Contentious Trusts Next Gen Summit

Monika Byrska is a bilingual solicitor specialising in trust, will and estate disputes. 

Monika advises in all types of private client disputes. This includes: will challenges, Inheritance Act claims, disputes relating to the administration of estates, actions against trustees and personal representatives, promissory estoppel claims, trust disputes between co-owners of a property, and application for directions in administration of trusts and estates. 

As a STEP-qualified practitioner, she is uniquely qualified to assist with both contentious and non-contentious aspects of trust and estate administration. She therefore also represents personal representatives and trustees advising on the administration of trusts and estates, which are complex or entangled in disputes. 

As Monika often meets clients when they are going through their most difficult times, she aims to put them at ease with her straightforward and compassionate approach. She has passion and years of experience in resolving what may seem to be the most impossible disputes over wealth.  

She is bilingual and able to service clients in Polish. With a background in linguistics and interpretation, Monika also has a working knowledge of a couple other European languages. 

'VR and AR marketing expert' and 'metaverse expert' - The Drum

Tom Ffiske writes about immersive technologies at the Immersive Wire, a newsletter and website dedicated to all things VR, AR, and the metaverse. His goal is to bring a curated digest of the analysis that matters, helping professionals interested in immersive to reach new heights.

Tom has written about the industry since 2016, covering the latest trends and investments while keeping a pulse on the latest innovations. He has spoken in several events, published a bestselling book on the sector, and help connect professionals to help each other soar.

Alongside the Immersive Wire, Tom works as a full-time Account Director within the Technology team at 3 Monkeys Zeno, a leading global communications agency

Richard’s career began as a trust administrator. After obtaining his Certificate in Offshore Administration, Richard read Marketing, Business and later Law at university before venturing into legal practice in 2004.

Richard had a varied commercial, trust, corporate and litigation practice at the Jersey Bar before returning to industry in 2012. Richard has worked as a Fiduciary Specialist and Deputy Head of Fiduciary before becoming the Global Head of Legal and Structuring for ZEDRA in 2016. Since 2019, Richard has focussed on developing the commercial interests of ZEDRA and its clients as the Global Head of Structuring.

Richard enjoys identifying and implementing optimal solutions for ZEDRA’s clients and works closely with a number of intermediaries and clients in this space.

Charlotte is a solicitor in the Dispute Resolution department, with particular focus on commercial litigation, contentious trusts & probate disputes and regulatory matters.

Charlotte has experience in a broad range of contentious matters, with particular expertise in multi-jurisdictional disputes.

She is ranked by the Spear’s Tax & Trust Advisers Index 2023 as Top Recommended. She is ranked as a Rising Star in The Legal 500 UK 2024.

Richard was formerly an employment law partner at London firm Speechly Bircham. He led the employment team and sat on the firm’s management committee. In 2011 he experienced serious mental illness and was hospitalised before a two year recovery process. He now splits his time between workplace consultancy Byrne Dean where he provides training and strategic support to employers around mental health, and leading the Mindful Business Charter, an employer led initiative which exists to reduce the unnecessary stress in the ways we work so as to work more healthily and more effectively. He chairs the Lord Mayor of London’s This is Me campaign which uses the power of story telling to reduce the stigma that still surrounds mental illness, he is a qualified coach and mental health first aid instructor. In 2018 he published his memoir of mental illness and recovery, This Too Will Pass – Anxiety in a professional world.

Paul qualified as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of England & Wales in 1995.  Since then he has worked in London and Guernsey specialising in contentious trust and pensions work. Prior to joining Trust Corporation International which joined the Ocorian Group in December 2021, Paul was a group partner with two leading Guernsey law firms and in house legal counsel at a Guernsey utility.

On the trust side, Paul specialises in managing complex disputes, having previously advised on a number of the most significant trust cases in Guernsey in recent years. Paul also works on contentious pension matters, having acted, before joining Trust Corporation, in a number of major pension disputes in Guernsey. Paul has over twenty years’ experience in structuring and establishing complex trusts and pension schemes, and working with their trustees and advisors. 

