Simon Rylatt
Simon Rylatt
Partner | Boodle Hatfield
JURISDICTION
TOP SPECIALISMS
Estates: Planning
Trusts: Contentious
Trusts: Planning
Office Location
United Kingdom
Short Biography
Simon specialises in UK and international tax and estate planning for individuals and trusts. His work includes estate planning strategies for wealthy families and their businesses (encompassing jurisdictional and conflicts of laws considerations), governance, divorce issues, pre- and post-nuptial agreements and generational succession planning. Simon also advises on high value, contentious trusts and estate disputes for both onshore and offshore clients.
What is your favorite restaurant to take a client or colleague to?
Chez Bruce
What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
Think of yourself as a lifelong learner
What was your first job?
Car park attendant
What is the book you recommend to everyone?
Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
What changes do you expect to see in your practice over the next year?
A focus on predicting the impact of the forthcoming UK election
Sophie St John
Sophie St John
Partner | BDB Pitmans
JURISDICTION
TOP SPECIALISMS
Estates: Planning
Trusts: Planning
Tax Advisory
Office Location
United Kingdom
Short Biography
I provide UK resident, and international, individuals, their families, trustees and family offices with advice on a wide range of UK legal and tax issues relating to estate and succession planning, wealth holding and preservation structures such as trusts, UK tax planning and probate. For example, I advise on inheritance tax (including related double tax treaties), residence and domicile, the creation and operation of trusts, wills and lasting powers of attorney. I have a particular focus and interest in advising internationally mobile individuals and families with a global footprint in connection with the issues they face in the context of cross border planning and frequently works with local professionals from relevant jurisdictions, coordinating cross border advice.
What is your favorite restaurant to take a client or colleague to?
There are too many to choose from in London. A current personal favourite is Kutir.
What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
What was your first job?
Cataloguing information for a consultant in a hospital.
What is the book you recommend to everyone?
I am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes
What changes do you expect to see in your practice over the next year?
In the current political and economic climate I anticipate tax changes and tax increases.
Stephanie Pierce
Stephanie Pierce
Managing Associate | Mishcon de Reya
JURISDICTION
TOP SPECIALISMS
Estates: Planning
Trusts: Planning
Tax Advisory
Office Location
Singapore
Short Biography
Stephanie is a Managing Associate in the Singapore office of Mishcon de Reya. She advises on cross-border succession and wealth structuring for high net worth and ultra high net worth international individuals and families, with particular expertise in UK tax and cross-border estate planning.
What is your favorite restaurant to take a client or colleague to?
What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
What was your first job?
What is the book you recommend to everyone?
What changes do you expect to see in your practice over the next year?
Stephanie Thompson
Stephanie Thompson
Barrister | Serle Court
JURISDICTION
TOP SPECIALISMS
Civil Fraud
Commercial Litigation
Trusts: Contentious
Office Location
United Kingdom
Short Biography
Stephanie is admitted in England and Wales, the British Virgin Islands and New Zealand and has a broad commercial chancery practice, with a focus on civil fraud, offshore trust litigation and domestic trust and probate litigation. She has a particular interest in cases involving conflict of law issues and evidence of foreign law. Stephanie has experience in overseas jurisdictions including Bermuda, The Bahamas, the British Virgin Islands, Jersey, Guernsey and New Zealand. She is regularly instructed as sole counsel but is equally comfortable working as part of a larger team, having been part of the four member counsel team acting in Wong v Grand View Private Trust Co concerning very substantial purpose trusts. Stephanie also has a developing arbitration practice, particularly in relation to arbitrations relating to trusts and private foundations, and has acted in arbitrations under the UNCITRAL, ICC and LCIA Rules and on ancillary court applications.
What is your favorite restaurant to take a client or colleague to?
Perilla in Stoke Newington
What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
Don't take on too much - do less, but do it well
What was your first job?
Dog walker - the best job there is
What is the book you recommend to everyone?
Currently, Soldier Sailor by Claire Kilroy
What changes do you expect to see in your practice over the next year?
An increase in the use of AI in our cases, and expectations from clients that we do so to improve efficiency. It remains to see how easy that will be!
Stephen Baker
Stephen Baker
Senior Partner | Baker & Partners
JURISDICTION
TOP SPECIALISMS
Civil Fraud
Commercial Litigation
Trusts: Contentious
Office Location
Jersey
Short Biography
Stephen Baker is an English barrister and Jersey Advocate. He is Senior Partner at Baker & Partners. He was called to the English bar in 1989 and is a highly experienced court room advocate, having conducted many contested trials. He practised at the English bar for many years before moving to Jersey in 2003 where he established Baker & Partners. He specialises in complex international financial litigation including trust and commercial disputes as well as civil fraud. Educated at Manchester and Cambridge Universities he has a first class Masters degree in law.
What is your favorite restaurant to take a client or colleague to?
What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
What was your first job?
What is the book you recommend to everyone?
