Anne-Laure Villa

Anne-Laure Villa

Anne-Laure is an Associate in the Private Client team.

She acts for both UK based and international clients, advising individuals, families, and trustees on a broad range of estate planning and taxation matters.

Anne-Laure is fluent in French and Spanish.

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Victoria Meyer

Victoria Meyer

Victoria is an Associate in our Private Client team.

She acts for both UK based and international clients, advising individuals, families, and trustees on a broad range of estate planning and taxation matters.

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Will Tidy

Will Tidy

Will is an Associate in the Rural Land and Business team.

He advises on all aspects of rural property, including purchases and sales, bank refinancing, landlord and tenant matters, renewable energy developments, promotion and option agreements and advisory work for estate management clients.

As a former rural surveyor, Will seeks to bring a pragmatic and commercial approach to his work. His experience as an estate manager allows him to empathise with their concerns and helps him to see the bigger picture – particularly vital when dealing with complex estates with interlocking stakeholders. Will’s clients include individuals, trusts, companies and large estates.

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Tatiana Kinsky

Tatiana Kinsky

Tatiana is an Associate in the Rural Land and Business team.

She acts on a wide range of rural property matters. This includes the sale, purchase, financing, and management of country houses, farms, and estates. She also has experience dealing with development land and advising landed clients on tax, trust and charity matters.

Tatiana has a particular interest in supporting clients on matters involving historic properties and vineyards.

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Olivia Carter

Olivia Carter

Olivia is a Senior Associate in our Private Client team.

She specialises in both UK and international private client work, advising trustees, families and individuals on a wide range of wealth and succession planning and taxation matters.

Olivia’s work includes the preparation of wills and lasting powers of attorney, trust structuring and administration, and personal tax planning.

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Rebecca Anstey

Rebecca Anstey

Rebecca is an Associate in our Private Client team.

She acts for both UK based and international clients, advising individuals, families, and trustees on a broad range of estate planning and taxation matters.

Rebecca’s work includes the preparation of wills and lasting powers of attorney, advising on related tax planning, and trust structuring and administration. She has experience advising on residence and domicile and on US/UK cross-border matters.

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Robert Linden Laird Craig

Robert Linden-Laird-Craig

Robert is a Knowledge Development and Practice Lawyer in the Private Client team focussing on a broad range of practice areas pertaining to UK individuals, including wealth structuring, tax and estate planning, trusts, charities, mental capacity issues and contentious trusts and estates.

Building on his previous practice as a Private Client lawyer in the team, Robert’s role involves keeping lawyers informed about the latest developments in the ever-changing Private Client landscape in England and Wales, providing legal updates, alongside training and seminars covering all relevant topics.

Prior to becoming a Knowledge Development Lawyer in 2019, Robert practiced as a Private Client Lawyer at Forsters, where he qualified in 2010.

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Katie Shortt

Katie Shortt

Katie is a Probate Manager in our Private Client team and assists the probate team with estate administrations.

Her work includes informing institutions of a person’s death, collating date of death valuations, preparing inheritance tax forms, obtaining valuations of chattels and properties, preparing estate accounts and dealing with distributions to beneficiaries.

Katie is approachable and personable and understands the sensitive nature of the work. She is particularly sympathetic to the fact that clients are often going through a difficult and upsetting time.

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Laura Blenheim

Laura Blenheim

Laura is an Associate in our Private Client team.

She acts for families, trustees and family offices on a wide range of private wealth matters, working predominantly with international clients particularly from Asia. She advises on cross-border wills and estate planning, family governance, lasting powers of attorney, and immigration including pre-UK residence tax advice.

Laura provides comprehensive tax and trust advice to both UK and offshore trustees, handling the administration of trusts, including charitable trusts, with experience establishing both private trust companies and family investment companies.

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Harriet Ballard

Harriet Ballard

Harriet is an Associate in our Private Client team.

