Trust Disputes Lawyers
"The depth and breadth of the team is excellent at all levels and there is really strong leadership and tactical oversight from the partners, who are not afraid to get stuck into the detail."
Chambers UK 2023"Very talented litigators, with the ability to grasp the essence of issues as they arise."
Legal 500 2023"A regional firm that can go head-to-head with the biggest City commercial disputes teams."
Legal 500 2023"Michelmores has a really strong presence in this area. Tony Cockayne is an excellent team leader; he is unflappable, full of energy and has a real sense of when a point is worth pushing and when to pull back."
Legal 500 2023"Michelmores punches above its weight in the market, easily outstripping some of the larger firms in expertise. The highly knowledgeable and skilled team … should always be in a client’s list of go-to firms when litigation is on the horizon"
Legal 500 2023"The Michelmores contentious trusts team is a hands-on, high quality team, who are dedicated to achieving the best results for clients. The team is extremely efficient and very pleasant to deal with. You want the Michelmores team on your side."
Legal 500 2022Our cross-departmental team covers all aspects of trust disputes. We act for offshore and onshore fiduciaries (both individuals and institutional), intermediaries, family offices and high net worth families and individuals. The team brings together expertise of trusts, tax and private wealth lawyers with highly experienced litigators. We work with trustees based in (and beneficiaries with structures in) many jurisdictions including the UK, Jersey, Guernsey, British Virgin Islands and Cayman Islands.
Recent experience
Advice to Individuals:
Working with the owners of significant privately owned family companies to ensure an effective succession to the control and capital value of the business.
Regulatory nuptial arrangements to protect family assets, both before and after a marriage.
Advising non-domiciliaries how best to structure assets before becoming UK resident.
UK advice:
We act for more than 30 landed estates and act as trustees of a considerable number of these.
We have recently provided family constitution advice to a client with a £15m family business and a disparate successor generation.
Our Tax Compliance team has worked with our tax planning Lawyers to develop a comprehensive tax compliance and mitigation service.
Advice to trustees:
We are the sole legal advisers to the trustees of a group of eight family trusts that own significant City property interests and investment portfolios.
Have developed with the trust beneficiaries an agreed understanding of the future for the family wealth and related interests.
Advice to institutional trustees:
Advice regarding the availability of the ‘motive defence’ to mitigate significant beneficiary tax liabilities.
Managing a £50 million distribution of limited partnerships interests.
Negotiating warranties, indemnities and advice as to the conditions on assignment.
Advice to non-UK law firms:
Advising as to best practice for a Liechtenstein Foundation in view of the recent UK/Swiss tax agreement.
Advising as to how best to structure the tax efficient receipt by a UK resident (US citizen) of capital distributions from an existing offshore structure.
Areas of focus
Related news
KEY CONTACTS
Sara Chisholm-Batten
PartnerTEAM
Tony Cockayne
Partner
Lorraine Jeffery
Consultant Solicitor
Jonathan Kitchin
Partner
Peter Sigler
Partner
Andrew Baines
Partner
Andrew White
Trust Director
Alice Daniels
Partner
Rajvinder Kaur
Senior Associate