborates with colleagues across Forsters, including the Planning and Construction teams, to ensure projects run smoothly for clients. She is passionate about what she does and is often involved in the full lifecycle of a real estate development scheme, from land acquisition and funding through to construction, lettings and disposal.

Representing a variety of clients, including developers, property companies and institutions, Jade advises on a broad range of matters including structuring deals, development issues and pre-lets. She helps clients with strategies relating to their estates and portfolios, such as regearing existing leases, financing/refinancing their interests and other occupational property matters.

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Charles Miéville

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Ranked in Chambers High Net Worth Guide 2024, Charles is noted as ‘highly regarded by clients and fellow lawyers in the industry’ and singled out by clients as ‘calm, collected and highly knowledgeable’ and ’a very capable individual that clients can rely on and trust.’ In The Legal 500 he is ‘recognised for his work with private individuals in residential acquisitions and disposals’. He is a ‘Top Recommended Lawyer’ in the Spear’s 500 2024.

As a Partner in the Residential Property team, Charles specialises in buying, selling and financing prime residential property, primarily in Central London. He has a broad range of international clients (including many Middle East and US-based clients) and values helping them to understand and deal with the complex English law environment. He also advises on Sharia financing.

Charles always aims to establish long-term relationships with clients and to support all their requirements. Clients also benefit from his extensive network of contacts in complementary fields including interior designers, architects, project managers and schools advisers. He enjoys the opportunity to support clients in all their endeavours.

He has strong relationships with highly regarded sales and buying agents alike. He will often visit properties to glean useful information, to help build rapport with new agents and other intermediaries involved in the deal, and give the client the added comfort that he cares about and understands the property that they are buying or selling.

Charles has co-led the Diversity and Inclusion Committee with fellow Partner Amy France since 2022, driving progress and performance aligned with the firm’s commitment to ensuring everyone feels supported to thrive, to be happy and to bring their true authentic self to the workplace.

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George Mitchell

George Mitchell

A Recommended Tax Lawyer in the latest Spear’s Tax and Trusts Indices, George advises internationally mobile individuals and families on their exposure to UK taxation and the development and implementation of cross-border estate plans.

He uses his extensive experience and expertise to deliver pragmatic and commercial solutions to complex legal and tax matters, ensuring optimal outcomes for his clients.

As a Partner in the Private Client team, George leverages his early career as a corporate tax lawyer. He has particular expertise in helping individuals and families with structuring their ownership interests in businesses and developing suitable succession plans. In building durable legacies, he ensures that clients’ personal and commercial objectives are properly understood and achieved.

His familiarity with US tax rules and succession planning structures enables him to offer specialist and integrated advice to individuals, families and trustees with US connections, addressing transatlantic priorities and the differences between US and UK regimes.

His clients range from entrepreneurs to multinational business owners and executives, as well as family offices and family trusts.

Since 2023, George has led Forsters’ Green Impact Group raising environmental awareness and engagement across the firm to drive progress and performance in line with our goals. Highlights include hosting the annual clean-up of the River Lea, collaborating with the Working Parents and Carers network to run a Spring art competition for children connected with individuals working at the firm, and partnering with the HR team to deliver a gardening session at the firm’s charitable partner, the Marylebone Project, as part of the firm’s Wellbeing initiatives.

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Polly Montoneri

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With a focus on advising landowners, Polly has extensive experience in negotiating agreements for development and renewables projects, including small scale through to larger scale schemes. She has a deep understanding of the sale and purchase of rural properties, ranging from commercial farms as investment assets to country estates, rural properties and heritage assets. Polly also specialises in natural capital, advising landowners on biodiversity net gain (BNG) agreements and contracts for natural capital projects.

Always ensuring that her client’s interests are protected and preserved, Polly is commercial and practical, anticipates potential roadblocks and meticulously negotiates fully operational agreements that mitigate risk and establish clarity at the outset of a project or transaction. Passionate about collaboration and team working, Polly liaises closely with peers and colleagues, including experts in private wealth planning, tax, corporate, planning and banking.

Recognised as a ‘Top Recommended Lawyer’ in the Spear’s 500 2023 directory, Polly is a committed member of the Country Land and Business Association (CLA), enabling her to keep abreast of rural policies and the constantly evolving rural economy.

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Anna Mullins

Anna Mullins

An ‘absolute star’ on a ‘meteoric path’, Anna is listed in Chambers UK Real Estate Litigation, 2025 and is also ranked as a Next Generation Partner in the Legal 500 Property Litigation, 2025 where she is commended for residential and commercial landlord and tenant matters.

Anna’s work involves a variety of assets, including retail parks, industrial estates and residential premises. She acts for both landlords and tenants with her clients ranging from institutional developers and funds to high net-worth individuals.

In the commercial sphere, Anna has advised on vacant possession strategies, the termination and renewal of business tenancies, service charge disputes, tenant insolvency, dilapidations, break notices, contractual disputes, possession claims and other landlord and tenant disputes. She has a detailed understanding of the telecoms sector, along with experience in real property matters and professional negligence claims.

In residential litigation, Anna has advised on Section 20 consultations, termination of long leases/assured short hold tenancies, possession claims and service charge disputes.

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Xavier Nicholas

Xavier Nicholas

Recognised as one of eprivateclient’s “50 Most Influential” private client professionals and one of Legal Week’s Private Client Global Elite, Xavier leads Forsters’ award-winning private client practice.

As the Head of Private Client, Xavier advises individuals, families and trustees in the UK and overseas on personal taxation, trust and estate planning. Xavier has specialist expertise in the establishment, taxation and operation of cross-border asset holding structures – including companies, partnerships, trusts, private trust companies and foundations.

Technically gifted and commercially astute, he is a trusted advisor to international wealthy families. He has particular experience in advising families and trustees with business interests – including on the creation of family charters and constitutions, and other aspects of family governance.

For overseas clients, Xavier advises on pre-arrival tax planning for individuals seeking UK residency, and succession planning for those with assets in more than one jurisdiction. He frequently advises clients who have a US connection, both on the UK aspects of US/UK estate planning, and the interaction between UK and US taxes.

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Kelly Noel-Smith

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Described as an ‘exceptional lawyer’, by the Legal 500, Kelly is ranked in the latest Chambers High Net Worth Guide and Spear’s 500 which highlights her particular expertise in advising family offices on tax and trusts.

Kelly has been a Partner in the Private Client team since 2009 and specialises in advising families and their family offices on tax, governance and succession planning. She works closely with international families to understand their needs in order to create robust and flexible asset-holding structures that enable wealth preservation, tax mitigation and deal with succession issues.