She advises both international and UK individuals, trustees and beneficiaries on tax, trusts, estate planning and succession issues. Harriet advises on tax efficient UK will planning as well as cross-border wills and succession planning. She has a particular interest in advising clients in relation to US/UK cross-border matters.

Harriet acts for high net worth individual and families on the establishment and use of trusts and other structures for succession and estate planning purposes.

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Harvey Tomes

Harvey Tomes

Harvey is an Associate in the Rural Land and Business team.

He acts on a variety of matters related to country houses, farms and estates. This includes the purchase and management of rural property, advising on farming and other tenancies, dealing with development land and assisting with other general estate matters such as easements and sporting rights.

Harvey also advises London based estates in relation to various estate management matters and residential property.

He has a particular interest in heritage and period properties.

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Chloe Daley

Chloe Daley

Chloe is an Associate our Private Client team.

She acts for both UK and international clients, advising individuals, families and trustees on a broad range of estate planning and taxation matters.

Chloe’s work includes the preparation of wills and lasting powers of attorney, trust structuring and administration, and the preparation of domicile statements. Chloe has a particular interest in acting for clients with capacity issues. This includes advising individuals on how to put mechanisms in place to support their decision making while they still have capacity, and ensuring that any decisions are otherwise taken in their best interests.

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Claire Murray

Claire Murray

Claire is a Knowledge Development Lawyer in the Private Client team focussing on a broad range of practice areas relating to UK and international individuals and families, including wealth structuring, estate and succession planning, tax, regulatory and compliance, both for individuals/families and their related structures, including family offices and trusts.

Drawing on over 20 years’ experience in private client work, Claire’s role involves keeping lawyers informed about the latest developments in the constantly-evolving field of private client practice. She provides legal updates, training, technical content and practical application to support lawyers at all levels in the team in delivering excellent client service.

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Alex Keane

Alexander Keane

Alex is an Associate in our Private Client team.

He acts for both UK based and international clients, advising individuals, families, and trustees on a broad range of estate planning and taxation matters.

Alex’s work includes the preparation of wills and lasting powers of attorney, UK and offshore trust structuring and administration, and the preparation of domicile statements.

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Anna Parkin-O’Brien

Anna Parkin O'Brien

Anna is an Associate in our Private Client team.

She acts for both UK based and international clients, advising individuals, families, and trustees on a broad range of estate planning and taxation matters.

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Anna Roe

Anna Roe

Anna is an Associate in our Private Client team.

She acts for both UK based and international clients, advising individuals, families, and trustees on a broad range of estate planning and taxation matters.

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Regulatory and information exchange

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The UK regulatory framework, and the global reporting requirements, in relation to trusts and other wealth-holding structures is becoming increasingly complex and onerous.

Our Private Wealth Regulatory team advises trustees, other fiduciary service providers, companies and individuals on their reporting obligations under the UK’s ever increasing regulatory framework, and the global reporting issues that they also need to consider, in relation to the trusts and other wealth holding structures they create and manage.

This area is becoming increasingly complex and the penalties for non-compliance, both financial and reputational, are significant.

Relevant rules and regulations include (but are not limited to):

  • Economic Crime Act: Unexplained Wealth Orders
  • EU and OECD mandatory disclosure rules
  • The provisions of 5AMLD as they apply to certain industries (e.g. the art industry, cryptocurrency etc.)
The Common Reporting Standard (CRS)

The OECD introduced the Common Reporting Standard (“CRS”) to help combat tax evasion by individuals using accounts and structures in jurisdictions other than in the jurisdiction in which they are resident i.e. a FATCA for the rest of the world, which draws heavily on the approach taken to implementing FATCA (see our separate FATCA summary here). The CRS is multilateral in nature compared to FATCA and some US specific features of FATCA (such as a definition of “US Person”) are not relevant to the CRS. Within the CRS framework, FIs must report information for exchange between tax authorities in the signatory jurisdictions.

Who does it apply to?

The CRS applies in jurisdictions that have signed up to the CRS. Financial Institutions (“FIs”) in so-called CRS Participating Jurisdictions are subject to active obligations to comply with the requirements of the CRS.