As well as his trust and pensions work, Paul is also a prolific writer and has published numerous articles on trust and pensions law in practitioners’ and academic journals, and has contributed chapters to a number of books.

Alice is a senior associate in our trust, estate and inheritance disputes team.

She acts for charities, private individuals and institutions in relation to all aspects of contentious trust and succession disputes, with a particular focus on Court of Protection matters.

She advises on a range of issues that come within the Court of Protection's jurisdiction, including statutory will applications, lifetime gifts and matters concerning the operation of attorneyships and deputyships.

She is an active member of the elder law team.

She also advises on all aspects of the validity of wills, including claims of undue influence to disputed capacity, and actions brought under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975, and issues of construction and rectification.

Alice is recommended by Legal 500 in the area of Private Client and Court of Protection.

Antonia is a Partner in the Litigation & Dispute Resolution Department of N. Pirilides & Associates LLC.

She undertakes a wide range of high – value civil and commercial matters with an international dimension, with an emphasis on corporate and commercial litigation and arbitration proceedings. She has extensive expertise in high-calibre shareholder disputes, fraud, asset tracing, registration and enforcement of foreign judgments in Cyprus as well as winding-up petitions. She has gained particular know-how in interim relief applications, such as mandatory and prohibitory orders and has successfully obtained and responded to high-value worldwide freezing injunctions.

She regularly appears in Cyprus courts for interlocutory hearings, petitions and trials, with experience in both trial and appellate advocacy.

Antonia is a licensed Insolvency Practitioner and she is also a member of The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, as well as of the Companies, Tax Planning and Capital Markets Committee of the Cyprus Bar Association.

Jacob specialises in domestic and international litigation, with a particular focus on trust disputes, international succession and estate disputes and fraud. 

He advises on a broad range of litigation both in England and across the world, including the BVI, Guernsey, Cayman, Cyprus and Hong Kong. He focuses particularly on:

• trust disputes, including removing or defending trustees, tracing assets, and disputes between beneficiaries;
• estate and probate disputes, including disputes over the validity of wills and claims against the solicitor who drafted the will;
• fraud claims, including tracing and recovering assets; and
• insolvency claims, including claims against former directors and recovering assets for creditors.

Jacob edits the Contentious Matters section of the Butterworths Wills, Probate and Administration Service.

Jacob is ranked as a leading individual in the 2021 UK Legal 500 guide.  He is a qualified solicitor advocate and sits as a Magistrate in London.

"Had a fantastic grasp of both the details of the case and at the same time maintained a good overview, which enabled his advice to be particularly valuable. When conducting the trial, his grasp of the detail was a very important factor in our success"

Legal 500 UK, 2023

James is an experienced disputes lawyer and courtroom advocate. He advises, and represents in court, many of the leading trust companies and financial institutions in Jersey. A seasoned litigator in commercial and chancery matters, James has particular specialisms in contentious cross-border estates work and in cross-border insolvency/restructuring and is part of Ogier's multi-disciplinary Restructuring and Corporate Recovery team. James is one of the UK's and Channel Islands' Top 35 Under 35 (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022).

Charlotte is a director at FLiP. She is an experienced family solicitor, accredited mediator and collaborative practitioner.

She deals with complex financial issues arising from divorce and separation and supports parents in relation to arrangements for their children. Her work has a strong international dimension. She speaks French and has particular expertise in advising on matters with a French element. She is recommended for her family law expertise in both the Legal 500 directory and the Spear’s 500 Index.

Tom is an associate in the fraud and insolvency team at HFW, specialising in commercial and insolvency litigation.

He has a particular focus in matters involving allegations of fraud and misconduct. Tom has practised exclusively in disputes and has experience in the English, Queensland and federal Australian jurisdictions.