Kelly heads the Senior Executives Advisory team, which focuses on advising internationally mobile senior executives on tax, employment and immigration issues commonly experienced when moving to or from the UK.

Since 2020, Kelly has led the firm’s approach to responsible business driving best practice and continuous improvement. Under Kelly’s leadership the team continues to grow alongside the firm’s ambitious plans to make a positive impact. As a result the firm has been shortlisted for a number of legal sector awards including Kelly being nominated as the Legal500 Environmental/Sustainability Private Practice Champion of the year.

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Andrew Parker

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Noted by clients as “brilliant”, “very client-friendly” and “on top of everything”, Chambers 2025, Andrew is a Partner and Head of the Construction Disputes team and the Building Safety team. He advises on the resolution of all types of construction dispute, from detailed final account and complex delay claims through to defects caused by poor workmanship and/or negligent design.

He has a deep understanding of how construction projects are run and the wide range of defects that can occur in completed buildings, ranging from external wall systems and structures to mechanical and electrical systems, including heating/cooling, air conditioning, ventilation, water and drainage.

Andrew helps clients on live construction projects where issues have arisen to avoid full blown disputes. Where a dispute is unavoidable, Andrew takes a logical and organised approach to put clients in a strong position to navigate the pre-action protocol and negotiate a successful outcome, whether by settlement or any other dispute resolution mechanism including mediation, arbitration, court or adjudication proceedings.

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Steven Richards

Steven Richards

Ranked in Chambers for his expertise in commercial litigation, including banking disputes, Stephen is hailed as ‘an excellent litigator’, ‘very intelligent and user-friendly’ Chambers UK, 2024

A commercial litigator with a background in corporate disputes, Steven is a Partner in the Commercial Dispute Resolution team. He has a sector focus on banking and finance litigation, professional negligence, contentious insolvency and insurance disputes. He also specialises in fraud and cybercrime.

Steven is a proactive and robust litigator with extensive expertise in obtaining, enforcing and responding to applications for injunctive relief (including freezing, search and seizure and delivery up orders). Along with wide-ranging experience of High Court proceedings, Steven frequently seeks out-of-court settlements, mediations and other forms of dispute resolution where it is advantageous for his client.

He takes time to understand his clients’ priorities and strategies to ensure that they achieve the best possible outcome. He is an expert in managing budgets and keeping costs in check. Steven has further experience with litigation funding and fixed-fee approaches, where he has successfully shared cost risk with clients.

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Jeremy Roberston

Jeremy Roberston

Noted as ‘excellent, extremely approachable, knowledgeable and, importantly, likeable,’ in Legal 500 2024, Jeremy is a Partner in the Private Client team where he has extensive experience of advising both UK and international clients on all aspects of personal taxation, succession planning, and family governance. He works closely with UK entrepreneurs, business owners, executives and their families on capital taxation, corporate and trust structuring, as well as advising on the development and implementation of estate plans for both UK and non-UK resident individuals.

Jeremy is determined to provide clients with clear and concise advice, ensuring that their objectives are achieved in a tax efficient manner.

He has particular expertise in the structuring options and tax implications for purchasing UK property. He regularly advises on UK and offshore tax planning, including the tax treatment of excluded property trusts and trust administration.

Jeremy also focuses on family office work, including supporting existing family offices and working with clients to develop and establish family offices. He also specialises in providing family governance advice to both UK and international clients, notably establishing private trust company structures and working with families to prepare family charters and other governance documents.

Jeremy has co-led the firm’s Community and Charity Committee since 2022, alongside his co-lead Michael Armstrong, and the other members of the Committee to drive community and fundraising initiatives.

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Rosie Schumm

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Described by the Legal 500 as ‘the ultimate family lawyer’, Rosie is a Partner in the Family team. She specialises in complex divorce, separation and children cases, often with an international dimension.

With a global network of contacts, Rosie’s international profile and expertise make her a ‘go to’ matrimonial lawyer for clients with a global footprint. Rosie is experienced in dealing with the impact of divorce and separation on international wealth, including offshore assets and trusts, family businesses, private equity, property portfolios and super prime assets. She regularly acts for clients who are in the public eye, working to ensure privacy and discretion throughout.

She works closely with Forsters’ Private Client and Disputes teams, advising on the use of cross-border nuptial agreements for succession planning. She also has expertise in dealing with same sex divorce, surrogacy and alternative conception work for all types of individuals and families, with a particular interest in children cases involving special needs.

Rosie cuts through the complexity of the law to provide clients with a clear and strategic way forward, while providing sensitive and empathetic support during what can be a very difficult time. She will take a direct, forceful and dynamic style when beneficial for her client. Her holistic approach includes providing access to a supportive team including therapists, private bankers, reputation advisors and security experts.

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Glenn Dunn

Glenn Dunn

Ranked as a ‘Leading Individual’ in the Legal 500 2024, Glenn is noted as ‘proficient in business real estate requirements, including corporate headquarters relocations and lease portfolio management.’

He is a Partner in the Commercial Real Estate team and is Head of Corporate Occupiers and Tenants and Co-Head of the Studios Group. As such, Glenn leads one of the very few specialist legal teams in the UK acting predominantly for tenants.

Having spent many years representing both institutional landlords and corporate tenants, Glenn has particular expertise in the negotiation of leases and pre-letting agreements. He and his team also advise on planning, construction and lease exit issues, as well as real estate tax and commercial contracts, making them a one-stop shop to clients on any real estate project.

Glenn has worked closely with occupier sector leads in all the major UK commercial agency practices to create strong professional relationships which jointly support businesses. His depth of experience enables Glenn to provide a bespoke service to occupier clients, covering both commercial and legal perspectives.

His clients are spread across many sectors including financial and professional services, advertising and publishing, and pharmaceutical. Although much of his work is in the office sector, Glenn also has significant experience in the UK film and TV studios arena.

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Smita Edwards

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Smita has many years of experience in acting for both developers and investors in relation to real estate development and investment. She understands the requirements of those involved in different roles, whether as funders/investors, developers or occupiers and her experience covers a wide variety of sectors including business uses, retail, leisure, residential and student accommodation.

Acting for a client base with diverse property interests has provided Smita with a well-rounded understanding of the real estate market from the perspective of all participants. Her breadth of knowledge and experience in the sector enables her to adopt a pragmatic and commercial approach in delivering projects for her clients.

Smita is client partner for a number of significant clients of the firm. Many of her relationships with clients have been built over a period exceeding 20 years. For those clients with multiple assets and/or complex requirements, Smita leads teams of real estate lawyers dealing with transactional and advisory work, working in conjunction with lawyers in specialist teams such as Construction, Real Estate Disputes and Tax. Her clients include Fiera Real Estate, Patrizia UK, Octopus Real Estate, McDonald’s Restaurants and Wrenbridge Land.