What are the key requirements/ dates/ penalties?

Like FATCA, the CRS introduced a standard set of due diligence procedures pursuant to which FIs must identify Account Holders and Controlling Persons who are Account Holders of Financial Accounts which they maintain. Account Holders are reportable under CRS if they are resident in a CRS Participating Jurisdiction other than the CRS Participating Jurisdiction in which the Financial Institution is resident. The CRS is not backed by sanctions in the same way as FATCA, and CRS Participating Jurisdictions are responsible for enforcing CRS compliance at a domestic level.

The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (“FATCA”) is part of the US Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act which was enacted in 2010. The main objective of FATCA is to combat tax evasion by US Persons using non-US accounts and structures. It works by requiring non-US Financial Institutions (“FIs”) to report directly (or indirectly via their own tax authorities) to the US Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) any (non-US) assets held by their US Account Holders, with significant sanctions (see below) for non-compliance.

Who does it apply to?

Everyone – FATCA works on the premise that every person could potentially be a US Person and therefore unless positive steps are taken to prove that someone is not a US Person, they will be treated as a US Person for FATCA purposes.

What are the key requirements/ dates/ penalties?

All FIs must register (or be registered) on the FATCA Portal and obtain a GIIN as evidence of compliance (or, where permitted by FATCA, ensure they are covered by the GIIN of another FI). FIs must identify the Account Holders of the Financial Accounts they maintain and report information about Account Holders or Controlling Persons who are US Persons annually. There are complex definitions and specified due diligence procedures for identifying Account Holders depending on the type of FI concerned. Non-Financial Foreign Entities (“NFFEs”) with over 50% of their income being passive (as defined for FATCA purposes) must be reported upon by any FIs with which they interact (rather than reporting direct).

FATCA may apply directly via the US Regulations (in which case FIs report directly to the IRS) or it may apply via an Intergovernmental Agreement between the USA and another jurisdiction (in which FIs report to their own tax authority respectively), depending on the jurisdiction in which an FI is located. Sanctions for non-compliance include (but are not limited to):

  • a non-refundable FATCA withholding tax which certain paying agents are obligated to deduct at the rate of 30% on certain US income and gains arising to non-FATCA compliant accounts;
  • the threat of exclusion from the US currency and securities markets;
  • FIs that resist compliance (so-called recalcitrant accounts) must be closed and details reported to the IRS; and
  • reputational damage associated with FATCA non-compliance.

The Trust Registration Service (TRS) is HMRC’s register of the beneficial ownership of trusts.

Who does it apply to?

From 6 October 2020 the scope of trusts required to register was extended to nearly all express trusts, not just those with a UK tax liability. Now all UK express trusts and some non-UK express trusts need to register, subject to some specific exclusions.

What are the key requirements/dates/penalties?

Trusts with a UK tax liability had to register on TRS by 31 January (or 5 October in some cases) following the end of the tax year in which the trust had a liability to UK tax. Following the extension, non-taxable trusts are required to register on the TRS by 10 March 2022, however HMRC has stated that this deadline will be extended as the online portal does not allow these trusts to register yet. Penalties starting at £100 can be charged for failing to register on TRS or updating the register when there has been a change.

Read more about The Register of Overseas Entities and how it applies to trusts here.

The Register of Persons with Significant Control (PSC) is a free to access public register including personal details about the individuals who own or control companies.

Who does it apply to?

Officers from UK companies and LLPs are required to identify the individuals with significant control over their companies and confirm their information, record their details on the company register, provide this information to Companies House and update any details that change. A PSC is someone that holds more than 25% of shares or voting rights in a company, has the right to appoint or remove the majority of the board of directors or otherwise exercises significant influence or control over the company.

What are the key requirements/dates/penalties?

Failing to provide information on the PSC register or providing inaccurate information is a criminal offence and could result in a fine or a prison sentence of up to two years.

