Private Client Team of the Year

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Coutts & Co
BERWIN LEIGHTON PAISNER - Jonathan Kropman

BLP’s large private client practice has expanded by 30% in the last five years and notable lateral hires, including Rupert Ticehurst from Herbert Smith in 2011, have added to the firm’s impressive stock. The firm also launched a South East Asia private client practice following the recruitment of Simon Michaels from Baker & McKenzie in Singapore in late 2010.

 

 

This award recognises the top private client teams in the country handling high-value work in the areas of estates, charities, family, contentious and non-contentious trusts and probate, as well as personal tax. Judges will be looking for specific examples of groundbreaking advice and dedication to the practice area from the winning team.

 

Coutts & Co

BLP’s large private client practice has expanded by 30% in the last five years and notable lateral hires, including Rupert Ticehurst from Herbert Smith in 2011, have added to the firm’s impressive stock. The firm also launched a South East Asia private client practice following the recruitment of Simon Michaels from Baker & McKenzie in Singapore in late 2010.

HIGHLY COMMENDED

APPLEBY
John Rimmer

In a successful melding of private client and commercial expertise, this offshore giant’s trust lawyers worked with the corporate team to complete Credit Suisse’s acquisition of Fortis’ Cayman Prime Funds Solutions business. The firm co-ordinated the Cayman and Isle of Man aspects of this major project alongside major global law firms.

LG
Anthony Thompson

Another strong year for the firm’s international private capital practice, including setting up a joint venture with the Family Business Advisory Group (FBG) in Dubai. FBG advises ultra-high-net-worth clients in the Middle East on family and corporate governance issues. LG handled the major restructuring of a multi-billionaire family’s corporate structure with various underlying existing trust structures involving 122 companies, and co-ordinating advisors in nine jurisdictions.

MILLS & REEVE
Nick Stone

Mills & Reeve took positive steps to ensure the future of its family practice ahead of competition from non-legal players in 2012 by launching a fixed-price service for financial and court procedures (the first UK law firm to do so). The firm has also developed the Family Investment Company legal structure for families with overlapping personal and business interests.

MISHCON DE REYA
James Libson

Private client work has been a cornerstone of Mishcons’ recent commercial success, particularly on the back of the launch of Mishcon Private in 2010. Notable public wins in 2011 include successfully representing Victoria Jones, wife of oil technology millionaire Gareth Jones, in persuading the Court of Appeal to raise his divorce settlement payout from £5.4m to £8m.

SPEECHLY BIRCHAM
John Ward

The firm’s commitment to private client work was underlined in 2011 with the opening of offices in Luxembourg and Zurich, while major instructions include helping a Russian billionaire to establish a family office. The firm also advised the UK head of one of the world’s largest hedge funds on moving from the UK to Switzerland and the most tax efficient ways to structure his investments and remuneration.