Claire advises clients in relation to a broad range of family law issues arising on the breakdown of marriage or cohabitation, with an emphasis on the financial claims that arise on divorce. She has particular experience in complex high-net-worth cases often involving a trust element.

Claire has significant experience in cases concerning children issues such as child arrangement orders. She is an experienced practitioner in child relocation and is regularly instructed in cases of this nature.

On the non-contentious side, Claire regularly advises clients in relation to pre-nuptial agreements and post-nuptial agreements and cohabitation agreements.

Claire is listed in the Legal 500 and the CityWealth top 100 lawyers.

Claire is an active member of Resolution and the International Association of Young Lawyers (AIJA). She recently hosted an event focusing on innovative practices within the family arena. Claire is regularly quoted in the Law Gazette and other publications.

Claire understands her clients’ needs when dealing with emotionally-trying circumstances. She is empathetic, with strong technical ability and a successful track record for providing clear judgement and guidance.

Jemma specialises in bringing and defending estate and trust related claims, acting for beneficiaries, trustees and personal representatives. Jemma was recognised as one of eprivateclient's Top 35 Under 35 private client practitioners in 2019 and a Rising Star in Contentious Trusts and Probate in The Legal 500 rankings.

Jemma advises on a broad range of trust related actions, including trustee-beneficiary disputes, applications for the removal of trustees and complex restructurings, for UK-based and offshore trusts. Jemma also assists with the resolution of estate related disputes, including claims under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975.

James' work encompasses dispute resolution, strategic advice and restructuring in relation to legal and commercial challenges faced by high net worth individuals, trusts and corporate structures.

Identified in 2020 by Legal 500 as a “Rising Star” and one of the eprivateclient Top 35 under 35, James is an associate in the Firm’s top tier private wealth disputes team. He previously trained and qualified at Macfarlanes where he worked in their private client advisory team and joined the Firm in 2018 in order to focus on private wealth disputes.

A significant proportion of James’ work relates to international matters with little (or no) connection with the UK.

Natasha is an Associate in the firm's Private Wealth Disputes team in Mishcon Private.

Natasha deals with a broad range of private client litigation. She acts for trustees (both individual and corporate), personal representatives, beneficiaries, and other individuals and entities involved in private client disputes. Her work includes a wide range of trust and estate disputes, including complex cross-border trust matters, claims relating to intestacy and the validity of Wills, Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 claims, issues arising in estate administration, lifetime gifts, and claims for proprietary estoppel. Her work often involves an international element.

Natasha also has experience in international family law matters relating to the breakdown of relationships. This includes divorce and financial remedy proceedings.

Additionally, Natasha has experience advising on contractual disputes, including shareholder disputes, commercial contracts, and private contracts.

Natasha is experienced in advising clients on many forms of alternative dispute resolution, including mediations and Financial Dispute Resolution hearings.

Natasha is a committee member of the Contentious Trusts Association ("ConTrA"), an affiliate member of The Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners ("STEP"), a member of Resolution (a community of family justice professionals who work with families and individuals to resolve issues in a constructive way), and she is an ADR-ODR International accredited Civil-Commercial Mediator. 

Kieran is an associate solicitor in our estates, trusts and will disputes team having qualified into the team in September 2021.  

Kieran acts for a wide variety of clients across a broad array of matters. He specialises in trust litigation, will and probate disputes and claims under the Inheritance Act 1975.  Kieran also has a wealth of experience in acting for insurer based clients in respect of trust litigation and on contentious Court of Protection matters.

Laura joined Kingsley Napley in 2012 and became a Legal Director in the Dispute Resolution Department in 2023. Laura has particular expertise in Wills, Trusts and Inheritance Disputes but also has a broad range of litigation experience.