The team advise on all relevant issues, including the information that affected persons must collect, maintain and report, and the form that reporting should take. They also advise on how to proceed when there has been a complete or partial failure to report appropriately.

Please note that we do not advise financial services firms or institutions in relation to their own regulatory obligations as governed by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) or Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA).

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UK and cross-border tax

Lawyer in Forsters' office

Individuals are faced with an everchanging tax landscape both in the UK and globally. The interaction between different tax regimes is complex and will differ depending on your personal circumstances.

With the right advice, effective tax planning can unlock opportunities to make use of available tax reliefs and optimise your global tax exposure. Timing is key. Seeking advice before taking action can make a big difference. Planning ahead, be it prior to moving jurisdiction, buying or selling property or exiting a business, will enable you to put in place the necessary structures to organise your affairs as efficiently as possible.

Forsters’ Private Client tax lawyers have the in-depth technical knowledge and commercial acumen to advise you on the full breadth of UK taxes, setting out your options in a clear and pragmatic manner. For business owners we can draw upon specialists in corporate, corporate tax, real estate and employment to manage the interaction between business and personal taxes, and ensure that you received joined up advice. Crucially we always consider UK tax planning opportunities within the context of your wider wealth planning objectives.

Within an international context, we regularly co-ordinate cross-border tax advice. We have strong connections with professionals around the globe and can work with them and any of your existing advisers, to achieve the best overall outcome.

Our tax expertise includes:

  • Pre-arrival tax planning, including tax residence and domicile advice
  • Inheritance Tax (IHT) planning, including the use of Business and Agricultural Property Reliefs
  • Tax reliefs for heritage property, including Acceptance in Lieu, the Cultural Gifts Scheme and Conditional Exemption
  • Income tax and capital gains tax
  • Tax efficient charitable giving
  • Cross-border tax planning, including specialist US/UK advice
  • Corporate Tax
  • Real estate tax including Stamp Duty Land Tax

 

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Philanthropy and charitable giving

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In addition to providing for the needs of their families, successful individuals often harbour wider ambitions to use their wealth to make a positive impact. For many, philanthropy and charitable giving are an important part of the family’s wealth management strategy. Our private client lawyers have the expertise to help you find the best way to support the causes that are most important to you.

Charitable donations and bequests often require careful management within the context of a wider succession plan. We can advise you on tax efficient giving as well as on larger scale endeavours, such as setting up a grant making charitable foundation or trust.

Our Private Client team have the specialist knowledge to help you develop a philanthropy strategy that will bring your vision to life. We will also ensure charitable and philanthropic endeavours are integrated into your family’s overall wealth and succession plans so that they are balanced against the other needs of the family.

Our expertise in charity law, charity governance and tax mean we are ideally placed to support you with your philanthropic and charitable endeavours.

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Private wealth

Minimalist arrangement featuring a beige, sculptural ceramic vase with a circular cut-out and two stacked stone spheres, set against a black background with a yellow geometric accent.

Helping you grow, preserve and protect what matters most to you, remains at the heart of what we do. We were founded as a private wealth firm and for more than 20 years we have served individuals and families in the UK and internationally, supporting them on all aspects of their wealth, property and business matters. Today, our award winning private wealth practice is ranked top in the latest editions of the Chambers HNW Guide and the Legal 500.

Our teams work collaboratively to provide you with a joined-up service and a complete private client experience. From buying and investing in property, companies, art and luxury assets, through to family wealth planning including trusts, succession planning and family offices. We also advise on tax, regulation, employment, disputes and immigration.

Our approach is defined by building a deep understanding of your life, your needs and what you want to achieve. We develop genuine relationships and take a personal approach, always with your commercial objectives in mind. This is how we deliver exceptional advice and the reason why our clients choose us to serve them across generations.

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Michael Armstrong

Michael Armstrong

Michael advises individuals and families based in the UK and internationally on a broad range of tax, succession planning and estate matters.