She is one of the leading investment and development lawyers of her generation. She has advised a range of high-profile clients in this area and is a sought out advisor on significant and complex transactions. She works closely with her clients, acting as a business partner, to really get into the detail of a deal. Smita’s ability to mobilise and manage large, multidisciplinary teams is a key reason why she is regularly appointed by her loyal clients.

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Joanne Edwards

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Hailed as ‘simply one of the leading family lawyers of her generation’ in Chambers UK, 2024, Jo is recognised for her expertise in complex finances on divorce, child arrangements (including relocation) and nuptial agreements (especially in cases with an international element and/or involving trusts or wider family wealth). Clients describe her as ‘a first-class lawyer who provides a first-class service’, and fellow professionals say, ‘I feel confident if I refer a case to her that she will do a brilliant job’ Chambers Ultra High Net Worth, 2024.

Head of Family, Jo works with a range of clients, from professional sportsmen and women (with a particular interest and expertise in football work), business owners, entrepreneurs, landed gentry, those in private equity, lawyers/accountants and other professionals, those from the political sphere, creatives and various others, as well as spouses/partners of the same.

Whilst Jo has extensive court experience, she embraces a conciliatory and pragmatic approach to settling cases when beneficial to her client. Recognised in Chambers’ High Net Worth as one of only a couple of dozen leading family mediators nationwide, mediation is an increasingly significant part of Jo’s practice as the family justice system requires couples to focus ever more closely on alternatives to court. She is skilled in mediations involving married and unmarried couples, often where there are complex, high value assets involved or where a parent wishes to relocate overseas with the children. She often mediates with court proceedings ongoing in the background and often succeeds in getting couples to agreement no matter how far advanced the litigation. Increasingly Jo is also called upon to mediate in cases where some thinking outside the box is required, e.g. helping couples resolve key terms of nuptial agreements before taking advice, helping families in crisis repair adult relationships or disagreements over provision on death, etc.

As a fearless campaigner for family law reform, Jo has sat on Resolution’s National Committee (the national family lawyers’ association) since 2009, having previously held the position of Chair 2014-2016. She leads on policy work and has featured in several high-profile family law campaigns, met with MPs and the judiciary, given evidence to various parliamentary committees and appears regularly on national TV and radio and in the broadsheets.

Internationally Jo is a member of the Family Law Section of the Law Council of Australia, to where she travels regularly. Closer to home she has ties north of the border, with a home and extensive family law contacts in Scotland.

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Katherine Ekers

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Ranked as Band 4 Partner, Chambers UK 2025, Katherine is noted for her “high level” client care. Alongside her role as Partner in the Commercial Real Estate team, Katherine is also Co-Head of the Studios group.

Katherine has a background in complex real estate development work, specialising in “cradle to grave” schemes that take many years to assemble and build out. She deals with city centre and greenfield/brownfield sites, including industrial and logistics, office, film studios and mixed-use schemes. She has a strong focus on sustainability.

She is an empathetic problem-solver, who takes a proactive and decisive approach to real estate developments. Putting commercial objectives first, she takes time to develop a big picture view of the priorities and concerns of clients and other stakeholders.

Recognising the importance of tact and diplomacy in real estate developments, Katherine has a track record in maintaining solid relationships with all project stakeholders, including developers, investors and the wider project team. She has an ability to put her clients in strong negotiating positions, while recognising the importance of compromise where necessary.

Katherine frequently leads and coordinates large advisory teams, involving multiple teams within Forsters as well as other professional advisers and consultants.

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Charlotte Evans-Tipping

Charlotte Evans-Tipping

Charlotte is a Partner in the Private Client team, providing estate and business succession planning, trust law and personal taxation advice for international families, family offices and fiduciaries. Many of Charlotte’s clients are based in, or have a connection with, the Middle East.

She is very experienced in creating bespoke wealth structures for clients, which often involves business succession planning and the structuring of trusts and foundations. She has a particular interest in family governance, working with founders and business families to understand their ethos and long-term objectives in order to create a family constitution and wealth structure to meet their needs.

Charlotte regularly advises trustees and beneficiaries on questions arising in the administration of a trust, including making administrative court applications for rectification, recission or the variation of trusts.

Finally, Charlotte is experienced in contentious trust matters, advising on questions relating to the validity of trusts, claims for removal of fiduciaries, investment disputes and the contentious division of trust assets. Her contentious expertise is invaluable when devising wealth structures, thanks to her bigger picture perspective and ability to foresee potential risks.

Charlotte has been described as ‘relentlessly hard-working and brilliantly insightful’ in Legal 500, and she is ranked in the latest Chambers High Net Worth and the Legal 500, where clients also describe her as ‘pragmatic and practical’.

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Amy France

Amy France

Amy is a Partner in the Commercial Real Estate team and heads up the Later Living team at Forsters. She prides herself on being approachable, commercial, collaborative and committed to driving deals forward. Amy takes a pragmatic and common-sense approach when delivering projects for her clients.

She is passionate about the built environment, its tangible characteristics and its ability to positively impact society. She has developed deep knowledge of the care home and later living sectors, believing that tailored and purpose-built housing can be transformational for those in the later stages of their life and their families.

Amy has a broad range of experience across the real estate disciplines, including development work, acquisitions and disposals, financings and landlord and tenant matters. Her extensive experience in later living covers a range of real estate matters, including advising funders and investors on all property aspects of acquiring, financing, managing and disposing of sites. Amy also advises operator clients on acquisitions and lease negotiations.

She enjoys the friendly, supportive and fun environment at Forsters and has forged long-standing and strong relationships with colleagues across the firm, including those in the Construction, Planning, Corporate and Tax teams. This allows Amy to leverage the expert knowledge across the firm and pull together specialist teams to deliver the very best service for her clients.

Amy has co-led the firm’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee since 2022, and relishes working alongside her co-lead, Charlie Miéville, and the other members of the Committee to drive forward the D&I Strategy. Amy believes that it is essential to foster a culture where every single person at Forsters feels welcomed, included and valued.

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Howard Gill

Howard Gill

Howard is an immensely experienced commercial real estate practitioner. He has been a partner at Forsters since 1999 and was Head of the Commercial Real Estate team for ten years.

With his extensive knowledge and intimate understanding of the market, Howard advises a range of domestic and international funds, investors and developers in relation to sales and acquisitions, development funding agreements, joint ventures as well as asset management.

