THE SPEAR’S 500 Legal


Jeremy Gordon Farrer & Co


FOCUSHigh-profile disputes


‘Very lively, very busy,’ is Jeremy Gordon’s description of his year, citing an increase in wills disputes and inheritance tax claims. ‘People prepare wills and trusts they expect to stand up to scrutiny. Sometimes human nature intervenes – families falling out, allegations of undue influence – and, more and more, capacity issues,’ he says. Such cases reflect an ageing population, and the ageing process itself. ‘It’s a slow and uneven process and the law doesn’t really deal with that grey area when people become vulnerable and suggestible,’ Gordon says. In such instances, undue influence can arise – but the law sets a high bar for that. ‘It’s difficult when advising,’ he admits.


Lynsey Harrison Clarion Solicitors


FOCUS Contentious trusts, probate


Lynsey.Harrison@clarionsolicitors.com +44 (0)11 3336 3388 clarionsolicitors.com


Described as ‘an impressive lawyer who has so much energy and is very passionate’ by one industry authority, Lynsey Harrison is the head of Clarion’s contentious private client team. Harrison has over a decade of experience in dealing with all contentious aspects of probate, wills and trusts, as well as contested Court of Protection matters. Harrison’s clients are both domestic and international, ranging from private individuals to charities and professional personal representatives. She was awarded the ACTAPS Contentious Solicitor of the Year 2015, and is an affiliate member of STEP.


Where previous advisers have


made mistakes, I can assist in


rectification of the situation and any claim for


compensation


Paula James Irwin Mitchell


Adviser profile Harrison is a nationally recognised contentious probate litigator working on a variety of very high-value and complex contentious trust and probate matters. She is highly regarded for specialising in the complex area of mental capacity disputes and is regularly sought out by clients for her expertise, as well as being referred work by other professionals requiring her specialist advice. Harrison uses emotional


intelligence to support clients in a sensible and thoughtful manner. She is modern and thorough in her approach and builds long- standing relationships. She is a full ACTAPS member


(The Association of Contentious Trust and Probate Specialists) and has previously been named ACTAPS Contentious Solicitor of the Year.


Emma Holland Stewarts


FOCUS Trust and probate litigation


eholland@stewartslaw.com +44 (0)75 5743 6535 stewartslaw.com


A rising star within Stewarts’ growing contentious trusts team, Emma Holland specialises in disputes relating to private wealth matters, trusts and succession in jurisdictions around the world. She regularly works with trusts expert James Price, who leads the trust and probate litigation department. Both partners have together undertaken some of the most complex cases in the landscape involving high-value assets. Most of Holland’s clients are international, and her practice has impressive breadth. ‘Our work has ranged in variety from the restructuring of Bermudian trusts to contested deputyship applications in the Court of Protection,’ she says.


Adviser profile


Emma advises beneficiaries, trustees, and other fiduciaries on trust disputes both onshore and in numerous offshore jurisdictions. Often there is friction between beneficiaries and fiduciaries and she assists with facilitating separation of beneficial interests, and with associated court applications. Emma also specialises in succession and probate disputes, including when conflicts of private international law arise, and disputes relating to capacity overseen by the Court of Protection. Emma is recognised by Chambers


High Net Worth as being ‘absolutely excellent’ and ‘one of the best operators in her field’, by The Legal 500 as a ‘Next Generation Lawyer’ and by Private Client Global Elite as ‘One to Watch’.


Adviser profile Paula advises individual beneficiaries and professional trustees or executors in resolving disputes about Wills, Estates or Trusts. She can offer innovative solutions enabling both private individuals or trustees to fund expert legal advice. Paula has significant expertise in dealing with a wide variety of issues including disputes between trustees, executors and/or beneficiaries, issues over the distribution of assets and disputes over the validity of Wills. She is also an expert in disputes


involving the affairs of the elderly and vulnerable, such as financial abuse. Where previous professional advisers have made mistakes, Paula can also assist to rectify the situation and any claim for compensation.


Paula James Irwin Mitchell


FOCUS Contentious, litigation, dispute resolution


paula.james@irwinmitchell.com +44 (0)12 4381 3147 irwinmitchell.com


As regional managing partner of Irwin Mitchell’s Chichester office, Paula James works to resolve disputes relating to wills, estates and trusts. In her practice, she frequently advises both individual beneficiaries and professional trustees, specialising in disputes over distribution of assets, property ownership, and the validity of wills. ‘I have many years of experience


as a litigator, focusing on complex probate and trust disputes,’ James tells Spear’s. ‘My work frequently relates to international matters but I am also regularly asked for a second opinion where other advisers have made mistakes or cases are not going quite as they should be.’


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