With specialist expertise in working with older and vulnerable family members, Michael advises individuals, families and representatives on the estate planning options available to clients who have been diagnosed with dementia and other cognitive impairments. He collaborates with medical specialists to obtain suitable assessments of clients’ capacity to make gifts, execute wills and put lasting powers of attorney in place.

He also works with the families and representatives of vulnerable clients to ensure that they are supported in taking decisions for themselves where possible, and that decisions are otherwise taken in their best interests.

Michael takes a sensitive approach, providing clear and practical legal advice which takes into account the sensitivities surrounding our clients’ individual and family circumstances. He holds the STEP Advanced Certificate in Advising Vulnerable Clients and won the STEP Excellence Award on this specialist subject.

Michael also co-leads Forsters’ Charity and Community Committee.

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Robert Keylock

Robert Keylock

Robert is Counsel in our Private Client team where he advises individuals and trustees on all aspects of private client law, and in particular:
• wills, trusts and succession planning;
• taxes (particularly inheritance tax and capital gains tax); and
• probate and administration of trusts and estates.

Within those broad areas, Robert has specialist expertise in advising the owners of rural businesses. For the entirety of his career, Robert has acted for numerous traditional landed estates which has encompassed helping families with a wide variety of matters ranging from implementing succession strategies for whole estates, through to discrete transactions such as the structuring of purchases, sales or gifts.

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Julia Ramsden Gunduz

Julia Ramsden Gunduz

Julia is Counsel in Forsters’ Private Client team, specialising in advising trustees and financial institutions, both from a contentious and non-contentious angle, on tax and trust related issues arising in connection with such structures. This includes advising on global regulatory and exchange of information initiatives, tax regularisation and disclosure facilities, as well as legislative changes in the UK.

She also has extensive experience of advising international high net worth individuals and their families on their estate and wealth planning strategies and family governance. This includes developing and implementing complex cross-border structures, taking into account international tax planning considerations, domicile, the conflict of laws, forced heirship and asset protection issues.

Julia has experience of working in-house at financial institutions and is able to factor commercial realities (and constraints) into her advice and the solutions she provides.

She provides internal training on regulatory and exchange of information topics as well as mentoring junior associates. She is a native German speaker.

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Victoria Salter-Galbraith

Victoria Salter-Galbraith

Victoria is Counsel in the Rural Land and Business team and a Fellow of the Agricultural Law Association. Victoria is Head of the firm’s Historic Properties and Planning team and specialises in acting on matters relating to listed and otherwise historic properties.

In addition, she is head of the firm’s vineyards group, collaborating with colleagues across the firm in our Corporate and Commercial, Private Client, Tax, Employment and Partnerships, and Banking and Finance departments.

Victoria’s practice also includes acting on the sale and purchase of farm property, agricultural tenancies (including succession and termination of the same), diversification of an existing farm or estate, and development of land for housing or renewable projects. She also is regularly instructed in relation to the refinancing of residential property, farms and landed estates.

Her clients range from high net worth and ultra-high net worth individuals selling and purchasing historically significant homes, to owners of some of the most significant landed estates in England and Wales, to established farming families.

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Adam Saunby

Adam Saunby

Adam acts for a range of clients typically ultra high net worth and high net worth individuals or owners of some of England and Wales’ most iconic landed estates and farms. Adam’s work is divided into transactional and estate management covering agricultural, commercial and residential aspects dealing with significant, complex and historic estates and farms as well as country houses.

Adam’s expertise extends to acting for landowners on natural capital, in option agreements, pre-emption agreements and contracts conditional on the grant of planning permission for development and renewable work as well as complicated overages on farms and estates.

He liaises with his colleagues across Forsters to bring in expertise where required from private wealth planning, tax advice, property litigation, planning, corporate, employment and banking.

As a senior member of the team, Adam assists with supervision of junior members of the team trainees and he is part of the firm’s Knowledge and Learning Forum and Faith Support Network.

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Alex Tamosius

Alex Tamosius

Alex is a Senior Associate in our Private Client team.