Laura’s experience in the area of disputes in relation to trusts and estates includes challenging wills on the basis of lack of testamentary capacity, want of knowledge and approval, fraud, forgery and undue influence. She regularly acts for clients in the Court of Protection. The trusts and estates are often multi-cultural and multi-jurisdiction. Laura also represents both claimants and defendants of Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 claims. In respect of trust experience, Laura is regularly instructed in respect of claims relating to the removal of executors and trustees, claims for breaches of trusts, misappropriation of funds by trustees and professional negligence claims relating to wills and trusts.

Laura is a member of STEP and on the steering committee for the CTAP special interest group. She is also a member of the Contentious Trusts Association (ConTrA). Laura’s expertise has been recognised in the Legal 500.

Elizabeth Fox has experience as a commercial litigator with a focus on civil fraud and contentious insolvency often as part of complex multi-jurisdictional disputes. She handles matters involving allegations of fraud or misconduct including diversion of business opportunities, secret commissions, bribery, conspiracy, data theft, misrepresentation, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of confidence, and/or breach of contract.

Elizabeth represents a wide range of clients including high net-worth individuals and many of her cases are international in scope. Her experience includes injunctive relief on both the claimant and defendant side such as search orders; freezing and asset preservation orders; delivery-up orders; computer imaging orders; third Party disclosure orders; and other asset recovery techniques. She has been identified by Chambers UK Guide as Up and Coming in the Fraud: Civil category. Chambers UK Guide 2023 also refers to Elizabeth as “a master of detail” and “simply fantastic. She understands the most complex situations very quickly, and incorporates the legal and procedural principles of other jurisdictions into her analysis with disconcerting ease”, whilst the Legal 500 UK 2023 refers to Elizabeth as “a strong and effective presence on any team.”

George is an Senior Associate within the Private Client group specialising in contentious trusts. He advises on contentious trust and estate matters with a focus on advising and representing trustees and high net worth individuals on a range of trust issues in litigation. George also advises on disputes involving challenges to wills, claims under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975, proprietary estoppel and other equitable claims including trust Arbitrations. 

Emilly is a dispute resolution associate specialising in contentious trusts and probate litigation. She also has experience in complex international trust and probate administration.

Described by Chambers & Partners as ‘an exceptional barrister’, Aidan Briggs has established himself as a specialist advocate and advisor for trusts, estates and property disputes. His regular trial experience in the High Court gives him the edge in the courtroom and makes him a favourite for factually complex cases where effective cross-examination may be the difference between winning and losing. 

Aidan’s practice covers the full range of private client matters: contested probate and 1975 Act claims, partnership disputes and contentious trusts work (both on- and offshore) as well as proprietary estoppel, commercial landlord and tenant disputes and trusts of land. His cases often involve multiple jurisdictions and issues of domicile.

Aidan is fully versed in the tax implications of private client disputes and regularly advises in relation to Inheritance Tax, Capital Gains Tax and Stamp Duty Land Tax matters, particularly as they affect farmland and farming families.

Sarah is a Senior Associate in our Litigation & Dispute Resolution Department and holds a Bachelor of Civil Law (European Legal Studies) from University College Dublin, a Diploma in Legal French and a Diploma in Commercial Litigation from the Law Society of Ireland. She also holds an Advanced Diploma in Corporate, White Collar and Regulatory Crime from the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. 

According to The Legal 500 2020, "Senior associate Sarah Twohig has a superb grasp of the issues and first-class organisational capacity in complex litigation. Entirely reliable execution of complex instructions in preparing complex trials."

Richard is a Director of Highvern and Head of Family Office. He qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1997 and holds an MBA from Warwick University. As well as having expertise in financial accounting and strategic financial planning, Richard has devoted the last 20 years of his career to the Family Office sector. He was the Director of a prominent Single Family Office from 2002-2012 and led the Multi-Family Office division of a prominent international fiduciary services firm from 2013 to 2021, dealing with Ultra High Net Worth individuals and their families from many jurisdictions including Europe, the US, the UAE and Russia. He has specific expertise in private equity, luxury assets, cryptocurrencies and philanthropy. At Highvern, Richard is responsible for managing some of the more complex client relationships, often with innovative structures. He is frequently asked to write articles for leading publications and regularly speaks at international conferences on specific issues relating to Family Offices.