He is passionate about building relationships, teams, reputations and about connecting people to advance positive outcomes. As a senior member of the Commercial Real Estate team, Howard manages key client relationships for Schroders and LaSalle Investment Management. In addition, he leads the Forsters team focusing on Asian real estate investment in the UK and regularly travels to Asia to see clients and develop new business relationships.

Howard has been with Forsters since it was founded in 1998 and has spent the majority of his career investing in the firm’s success. He is committed to supporting colleagues and helping them to develop their careers. Howard also enjoys the team dynamic at Forsters, frequently working alongside colleagues in the firm’s Private Client, Corporate, Banking and Tax, Real Estate Disputes, Construction, Planning and Residential Property teams.

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Emma Gillies

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Described as ‘exceptionally knowledgeable and extremely likeable’ Chambers UK, 2024, Emma is a Partner in the Private Client team, specialising in personal taxation and wealth planning matters.

Ranked in the latest Chambers High Net Worth Guide and Top Recommended in Spear’s 500, Emma is noted for advising high net worth clients on cross-border tax and estate planning, with a particular focus acting for American individuals and families with links to the UK.

Emma has extensive expertise in the creation and use of trusts as a means of succession planning and preserving family wealth. She has deep knowledge of the UK rules on residence and domicile, the remittance basis of taxation, and the tax implications of acquiring UK property and the structuring options available.

Emma leads a team that focuses on advising clients with US connections, including those that are relocating to the UK for the first time. Her familiarity with US personal taxation and wealth planning strategies enables her to assist her US-connected clients and their advisors with navigating the interaction between the US and UK regimes. Much of this work involves advising on the application of international treaties to mitigate risks of double taxation.

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Anthony Goodmaker

Anthony Goodmaker

Anthony is a Partner in the Commercial Real Estate team. He prides himself on being a generalist who can turn his hand to any type of commercial property transaction, but when pushed he would say his specialisms lie in development and complex asset management work, particularly within the thriving industrial and logistics sector. In recent years, he has also taken a keen interest in the student accommodation sector.

Awarded Property Lawyer of the Year at the YN Property Awards 2024, Anthony is committed to understanding his clients’ requirements and delivering against their objectives, ensuring that deals are executed on budget and in a timely fashion. Anthony was also listed as a ‘key lawyer’ in the latest Legal 500 directory for commercial property development.

He is passionate about effective collaboration, working with clients and their professional teams on a variety of deals and projects. Internally he frequently teams up with colleagues in the Construction, Real Estate Disputes, Planning and Tax departments, among others.

He is also the firm’s pro bono partner for commercial real estate and has advised a number of charities on recent property matters.

Having trained at Forsters himself, Anthony is passionate about developing the next generation of lawyers at the firm. He is  responsible for looking after all of our trainees, a role he takes great pride in fulfilling.

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Caroline Harbord

Caroline Harbord

Caroline has particular experience advising on shareholder, partnership and joint venture disputes, unfair prejudice petitions, civil fraud and asset tracing (including obtaining urgent injunctive and interim relief), regulatory investigations, claims in connection with directors’ duties, contentious insolvency and general contractual disputes.

She also provides expert legal opinions as to matters of English law, and has acted as an expert witness in connection with foreign legal proceedings.

Caroline’s clients include high net worth individuals, family offices and family owned / operated businesses, trustees and trust companies, banks, listed entities, corporates, directors, professional service firms, private equity houses and insolvency practitioners.

She also leads cases (including group claims) which are funded by litigation funders and supported by ATE insurance.

Caroline brings energy, dedication and tenacity to all disputes on which she acts, to make sure the client is getting highly strategic advice and can leverage from all available pressure points. She is incredibly responsive and provides gold standard client service and strategic litigation advice.

Her practice has a significant international and offshore focus, given her years practising in Jersey and working as General Counsel to an international Trust and Company Service Provider. Caroline regularly advises high net worth individuals, family offices and trustees on, for example, cross border trust litigation, recovering offshore investment losses, and commercial disputes concerning the underlying asset or corporate.

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Roberta Harvey

Roberta Harvey

Featured in the Legal 500’s Hall of Fame and described as “incredibly empathetic and really good to work with” in Chambers Private Wealth Disputes, 2024, Roberta is Head of the Trust and Estate Disputes team.

She has an excellent reputation in representing high net worth individuals, family offices, trustees, protectors, executors and beneficiaries. With wide-ranging expertise covering validity issues, breach of trust, removal applications, construction arguments, freezing injunctions, asset tracing and recovery, Roberta advises on the full remit of estate disputes.

Roberta’s supportive and constructive approach to litigation inspires confidence in her clients. Noted for being sympathetic and calm, she fiercely defends her clients’ best interests, while always considering the wider and long-term implications for their personal, financial and commercial interests. Roberta also works closely with her family and private client colleagues, often advising on divorce issues, post and pre-nuptial agreements, and on stress testing trust structures.

Her reputation as a leader in her field was recognised recently by her appointment as a member of the Association of Contentious Trust and Probate Specialists (ACTAPS) committee.

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Magnus Hassett

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With over 25 years working in the London legal market, Magnus brings a wealth of experience to the Commercial Real Estate practice. As Group Managing Partner for Commercial Real Estate, and Co-Head of Industrial and Logistics, he has led on all manner of deals, with a particular focus on industrial and logistics, offices, life sciences and strategic land.

Across his career, Magnus has advised the full range of clients from UK institutions and US private equity to high net worth individuals, occupiers and leading developers. He is the client relationship partner at Forsters for clients including The Crown Estate, Canmoor, LondonMetric, H.I.G Realty and The Christ’s Hospital Foundation.

The expertise Magnus has developed over many years allows him to deliver fuss-free, commercial and cost-effective advice, while his particular knowledge of industrial and logistics ensures he is right up to date with the latest trends in one of the best performing real estate sectors over recent years.

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Stuart Hatcher

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Stuart has a core focus on advising on family-owned, owner-managed and entrepreneur-led businesses. His wide-ranging knowledge covers everything from structuring investments (from private companies to LLPs), to demergers, employee ownership trusts and the return of capital to shareholder structures. He has a wealth of experience in fast growth and early-stage investment, often advising entrepreneurs and high net worth individuals on their investments and business operations.

A ‘Top Flight’ corporate lawyer in Spear’s 500, the guide to the leading service providers for high net worth individuals, Stuart has a commercial, pragmatic and solution-driven approach to advising clients. He is purposeful in offering strategic opinions when outlining key risks. He is passionate about sharing his experience and contacts with clients to help them action their priorities and achieve their goals. Often, he delivers results through fruitful collaboration with colleagues across multiple departments at Forsters.