He advises individuals with economic and personal interests inside and outside the UK on how to optimise their UK tax exposure and that of their holding structures, while balancing broader concerns such as asset protection, succession planning, and family governance.

His clients are often becoming or ceasing to be UK resident, remaining UK resident but are domiciled outside the UK, or non-UK resident with investments in the UK. He also advises UK resident and domiciled entrepreneurs on optimising the taxation of their businesses, exiting from their businesses, and planning for after any substantial liquidity events.

As part of this broad tax practise, he advises on a number of specialist UK tax matters, including the taxation of cryptoassets, private equity, director and employee remuneration (including employee benefit trusts), and consular and diplomatic immunity from UK tax.

He has extensive experience of dealing with contentious tax matters where HMRC is investigating or challenging a taxpayer’s affairs, and with non-tax based disputes where tax is relevant.

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Jo Thompson

Jo Thompson

Jo is a Senior Associate in the Private Client team where she advises a broad range of clients including high net worth individuals, families, landed estates and trustees.

Her work involves trust structuring, succession planning and family governance for international and UK families, who tend to have cross-border personal and business interests. Jo’s in-depth experience means she is able to provide advice on residence, domicile and UK taxation. Her particular interest is in heritage property taxation, where she combines passion and knowledge to best advise her clients.

Jo is part of Forsters Art group and plays a key role in servicing Forsters clients that own heritage property and works of art.

Jo is a ranked lawyer in the personal tax, trusts and probate section of the 2023 edition of The Legal 500.

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Henrietta Watson

Henrietta Watson

Henrietta is a Senior Associate in the firm’s Private Client team.

Henrietta acts predominantly for UK resident and domiciled individuals and specialises in advising the owners of farms, landed estates, large residential property portfolios and family businesses. She deals with a wide variety of private client matters, including tax and succession planning, trust matters and the preparation of wills and lasting powers of attorney.

She has particular expertise in succession planning that navigates the transition of family businesses from one generation to the next whilst maximising agricultural property and business property reliefs, with a particular interest in providing advice to owners of high value equestrian assets and businesses. Henrietta is also a chartered tax adviser, making her uniquely placed to provide specialist advice to clients whose business and personal affairs are usually inextricably linked.

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Nicola Weil

Nicola Weil

Nicola advises private clients on succession and estate planning, helping them to effectively transfer their wealth to the next generation. With a particular focus on internationally mobile individuals and families, particularly those coming to or leaving the UK, Nicola advises on wills and UK tax issues including residence and domicile. She also co-ordinates cross-border advice for clients with international connections.

Her client base is varied and includes institutional clients such as banks and trustees, advising on tax efficient asset-holding structures.

She is experienced in assisting clients with reviewing their tax affairs in the context of frequent tax regime changes, ensuring they are kept up-to-date with legislative change. She is focused on providing clear and practical advice, drawing on extensive technical knowledge and experience gained through working in private practice and in-house for a Swiss-based trust company.

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Laura Neal

Laura Neal

Laura is a Senior Associate in the Private Client team. She plays a key role in running Forsters’ Art group which focusses on acting for galleries and auction houses, as well as UK-based and international estates, trusts, foundations and collectors. Laura is ranked as an ‘Associate to Watch’ in the Chambers HNW Guide for Art and Cultural Property.

Laura also volunteers at South Westminster Legal Advice Clinic.

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Naomi McLean

Naomi McLean

Naomi is a Senior Associate in the Private Client team where she deals with the administration of high value and complex estates on behalf of executors and administrators, including professional executors, for both UK based and international high net worth and ultra high net worth individuals.

She brings a broad wealth of estate administration experience to the table, encompassing dealing with estates, especially those which involve multiple jurisdictions, charities and businesses (including family and farming businesses), and negotiating with HMRC on technical points including agreeing valuations, double taxation reliefs and domicile for inheritance tax purposes. In addition, Naomi has experience in dealing with matters which become contentious in nature, particularly those with problematic family dynamics.