Ben is a Guernsey Advocate and Partner of Collas Crill's Private Client and Trusts team.

His practice is focussed on contentious and semi-contentious trust work, advising both trustees and beneficiaries and appearing in the Royal Court in Guernsey on those matters.

He has a particular interest in the issues around the succession to wealth by the next generation. Recent highlights include: acting for the beneficiary of a trust in a proposed restructuring of an UHNW family's wealth following a dispute with their trustee. Planning for the splintering-off of our client's interests, and negotiating the necessary protections; acting for the corporate trustee of a discretionary trust settled for the benefit of the Settlor's children. The Settlor was domiciled in a jurisdiction in which Sharia law would have applied on succession. The trust imported aspects of Sharia law, while also providing for the settlor's daughters. A family dispute resulted in various challenges relating to the trust; acting for the corporate trustee of a trust during the course of a significant family dispute. The aim was to divide the assets of the trust against a lack of any agreement between the beneficiaries as to how that should be done.

I’m an Assistant Solicitor in the Wills, Trusts and Estates Dispute team in our London office.

I assist clients with Trust, Will and Probate Disputes as well as claims for financial provision under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975.

Prior to joining Irwin Mitchell, I was involved in the reported case of Wellesley v Wellesley & Ors [2019] EWHC 11 (Ch). This related to an estranged adult child’s application for financial provision out of her father’s estate.

I’ve assisted on multiple complex family trust dispute matters involving: suggestions of trustee negligence, re-settling trust funds into alternative structures, consideration of the tax implications of trust variations and, balancing the interests of familial and charitable trusts within one estate.

I’m an associate member of the Association of Contentious Trust and Probate Specialists (ACTAPS), having successfully completed the ACTAPS Diploma Course.

Richard Dew’s practice is focussed on Wills, Estates and Trusts and related professional negligence. His practice is predominantly litigation, and he is frequently involved in large and complex claims. He also advises and represents in Court of Protection matters and provides expert advice in respect of tax and tax planning (principally capital taxation).

He is the Chair of the STEP Contentious Trusts and Estates SIG and an elected member of the Chancery Bar Association Committee. He is a member of STEP and ACTAPS. He was ACTAPS Contentious Barrister of the Year for 2016.

Richard is an editor of Rossdale’s Administration of Estates and Parker’s Modern Will Precedents and regularly writes and lectures on chancery and private client matters.

Richard has been shortlisted by Chambers UK for the (Chancery) ‘Junior of the Year’ award.

James Badcock is a leading private client lawyer specialising in trusts, estate planning and taxation. He has deep experience advising private clients, family offices and trustees from around the world on matters including governance, succession planning, taxation, philanthropy and fiduciary risk management. He also brings his trust expertise to bear in contentious matters.

James qualified as a solicitor in 2005 and from 2011 to 2019 was a partner at a central London law firm. He transferred to their Geneva office before returning to the UK as head of Private Client. James subsequently held a senior role in the legal division of a ‘Big 4’ accountancy firm in London.

James is named in Chambers High Net Worth 2021 for Private Wealth Law where one interviewee commented, "He has a lot of cross-border experience, he is good at dealing with clients and knotty issues. He is a very amenable lawyer, he is very strategic in his thinking and knowledgeable.

Matthew Sperry is an international private client attorney whose practice is devoted to making it easier for global ultra-high-net-worth individuals and families to access the United States, whether it be for investment, spending time in the US or utilizing US trust and other structures to advance personal goals or otherwise. He believes in using state-of-the-art trust, corporate, family office, fund and other US legal concepts to develop simple but effective wealth succession and family governance structures that minimize global tax and reporting burdens, foster privacy, protect personal wealth and advance family harmony, leaving his clients to focus on enjoying their hard earned wealth. Matthew's client base includes individuals and families in Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, Europe and Canada.