Stuart has a passion for sports and as the elected Chair of Bees United (the Brentford Supporters Trust) and a director on the board at Brentford FC, he brings unique insights to his work in the sports sector. Stuart advises owners and athletes on investments, M&A transactions, and shareholder agreements and has acted on the acquisition, financing and structuring of a number of sports clubs over the years. Stuart is also an “enthusiastic amateur” when it comes to running, competing in every distance from Parkruns to ultramarathons!

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Andrew Head

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Ranked in the Legal 500, 2024, Andrew is noted for his ‘track record of work on international disputes, finance cases, class action claims and professional negligence’.

As a Partner in the Dispute Resolution team, Andrew has a diverse and broad ranging practice, which centres on professional indemnity work, complex land disputes, civil fraud cases, tax investigations and large scale group actions arising out of financial mis-selling.

Andrew is skilled at analysing large volumes of documentation in an efficient and cost effective manner, which ensures that he builds an in depth understanding of a client’s commercial background. He has considerable experience in High Court proceedings and in international and domestic arbitrations. His clients include international banks, major property developers, retailers, high net worth individuals and charitable institutions.

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Catherine Hill

Catherine Hill

Hailed as a ‘leader in the field’ Legal 500, 2024, Catherine’s focus is advising UK domiciled and resident clients. Catherine is praised as ‘an extremely good technical lawyer with a practical approach’ and as having ‘fantastic client skills’. She specialises in estate planning, devising holding structures for family wealth including companies, partnerships and trusts.

With long experience of managing complex estates in the UK and abroad, Catherine works closely with the Corporate and Commercial and Family teams at Forsters to deliver strategic advice on asset structuring, succession and taxation that consider both the personal and commercial perspectives.

Catherine is also highly ranked in the latest Chambers UK Guide for Art and Cultural Property Law, described as having ‘an excellent reputation for dealing with contemporary artists and their estates. She is extremely knowledgeable in this space and has all the contacts that artists need”. As well as heading up Forsters’ Art and Cultural Property group, Catherine collaborates with specialist art advisors via Artistate Limited, an organisation that she co-founded to provide the complementary services required to support artists and their estates secure an enduring legacy.

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Emily Holdstock

Emily Holdstock

Recognised for her expertise in Chambers UK Guide, Emily is described by clients as ‘sensible and pragmatic’. She is also singled out for her ‘comprehensive experience with various procurement methods and contract forms’ Legal 500 2024.

Emily is a Partner in the Construction team where she specialises in non-contentious matters. She is passionate about the construction industry and about seeing developments take shape. Emily enjoys nurturing relationships with clients and getting under the skin of projects to understand what clients truly care about. She believes in taking an active role in the lifecycle of projects, from early stages to completion.

Emily’s work centres on UK-based real estate developments, including the design and construction of new buildings and the refurbishment of existing buildings, particularly in the logistics, sports, film, living and hotels sectors.

She drafts and negotiates both bespoke and standard forms of construction contract. Where necessary, she is adept at crafting customised solutions that are workable, commercial and results-orientated.

Emily’s clients include developers, funds, contractors and consultants which are active in the UK construction market.

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Nick Jacob

Nick Jacob

Ranked in the latest Legal 500’s Hall of Fame and Band 1 in Chambers HNW Guide, Nick is recognised as ‘a leader in his field’ for his ‘sophisticated private wealth planning advice’, and a first class lawyer.

A Partner in the Private Client team with over 40 years’ experience, Nick is a world renowned specialist in family governance and succession planning. Working with multi-generational business families, Nick makes it a priority to understand the psychology of the family, in order to uncover the issues and deal with these head on. Only then can Nick put in place the necessary legal structures to ensure the successful transition of wealth from one generation to the next.

Nick advises a number of globally significant families, trustees and family offices with assets and family members based in multiple jurisdictions. He specialises in all aspects of cross-border estate planning, especially trusts holding family businesses, that protect against family disputes, including divorce.

With ‘a phenomenal reputation in Asia’, (Chambers 2024), Nick has a particular focus on advising families in East Asia and understands the evolving cultural dynamics facing different generations in this region. This is demonstrated by Nick’s recognition as a foreign expert in Singapore in the latest Chambers HNW Guide; one of only three individuals named for this expertise. He has also been cast as “The Godfather of Asian Family Governance”.

He also specialises in UK taxation for individuals and trusts, cross-border taxation coordination, and advises banks and trust companies on technical issues. Nick is a STEP Emeritus Member and was named ‘Trusted Advisor of the Year’ at the STEP Private Client Awards 2024. He is also Who’s Who Global Private Client Practitioner of the Year 2023.

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Jo Keddie

Jo Keddie

Featured in The Lawyer’s prestigious Hot 100 in 2024, described by Chambers as ‘a master strategist’ and by Legal 500 as ‘outstanding’ – Jo brings her strategic approach, technical excellence and unwavering client commitment to her leadership of our employment law offer.

With a track record spanning 35 years, she advises on contentious and non-contentious employment and partnership law for businesses, partnerships and individuals. As one of the UK’s leading employment lawyers, and arguably one of the most renowned, she has significant experience and expertise in representing clients on high-profile litigation matters, arbitration processes and sensitive investigations. She is particularly experienced in acting for clients in financial and insurance institutions, professional partnerships, private equity and other highly complex and regulated sectors.

Jo is strategic, commercial, client-centred and resolutions-driven. She fosters an approach that balances the ability to listen with the agility to act decisively. She balances her first-class track record with a tireless drive to understand the new. It’s why her colleagues enjoy working with her. It’s why clients approach her and stay, enabling them to navigate the increasingly complex world of employment and employment law.

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Alastair Laing

Alastair Laing

Ranked as a “Top Recommended Lawyer” in Spear’s 2023 Corporate Lawyer Index, Alastair is a Partner in the Corporate and Commercial team specialising in acquisitions and disposals, joint ventures and shareholder arrangements, group restructurings and corporate governance.

He has particular expertise in advising on the corporate aspects of private client matters and works closely with our Private Client team. His experience of advising on the corporate aspects of private client matters has given Alastair a unique understanding of the issues that can arise in this area, enabling him to provide practical and insightful advice to clients as to how best to resolve matters.

Alastair frequently advises on the design and implementation of corporate structures for wealth and succession planning purposes (e.g. family investment companies) as well complex restructurings (e.g. section 110 reorganisations).

He works with a broad range of clients, including high net worth individuals, wealthy families, family offices, entrepreneurs, owner-managed and family-owned businesses, trust companies and property developers.

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Guy Abrahams

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Guy is a Partner in the Private Client team, described in the legal directories as ‘highly impressive’ and with ‘extensive knowledge’. His clients include business owners, international families, private charities and the owners of landed estates.

