Martin Paisner CBE

What has been the highlight of your practice over the past 12 months?

The move from Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner – I never thought that would happen! I never imagined I would be marking my 50th year as a qualified solicitor moving to another firm. It is certainly a new challenge!

How did you get into private client?

I can’t remember if the impetus came from me or my father. My father was very much a generalist – he did everything for his clients, as the practice grew. The whole legal market was far less specialised back then. When I qualified in the office my father had started, he encouraged me first and foremost in the charity field which he had been involved in. Charity in those days was treated as an extension of private client – one which led quite naturally from that into general trust work. I was also interested in the world of private client – I found it intellectually challenging to work out trust problems and really never looked back! I did dabble in defamation for some time too and prophylactic work for publishers.

Do you have any outside interests or hobbies?

I travel extensively – a lot is charity or pro-bono dominated, generally combined with private client visits. This keeps me very busy. I am a bit of a magpie collector of things, specifically books.

When the restaurants reopen, where would you like to go?

Bellamy’s, Bond Street. The Ivy in St John’s Wood.