What changes do you expect to see in your practice over the next year?
Ruth Hughes
Ruth Hughes
Barrister | 5 Stone Buildings
JURISDICTION
TOP SPECIALISMS
Estates: Contentious
Guardianship and Mental Capacity
Trusts: Contentious
Office Location
United Kingdom
Short Biography
Ruth acts in some of the most complex disputes concerning high net worth individuals in the Court of Protection and under the inherent jurisdiction. As well as property and affairs, Ruth undertakes cases with welfare elements. She is frequently instructed by the OS on statutory will and gift claims. She has acted as advocate to the Court.
What is your favorite restaurant to take a client or colleague to?
Ciao Bella
What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
Don’t get it right get it written” from Jonathan Davey KC, it is of course advisable then to get it right…
What was your first job?
Sales assistant at Next
What is the book you recommend to everyone?
The Farewell Symphony by Edmund White
What changes do you expect to see in your practice over the next year?
I’m expecting to see more mediation following Churchill
Sandra Davis
Sandra Davis
Family Law Partner | Mishcon de Reya
JURISDICTION
TOP SPECIALISMS
Family and Matrimonial
Office Location
United Kingdom
Short Biography
Sandra specialises in complex HNW and UHNW cases, often with an international element and involving complex tax and trust issues, substantial business assets and partnerships, disputes concerning children, pre- and post-nuptial settlements. Her clients include celebrities, entrepreneurs and financiers. Sandra's career highlights have included representation of the Princess of Wales, Jerry Hall, Thierry Henry and Tamara Mellon. Chambers & Partners call her a "phenomenal" lawyer and "the go-to solicitor for high net worth cases". She is described in the Legal 500 as "a giant in the family law world" and is in their hall of fame. In the London Super Lawyers directory and named as one of the Top 100 Lawyers and one of the Top 50 women. Spear's Index of the Top 50 Family Lawyers consistently rank Sandra in the top 10 as "Outstanding in field". Sandra is also on The Times Law Panel. Link here to full bio.
What is your favorite restaurant to take a client or colleague to?
Le petit Maison
What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
The biggest risk lies in never taking one
What was your first job?
I’ve only ever worked as a lawyer for Mishcon’s! However, my first job at university was taking American high school students round Europe as a travel guide. It was awesome!
What is the book you recommend to everyone?
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
What changes do you expect to see in your practice over the next year?
More online hearings, more use of AI and greater focus on alternative dispute resolution
Sarah Aughwane
Sarah Aughwane
Senior Associate | Withersworldwide
JURISDICTION
TOP SPECIALISMS
Dispute Resolution or Arbitration
Estates: Contentious
Trusts: Contentious
Office Location
London, United Kingdom
Short Biography
Sarah is a senior associate in Withers' trust, estate and inheritance disputes team. She advises on all types of domestic and international probate disputes including issues relating to the validity of wills and trusts and claims under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975. She also specialises in on and offshore trust litigation including claims for removal of protectors or trustees, access to trust information, Mistake, Variation and directions applications. She has experience on cases in jurisdictions including the Jersey, Guernsey, Switzerland, Bermuda, BVI, Cayman, the Isle of Man and Nevis.Together with other members of the team Sarah also advises on professional negligence actions in the context of trusts and estates.
What is your favorite restaurant to take a client or colleague to?
Cafe du Marche
What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
Focus on the closest crocodile first
What was your first job?
Waitress
What is the book you recommend to everyone?
How to kill your family
What changes do you expect to see in your practice over the next year?
AI starting to make a real impact
Sarah Cormack
Sarah Cormack
Partner | Mills & Reeve
JURISDICTION
TOP SPECIALISMS
Real Estate
Tax Advisory
Office Location
London, United Kingdom
Short Biography
Sarah advises her international clients and their families on the UK tax consequences of residency and domicile and helps them to strategise their global tax footprint. She also advises international clients on the tax consequences of investing in the UK, whether that be structuring a UK real estate investment or ensuring that an investment portfolio reflects the client’s tax objectives.
What is your favorite restaurant to take a client or colleague to?
What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
What was your first job?
What is the book you recommend to everyone?
What changes do you expect to see in your practice over the next year?
Sarah Lee
Sarah Lee
Partner | Penningtons Manches Cooper
JURISDICTION
TOP SPECIALISMS
Probate
Trusts: Contentious
Estates: Contentious
Office Location
London, United Kingdom
Short Biography
Sarah is a partner in the contentious private client team. She advises individuals on a broad range of contentious and non contentious private client matters. Her contentious practice includes trust and estate litigation, disputed wills, breach of trust claims, administration disputes, professional negligence and Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 claims. Sarah's non-contentious practice encompasses complex probate issues, powers of attorney, residential property ownership and general issues relating to personal affairs.
What is your favorite restaurant to take a client or colleague to?
What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
What was your first job?
What is the book you recommend to everyone?
What changes do you expect to see in your practice over the next year?