He advises on all aspects of private client work, and specialises in succession planning and family governance. Guy advises clients on how to ensure the orderly and tax-efficient transfer of assets from one generation to the next, whether using simple mechanisms only, or corporate vehicles and complex trusts and wills. He is an expert on the inheritance tax reliefs available to the owners of businesses and heritage assets, and often acts as executor or as a trustee of family settlements.

Guy provides succinct advice to clients, in plain English, enabling them to make their decisions in the confidence that they understand what they are doing, and that they have taken the best course of action.

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Lucy Barber

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Ranked in all leading legal directories, Lucy is also recognised as a ‘Top Flight Property Lawyer’ in Spears Property Advisers Index. Under her leadership, the Residential Property team was named ‘Residential Property Team of the Year’ at the Chambers High Net Worth Awards 2022 and a finalist in 2024.

As Partner and Head of the Residential Property team, Lucy specialises in all aspects of acquisitions and disposals of freehold and leasehold property. She is a member of the Enfranchisement team acting for both landlords and tenants in connection with enfranchisement claims. Her work includes advising the Phillimore Estate and the Crown Estate on their enfranchisement claims and management issues arising from their property portfolios.

Lucy acts for a variety of private individuals, developers, investors and lenders and is passionate about building personal and long lasting relationships. As a ‘highly respected senior practitioner’ who is ‘technically strong and has a positive, can-do and commercial approach’, Lucy provides practical advice to ensure the best outcome is reached for clients.

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Robert Barham

Robert Barham

Robert is described as “exceptionally knowledgeable and personable”. Praised for being efficient at progressing transactions, Robert is noted to be adept at foreseeing potential problems and resolving them before they develop into issues. He is recognised as a ‘Recommended Lawyer’ in the Spear’s 500 2024 directory as well as a ‘Recommended’ Property Lawyer in the Spear’s Property Advisers Index 2024.

An ‘exceptionally gifted lawyer’, who ‘has the law at this fingertips’ Business Today, Robert is ranked Band 2 in Chambers HNW Guide 2024 for Real Estate: High Value Residential, and in Legal 500 he is praised for his ‘wealth of experience in the purchase and sale of high-value residential property and mixed-use assets’.

With more than 30 years of experience, Robert is a Partner in the Residential Property team, specialising in the purchase and sale of high-value urban and rural residential property and mixed-use assets. He has extensive experience in dealing with both registered and unregistered freehold and leasehold purchases, contract races and auction transactions. Advising clients on the structuring and ownership of mixed-use building and flat blocks is another specialist area for Robert, who also has unique experience in the law relating to London Garden Squares.

Robert is approachable, sensible and proactive, maintaining a constant focus on his clients’ best interests and on progressing transactions without delay. He prides himself on his adeptness at foreseeing potential problems and quickly resolving them.

Robert advises domestic and overseas clients, including individuals, trustees, charitable bodies and financial institutions.

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Ben Barrison

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Ben has a wealth of experience in all aspects of real estate disputes from high value complex property litigation to day-to-day portfolio management support issues. He has particular experience in development risk management/elimination issues such as rights to light and vacant possession strategy.

He provides the full range of advisory dispute resolution/avoidance services, guiding a variety of clients through both informal solutions and the formal processes of litigation, arbitration and mediation.

Ben is the Head of Forsters’ top ranked Real Estate Disputes team where he leads a 30-strong group of expert litigators. The team is widely considered one of the UK’s leading practices, with specific expertise crossing both commercial and residential matters.

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Joe Beeston

Joe Beeston

With an appreciation that success isn’t about resolution alone, but also the journey towards achieving it — Joe is known for his commitment to developing client relationships built on trust, empathy and a deep understanding of their needs.

With more than 15 years’ experience, he is a trusted advisor to a diverse set of businesses and individuals. Joe is particularly known for his expertise in employment litigation, disciplinary investigations, corporate transactions and redundancies. He also advises clients on data protection matters and whistleblowing complaints. As a member of our Senior Executives Advisory team he provides advice and support to internationally mobile senior executives on tax, employment and immigration. He co-heads our Pro Bono Committee and is a member on the firm’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee. Before joining Forsters in 2018, he was at Clifford Chance LLP, where he completed secondments at two global banks and a national retailer.

Joe understands the many varied reasons why clients need our support, and that the answers may not always be straightforward. Getting it right requires a balanced and measured approach, deep technical expertise, creativity and empathy. Joe brings all of that to his mandates with clients often referencing his kindness and ability to always see a way through in a complex and changing world.

Since 2022, Joe has co-led the firm’s Pro Bono Committee. Our lawyers regularly advise individuals and charities in need of legal support and we have long-standing relationships with various pro bono organisations and legal advice centres. Our initiatives are designed to benefit not only the recipients of our advice, but also our lawyers who can develop skills and competencies in new areas of law.

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Simon Blain

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As a Partner in the Family team, Simon advises private individuals on all aspects of divorce, relationship breakdown and matrimonial protection, including nuptial agreements. Renowned for helping separating couples to resolve issues in a constructive manner, his approach is assertive but not aggressive. Simon is passionate about standing up for his clients, seeking the best possible outcome in a cost-efficient manner.

He has particular expertise in financial cases involving complex asset structures and works closely with colleagues in other departments to advise trustees and business owners on the impact of divorce on a family business or trust structure. Simon also advises on child arrangements post-separation, both domestic and international and on surrogacy.

He is experienced in all methods of resolving family disputes, including mediation, collaborative law, private court hearings and arbitration as well as court-based litigation.

Ranked in The Legal 500, Simon is noted for his ‘particular strength in financial cases, which often involve trusts, family businesses, and assets in more than one jurisdiction.’ He is also ranked in Chambers and is ‘regularly instructed by high net worth clients for his matrimonial finance expertise.’

Simon is the treasurer and an elected board member of Resolution, the membership body for family lawyers. He is committed to Resolution’s Code of Practice, which aims to take the heat out of family proceedings. 

Simon co-hosts Talking family Law, the Resolution Podcast, which has become one of the most-influential voices in the family law sphere. He and co-presenter Anta Mahta of 4pb won the award for “Commentator of the Year” at the 2024 Family Law Awards.

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Patricia Boon

Patricia Boon

Patricia is ranked as a ‘Next Generation Partner’ in the 2024 edition of The Legal 500, where she is singled out for her pragmatic approach to advising high net worth individuals within and outside the UK. She is also recognised in Private Client Global Elite’s ‘Global Excellence’ listing.