Her experience also stretches to include administering large and complicated intestacies (where individuals have died, leaving no valid will) and problematic wills, and she deals with all ancillary aspects of probate, including advising on will trusts, deeds of variation and tax matters.

Naomi supervises junior lawyers and assists with Queen Mary University Law Clinic students providing probate advice to members of the public.

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Zahava Rosenthal

Zahava Rosenthal

Zahava acts for individuals, families, and trustees, advising them on a wide range of private client matters. These include the preparation of estate planning documents (wills, trusts, powers of attorney and advance decisions) and the administration of estates and trusts. While most of Zahava’s clients are UK resident and domiciled, many have dual citizenship, assets abroad, or other cross-jurisdictional elements affecting their estate and succession planning.

She specialises in matters relating to mental capacity. As a Lifetime Lawyer, she is trained to work with elderly and vulnerable clients. She advises individuals and their families where diagnoses of dementia and other illnesses have an impact on the options available to them.

Zahava was awarded the STEP Diploma in Trusts and Estates (England and Wales) in 2022, also receiving the Certificate of Worldwide Excellence in the Taxation of Trusts (England and Wales) examination.

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Charles Hancock

Charles Hancock

Ranked as a Leading Associate in The Legal 500, 2025, Charles advises on all aspects of private client law, including tax, trusts and succession planning.

His particular area of focus is to advise the owners of landed estates and other UK family businesses on how to hold and retain family assets and the effective transfer to successive generations. Charles’ expertise in this area is complemented by his ability to form long-term relationships built on empathy and trust.

Charles has a wide client base, many of whom have connections outside the UK, and his work includes the preparation of wills; capital tax planning; trust advice; partnership law; the taxation of heritage property; and putting in place structures that facilitate effective family governance.

Charles also advises on contentious matters, assisting with the resolution of disputes relating to trusts and estates, and has particular experience in making applications under the Variation of Trusts Act 1958.

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Emma Jones

Emma Jones

Emma specialises in UK probate and estate administration and is a Senior Associate in the firm’s Private Client team.

Her expertise ranges from applying for all types of English grants of representation to advising as to succession rules where there is no valid will to undertaking domicile reviews so that succession and tax rules are correctly applied. She has extensive knowledge of HMRC’s disclosure and valuation principles and regularly assists personal representatives with their Inheritance Tax reporting obligations. She also deals with all ancillary probate matters including post-death tax planning, such as advising on and preparing deeds of variation, and the administration of will trusts.

Emma acts for both UK and non-UK personal representatives and most of her work involves a cross-border element. She has extensive experience in co-ordinating the administration of estates that span multiple jurisdictions ensuring that joined up tax advice is received. She has particular interest in administering estates with US connections and regularly works with US personal representatives and advisors.

Emma has recently completed the STEP Advanced Certificate in Cross-Border Estates.

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Stella Kim

Stella Kim

Stella is a Senior Associate in the firm’s Private Client team where she advises high net worth individuals, families, family offices and trustees on a broad range of matters involving tax, trusts, succession vehicles and estate planning.

She frequently works with internationally mobile individuals and families considering the succession of their wealth and business to the next generation. She is experienced in complex cross-border tax and structuring matters involving non-UK resident trusts, foundations, corporate vehicles, partnerships and UK property holding structures.

Stella’s clients are predominantly based in the Middle East and Asia, although her practice is not limited to these regions.

Utilising her corporate tax background, Stella takes a commercial and pragmatic approach to her advice and always ensures it is tailored to meet the needs of her client’s objectives.

Outside of work, Stella volunteers at the South Westminster Legal Advice Clinic and is a member of Forsters’ Charity and Community CSR Group.

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Aimee Dooley-Cox

Aimee Dooley Cox

Aimee is a Senior Associate in the Private Client team specialising in high value complex probate matters and the administration of estates. She acts for a range of clients, generally high net worth individuals and families both UK domiciled, and non-UK domiciled.