Gareth is a senior associate in the Baker McKenzie Dispute Resolution team based in London. Gareth undertakes a broad spectrum of commercial litigation, advisory and general disputes work. In addition to general disputes, Gareth has worked in a number of more specialist areas, including arbitration, business crime, trusts disputes, product liability, and regulatory and public law.

Sarah specialises in international disputes related to private wealth, often involving complex trust structures with a corporate asset base. She has represented individuals, trustees, and charities in claims of breach of trust, constructive trust, under the laws governing property rights on the end of a relationship or death, in contract, and in company law. Sarah works with colleagues across the firm’s locations on cross-border cases.

Prior to joining the firm in 2022 Sarah practised as a barrister and solicitor at a leading New Zealand private client and trust litigation firm and, before that, in the Dispute Resolution team at a top-tier Asia-Pacific law firm.

Sarah is admitted to practise in New Zealand and in Australia.

Millie is a specialist family law barrister with a busy and broad practice in all areas of family law.

In the field of finance, Millie deals with complex cases and those involving the enforcement or variation of orders – she is regularly instructed in high-net-worth cases, both as a junior to leading silks and in her own right. Millie’s financial cases commonly involve non-matrimonial assets, high-profile clients, pre-nuptial agreements, or international elements, and she has a particular interest and specialism in cases involving intervenors and trust assets.

Millie was the second junior, led by Philip Marshall KC, who represented Tini Owens in her appeal to the Supreme Court, and she is ranked in Chambers & Partners.

In cases concerning children, Millie’s practice includes cases where there are serious allegations of abuse, multi-day fact-finding hearings, intractable contact disputes, and concerns about parental alienation. Millie has experience of children act arbitrations and deals with children cases that involve internal and international relocation applications.

Edward advises on all family law issues, helping clients resolve the financial issues that arise on separation, arrangements for children and marital and relationship agreements. His cases often involve high-value, multi-jurisdictional assets, including trusts and his clients include high net worth and highly compensated individuals, and their spouses.

Edward’s cases often involve an international element and he has recently presented on international family law issues at a recent European meeting of international family lawyers and at the University of Lausanne. Increasingly, he advises on pre- and post-nuptial agreements.

Widely recognised as one of a new generation of London family lawyers, Edward is ranked as a 'next generation partner' in the most recent edition of The Legal 500, and 'up and coming' by Chambers UK . A Chambers HNW commentator reported: "He has developed an encyclopaedic knowledge of international law that permeates all of his cases and is hugely beneficial to the clients that instruct him. " The Spear’s 500 guide features Edward as a ‘rising star’, with a source describing him as "one of the leading young family lawyers of his generation." His commentary on family law has been featured in the national press, including the Telegraph and the Guardian.

Jack is a manging associate in our contentious trusts group with substantial experience in complex, high value trust and private wealth disputes in various jurisdictions around the world. He also has extensive experience in other areas of litigation, including in particular civil fraud and financial services litigation.

Stephanie Silverston’s practice is focused on commercial litigation, civil fraud, asset recovery and contentious insolvency, often as part of complex multi-jurisdictional disputes. She has worked on cases involving fraud, investigations, breach of fiduciary and directors’ duties, breach of contract, claims under the Insolvency Act 1986 and matters involving misrepresentation. 

Stephanie represents a wide range of clients including high-net-worth individuals, businesses, and insolvency practitioners. Her experience includes bringing and responding to freezing orders and proprietary injunctions, obtaining Norwich Pharmacal Orders, and dealing with asset disclosure and asset protection issues. She also acts for clients regarding family and trust disputes and advises clients in respect of letters of request and mutual legal assistance treaties relating to obtaining or resisting depositions and disclosure in support of foreign proceedings.