As a Partner in the Private Client team, Patricia has in-depth expertise in all relevant areas of UK tax. She advises ultra high net worth individuals across the full range of personal estate planning and succession matters, including advising on will planning, cross-border estate planning, mental capacity issues, and asset protection. She frequently advises on the creation of non-UK resident trusts (including PTC structures), as well as reviewing existing structures, and advising on the termination of trusts.

With a particular specialism in advising Asian families on cross-border family governance, Patricia frequently travels to the region to advise on succession planning for owners of family businesses and structuring assets for passing down to the next generation in a sustainable manner. Patricia has particular expertise in dealing with multi-jurisdictional matters, enabling her to quickly identify the most suitable structures for clients with cross-jurisdictional touchpoints.

Her wide network of intermediaries allows her to help clients identify the right service provider for their needs and requirements, particularly in cases where they are considering setting up a trust and need advice choosing a trustee with whom they can establish a long-term relationship.

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Sara Branch

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Ranked in the Chambers UK Guide for over 17 years including 2024, Sara is praised for her expertise in the acquisition and development of mixed-use sites.

Sara is a Partner in the Commercial Real Estate team and is Head of Affordable Housing. She has a strong real estate development and regeneration practice with extensive experience working for both public and private sector organisations.

In the affordable housing field, Sara acts for registered provider clients on a range of projects from complex projects involving multi-party joint ventures, profit-sharing arrangements, development and construction documents, and disposals including build to rent, to the acquisition of the affordable provision under section 106 agreements. She also frequently advises on transaction structuring as well as strategic acquisitions and disposals.

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Ben Brayford

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Ben is a Partner in the Commercial Real Estate team, which is ranked Band 1 in the Chambers UK 2024 Guide. He is Head of Hotels and Leisure.

Ben has extensive experience across the real estate world, including with developments, acquisitions/disposals, lettings, funding and joint venture work. He has particular expertise in long-term and complex development projects.

Technically strong, pragmatic and proactive, Ben enjoys the intellectual challenge of development work, which often requires bespoke solutions for the many issues that arise. His work often involves coordinating and overseeing input from across the firm, including the Planning, Construction, Finance, Corporate and Tax teams.

Ben works regularly with both developers and landowners throughout the entire lifecycle of developments, from initial acquisition through to planning, funding, development and disposal.

He has advised on a wide variety of matters including commercial, residential and mixed-use schemes of all sizes. Amongst his many projects, he has worked on one of Europe’s largest urban regeneration schemes at Greenwich Peninsula in London since acquisition in 2012.

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James Brockhurst

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James has been listed as a ‘Recommended Lawyer’ in The Legal 500, recognised in Legal Week’s Global Elite ‘Private Client Global Excellence’ listing, and was previously listed three times in ePrivate Client’s top 35 under 35.

A Partner in the Private Client team, James advises global clients, including high net worth individuals, family offices, entrepreneurs and trustees, in the areas of succession planning, tax and family governance.

A trusted advisor to a number of globally prominent families, James combines empathy with deep technical ability, delivered with a commercial mindset. Whether advising a family office or an entrepreneur or an executive, James handles matters with sensitivity, discretion and professionalism.

James has particular expertise in the establishment of offshore trusts, foundations and corporate vehicles. James has broad experience in conducting family governance exercises, including those that involve different family branches and multiple generations, where his emphasis is on preventing disputes and engendering family harmony. He also acts as a board member to wealthy families.

As one of the first private client lawyers to develop expertise in cryptoassets, James is a ‘Top Recommended’ advisor in Spear’s Cryptocurrency Index 2023 and is the author of the book ‘Cryptoassets for Private Clients’. He advises some of the world’s wealthiest crypto investors and token issuers.

With a particular focus on clients based in the Middle East, James can advise on Sharia compliant structures including trusts and foundations and is licensed by the Dubai International Finance Centre to draft Wills covering UAE assets. James travels very frequently to the Middle East to serve clients in the region.

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Dickon Ceadel

Dickon Ceadel

Ranked as an ‘Up-and-Coming’ Partner in Chambers UK and as a Next Generation Partner in The Legal 500 UK, Dickon is highlighted for his ‘top client care skills as well as his brilliant legal knowledge’, and ‘intellectual firepower’.

Dickon has wide-ranging experience of resolving ‘big money’ financial disputes on divorce and relationship breakdown. He specialises in preparing and negotiating both domestic and international pre and post nuptial and cohabitation agreements. He is renowned for his knowledge of parental rights and obligations, and private child law matters, including child abduction, internal and international child relocation and surrogacy. His cases often involve complex assets and multiple jurisdictions.

He ‘is very astute’ and ‘exudes reassurance’, providing first class support to clients. Dickon works hard to get to know people and to understand their priorities in order to achieve their desired outcome. He is known for taking a firm but fair, pragmatic, and constructive approach to resolving issues. Having represented numerous high-profile clients, he is acutely aware of the importance of discretion.

Dickon is a member of Forsters’ US/UK and sports law groups.

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Henry Cecil

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Praised by clients for his ‘vast array of experience in high value acquisitions and disposals in the agricultural sector’ Chambers, 2024, Henry is a Partner and Head of Rural Land and Business.

A ‘Hall of Fame’ ranked partner, Legal 500, 2025, he is at the forefront of high value estate, farm and country house purchases and other related property issues. He is very closely involved with succession and estate planning, along with tax matters. Henry lives and breathes the countryside, with a deep understanding of the issues and opportunities that rural landowners face. He has an extensive network that he is constantly developing to support his clients.

Henry’s depth of knowledge, experience and skill is complemented by his enthusiasm for client care, communication and building long term relationships. Maintaining a positive mindset, he is pragmatic and efficient, an effective problem solver who always aims to expedite transactions.

Henry is a team player, who enjoys working alongside colleagues, other advisors and clients.

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Simon Collins

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Simon is a Partner in Forsters’ Banking and Finance team, advising on domestic and international banking and finance in all its forms, including alternative lending structures and real estate finance. His in-depth understanding of financial institutions has been enhanced by a secondment at the Royal Bank of Scotland plc.

He has particular expertise and experience in high value secured lending, particularly in the real estate (development and investment) finance sector, trade and export finance, debt-restructuring and debt-conversion programs, and secured and unsecured syndicated and bilateral credit products. Simon is adept at advising on all forms of debt financing, from real estate to art.

Acting for a wide variety of clients, both onshore and offshore, Simon’s lender clients include private banks, challenger banks, alternative lenders and bridge lenders. In addition, he has previously acted for a range of institutional lenders. His borrower clients comprise both corporates and individuals, and include investment and asset management companies, developers, funds, high net worth individuals and entrepreneurs.