Her core expertise is in estate administration, obtaining grants of representation in the UK for testate and intestate estates. Aimee is experienced with reporting the extent of estates in the UK and maximising reliefs where available to ensure the correct amount of inheritance tax is paid if due. She enjoys working with international individuals and assisting with cross border work.

Aimee works closely with the executors and beneficiaries to implement post death variations to ensure the estate is dealt with as swiftly and efficiently as possible.

Aimee is a full member of STEP (Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners) and is currently undertaking the STEP Advanced Certificate in Cross-Border Estates. Aimee also volunteers at the South Westminster Legal Advice Centre.

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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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Daniel Ugur

Daniel Ugur

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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Jayne Beardmore

Jane Beardmore

Jayne is a Rural Property and Landed Estates Solicitor specialising in all aspects of agricultural property and estates, from sales and acquisitions to leases and easements and everything in between, incorporating mainly agricultural property, but also commercial and residential property where required.

Jayne also acts on refinancing of large estates (or property in general) acting for either the lender or the landowner, or both if the transaction allows.

In addition to the above, she is part of the firm’s Strategic Land group, and acts for landowners and promoters alike in the development of land. This can include drafting and negotiating option agreements, promotion agreements, collaboration agreements and development agreements to name a few (the list is not exhaustive).

She also acts for landowners in renewable energy arrangements to include solar and battery storage installations.

Jayne sits on a number of internal committees, including Equality, Diversity and Inclusion committee, Race Support network and LGBTQ+ network.

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Lucie Bennett

Lucie Bennett

Lucie is a Senior Associate in the firm’s Private Client team where she acts primarily for international clients on a broad range of estate planning and personal taxation matters, including tax and succession planning, the preparation of wills and incapacity documents, and broader trust matters.

She has a particular focus on advising high net worth clients with US connections, such as in respect of the development and implementation of integrated estate plans. She assists US-connected individuals and trustees navigate the interplay between the US and UK systems, including advising on the application of the US/UK treaties to mitigate the risk of double taxation.

Lucie advises on the establishment of trusts for succession planning and asset protection purposes, and on the UK treatment of existing structures, which may involve trusts, partnerships and corporate vehicles.

She also provides advice to clients considering relocating to the UK to ensure that their affairs are arranged in a tax efficient manner before becoming UK resident. She has experience providing immigration advice to high net worth individuals using the (previous) UK Tier 1 (Investor) Visa and the UK “Spouse Visa”. She has also assisted clients with subsequent applications for Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK and naturalisation as a British citizen.

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Rebecca Bion

Rebecca Bion

Rebecca provides practical and holistic advice, which cuts through complex family, legal and taxation interests and gives clients the information they need to press on with their objectives. Her client base is varied, acting for UK-resident and domiciled individuals, landed estates, charities, large families, executors and trustees on all aspects of estate and succession planning, tax, trust and probate matters.

Her work includes the preparation of wills; capital tax planning advice, including the availability of agricultural or business property relief and ways to maximise those reliefs; the creation and administration of trusts and charities; complex and high-value probates and the administration of estates; and mental capacity issues, such as the preparation and registration of lasting powers of attorney, existing enduring powers of attorney and deputyship applications.

Rebecca has a particular experience of acting for land and business owners in setting up structures which aid the transfer of family assets between generations, including the availability of business property relief and agricultural property relief. She has extensive experience of advising on heritage property matters, including the availability of the conditional exemption, offers in lieu of tax and the interaction between the inheritance tax and estate duty regimes.

Her expertise extends to preparing deputyship applications and guiding clients through the associated court process, working closely with our Family and Divorce team where pre-nuptial agreements are desired, and advising on bespoke business agreements for landed estate business owners.

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Andrew Lane

Andrew Lane

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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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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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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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.

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Polly Montoneri

Polly Montoneri

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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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

Kelly Noel Smith

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.

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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.

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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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Emma Gillies

Emma Gilles

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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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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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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Guy Abrahams

Guy Abrahams

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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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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James Brockhurst

James Brockhurst

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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Henry Cecil

Henry Cecil

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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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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