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Carole Cook

Carole Cook

Carole advises UK and overseas individuals and families on tax, trust, estate and succession planning and philanthropic matters. International in outlook, much of her work centres on cross-border estate planning and coordinating matters for clients with assets in multiple jurisdictions.

Led by the client’s specific needs, Carole takes a proactive and strategic approach to individual matters.

Carole is ranked in the latest Chambers High Net Worth Guide and is recognised in Legal Week’s most recent Private Client Global Elite Directory. She has also received recommendations in The Legal 500.

Her clients include entrepreneurs, non-UK domiciled and non-UK resident individuals, family offices and the owners of landed estates. She also advises trustees, both in the UK and elsewhere, on tax matters and in relation to their duties.

Carole frequently works alongside and collaborates with colleagues in multiple teams, particularly Corporate Tax, Residential Property, Banking and Finance, and other private client specialists.

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Sarah Cook

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Noted by clients as “an outstanding partner” Legal 500, 2024 Sarah founded and leads the non-contentious side of the Construction team and has particular experience in real estate developments. Ranked Band 2 in Chambers for Construction: Non-contentious, she is acknowledged for her advice on contracts and other construction documentation for major development projects, including high end residential, commercial and retail schemes.

She has worked on a long list of landmark developments, including town centre and out of town regeneration, commercial, retail, sports, residential and mixed use developments, student accommodation, hotels and infrastructure projects.

With over 25 years of experience in the construction industry, Sarah ‘always delivers’ Chambers, 2024 and takes a hands-on approach to projects. She is down-to-earth, personable, prides herself on excellence, and is committed to driving a matter forward. Sarah likes to develop strong relationships with her clients and maintain these over the long term.

Having joined Forsters in 1998, Sarah knows how to get the best out of her team and colleagues from across the firm. She frequently works alongside lawyers in the Commercial Real Estate, Residential Property, Rural Property and Private Client teams, among others.

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Heather Corben

Heather Corben

Acknowledging her invaluable ‘can-do attitude’ and ‘creative thinking,’ Heather’s clients cite ‘her knowledge of complex multi-jurisdiction corporate structures’ and her ‘extensive network when working with unusual jurisdictions.’

As a Partner in the Tax team, Heather has a wealth of knowledge in direct and indirect tax issues and regularly advises on corporation tax, capital gains tax (including NRCGT), income tax, national insurance contributions, VAT, stamp duty land tax and the construction industry scheme. She advises a wide variety of clients on corporate real estate transactions, acquisitions, disposals, developments, and joint ventures. Her experience includes advising on hotels, student accommodation, care homes, commercial and mixed- use developments. Heather is also an expert in real estate fund structures.

She advises on M&A transactions, corporate re-organisations and setting up share incentive plans.

Heather’s priority is to provide clients with clear advice and support in challenging situations, always ensuring that she has a complete understanding of their commercial objectives and striving to meet these in an efficient manner.

Her clients include domestic and international property investors and developers, institutional real estate investors (including pension funds), blockchain and crypto-asset businesses, corporates, international executives, and high net worth individuals.

Heather’s wide-ranging experience includes everything from advising on the tax aspects of the purchase of a football club to working with a small UK start-up right through its lifecycle to becoming a major international group.

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Andrew Crabbie

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Andrew is a Partner and was previously head of the firm’s award-winning Commercial Real Estate team which is ranked Band 1 in Chambers UK. His unparalleled expertise in the real estate market makes him the go-to voice for insightful market commentary and is often quoted in leading real estate publications.

Working principally on commercial real estate transactions, he specialises in development, mainstream investment and occupier work, advising clients from a broad range of industries. Andrew also has particular expertise in the areas of extra care housing and build to rent.

Proactive and commercial, Andrew seeks to provide clients with solutions to real estate transactional challenges and works closely with colleagues in the Construction, Tax, Planning, Real Estate Disputes and Corporate and Commercial teams, among others.

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Andrew Denye

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A Partner in the Commercial Real Estate team and Head of Retail, Andrew has over 20 years of experience helping institutional clients with the full lifecycle of their retail and leisure assets. Described by clients as ‘commercially astute’ and ‘efficient’, he is also noted as being skilled at, ‘working through unusual situations where pragmatic and innovative approaches were required.’

Andrew believes that success is built upon strong partnerships and open communication. He promotes a collaborative environment to help clients overcome challenges and seize opportunities for growth. Mitigating risks by providing strategic guidance and tailoring legal services to meet specific needs and objectives of each asset, is key to his team’s success.

As part of a multidisciplinary team, Andrew shapes and delivers clients’ asset strategies and provides commercial and practical legal advice in a collaborative manner to move transactions to completion. He has an acute understanding of the unique dynamics and challenges faced by primary shopping centres, drawing on his own extensive experience and the resources of his team.

His longstanding relationships with leading landlords and asset managers enables him to help clients maximise the potential of their assets. Fostering fruitful reciprocal relationships, he regularly transacts with all the major retailers and leisure operators and their lawyers.

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Victoria Du Croz

Victoria Du Croz

Ranked as a Leading Individual in Legal 500 Planning 2025 and among the top practitioners in Chambers, Victoria is noted for ‘her brilliant legal mind’ and her ability to ‘simplify complex issues and provide pragmatic advice quickly’.

Victoria heads the Planning team at Forsters and is one of few senior lawyers to specialise in representing commercial and private clients, including major developers, institutional investors and public sector entities. She advises on all aspects of redevelopment and regeneration, from advice on planning applications to planning appeals, judicial review, statutory challenges and disposal strategies.

Victoria has a proven track record in the redevelopment of central urban sites, including those that are highly constrained.

She prides herself on robust, strategic and commercial advice, drawing on her extensive experience coupled with a detailed understanding of specific site restrictions and opportunities for development. She is passionate about new buildings and changing skylines.

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Christine Dubignon

Christine Dubignon

Christine is a Partner and Co-head of the Corporate team, handling a broad range of matters. Her extensive expertise spans share and asset sales and purchases, joint ventures, reorganisations, shareholder arrangements, and limited liability partnerships.

Recognised as a ‘Top Recommended’ lawyer in Spear’s 500 2024, Christine is praised for her ‘robust project management approach’.

While she frequently collaborates with colleagues in Forsters’ Commercial Real Estate, Residential Property, Tax, and Banking and Finance teams on various transactions, her work covers a variety of sectors. Known for her practical and commercial advice, Christine is passionate about meeting clients’ strategic objectives, and tailors her advice to each client’s specific needs, ensuring successful transaction outcomes.

Christine is also a member of the firm’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and Responsible Business Committees.

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