Private Client Advisory and Litigation Forum: Paris

Stella began her career with NatWest Bank, as a graduate trainee in 1991. She quickly moved into the Coutts private banking and trust subsidiary in Jersey before moving to Geneva in 1996. She has a wide range of experience of trust and company management including fine art, bloodstock, commercial and residential property, private equity, family offices and private trust companies.

Stella is a law graduate of King’s College, London (LLB Hons), an associate of the Chartered Institute of Bankers (ACIB) and a Member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP). Stella is a much sought after speaker at trust conferences and is a regular tutor for the STEP Foundation and diploma courses. She is also on the editorial committee of Trusts & Trustees publication (Italian Version).

Rupert Ticehurst is head of dispute resolution at Maurice Turnor Gardner. He joined Maurice Turnor Gardner LLP in January 2019 and heads the firm’s Dispute Resolution team. His practice covers trust, probate and commercial litigation as well as private client advisory work. 

Clare specialises in succession planning and related legal and tax matters for multi-generational families and their family offices.

She works alongside some of the world’s leading private businesses and her practice focuses on how to help individuals developing their succession planning strategy and designing bespoke asset holding and wealth management structures including PTCs, limited partnership structures and foundations. Clare has particular experience of advising and supporting families on implementing family and corporate governance frameworks to support successful wealth transition. She also supports clients in developing their philanthropic strategy to enable greater and more effective wealth distribution.

Clare is recognised for her work having won multiple awards from the leading private wealth award bodies.

Prior to joining the firm, Clare was a Partner at PwC and also worked at Barclays Wealth, providing her with a real breadth of experience and commercial insight across the private client sector.

Jo qualified as a solicitor of England and Wales in 2008, working as a private client solicitor in the UK before beginning her trust career at Summit Trust International SA in Geneva in 2011. Jo has a wide range of experience in trust and company management, providing bespoke private client trusteeship to ultra-high value, complex international trust structures, within which an array of real assets are managed, including fine art, vintage cars, shipping fleets, yachts, private equity, operating businesses and commercial and residential property. Jo is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP). In 2018 and 2020, Jo won Trustee of the Year at the Citywealth Magic Circle Awards. Jo speaks English and French.

Jessica is a private client partner specialising in risk and disputes in relation to trusts and estates.

Jessica has accrued extensive trust litigation experience both in England and offshore. Her cases have included both seeking and defending the removal of trustees, protectors and executors; rectification and variation of trusts; setting aside and defending trusts on the basis of sham allegations; challenging trustees’ decisions and advising trustees on making decisions in contentious circumstances; challenging trustees’ fees; claims for breach of fiduciary duty; and associated professional negligence proceedings against tax and legal advisors. 

Equally, Jessica frequently advises on probate and estate disputes, including invalidity claims, capacity and construction issues, as well as claims under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependents) Act 1975.

Jessica has also built up particular expertise in advising trustees and beneficiaries on issues of trust law in the context of divorce proceedings – both in relation to proceedings in the Family Division and in the corresponding offshore trust jurisdictions. 

John co-founded Spring Equity Partners after a 12-year career at Mirabaud Group, where he served as Executive Director.

Committed to ensuring that his clients’ portfolios are managed by people who think like principals, not agents. John is a seasoned investor, having been a member of the Mirabaud Group’s Investment committee for many years. He led the investment offering for the UK Market and headed the Geneva-based UK Desk. Prior to joining Mirabaud, he worked for an alternative investment firm in New York focusing on distressed and macro strategies.

A passionate philosopher, John obtained an MA in Classics from Cambridge and read Philosophy at the Sorbonne (Paris-I). He lives in Geneva with his wife and two children.

Areas of Expertise

Private Client Tax Services; Foreign Domiciliary Taxation - Remittance Basis, Residence and Domicile; International Private Client Tax Planning; Trust and Charity Formation, Administration and Accounting; International Trust Planning; Residential Property Taxation; Capital Gains Tax Planning; Inheritance Tax, Estate and Succession Planning; Tax Compliance; HMRC Investigations.

Experience

Anita joined Evelyn Partners (formerly Smith and Williamson) as a Partner in May 2017 following 16 years at another leading Private Client Firm. Before that, she worked at a Private Bank, having trained within the Big Four. Anita has over 25 years’ tax experience, over 20 of which have been in the Private Client sector.

Anita has a varied client base made up of international families, non-domiciled individuals, clients with residency issues, trusts, UK based high net-worth individuals and executives. Anita assists clients with their tax compliance, HMRC investigations and to fulfill their regulatory obligations as well as advising on strategic tax matters such as domicile, residence, family wealth, trusts and succession.

Notable client work and achievements

Advising in relation to the reorganisation of a highly complex high value structure with multiple trusts and companies spanning five jurisdictions.

Advising the executives of a multi-jurisdictional corporate group in relation to a global restructuring of the business.

Assisting multiple clients with complex tax investigations concerning domicile, residence, non-UK estates and trusts and other domestic and international aspects.

Extensive experience in advising Formula 1 motor sport professionals and artists in relation to both UK and international issues.

Professional qualifications/memberships

Anita is a member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation, a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Tax Advisers and a Freeman of the City of London.

Alex is a founding partner in 2001 of Hughes Fowler Carruthers, the top tier niche family law practice. Alex specialises in English family law, complex divorce, and financial work and children’s work, in particular international cases. His clients are high net worth individuals with complex legal issues including trusts and jurisdictional disputes, Alex in featured in Spears’ Family Law Index’s ‘Top Recommended Family Lawyers’ list and is also listed in Tatler Address Book’s advisory as one of the leading family lawyers in their trusted network of influential and elite private client experts with “gilt-edged” expertise. He regularly lectures on the interface between divorce and trusts. He is highly recommended by peer review publications and has been involved in a number of high profile and ground-breaking legal cases. Alex has been a regular in Chambers’ band 1 for many years. Chambers UK 2023 quotes a contributor as stating that "He is sharp, incisive and astute; he is tactically brilliant and extremely patient.".

Caroline has extensive experience across the whole spectrum of family law work, particularly in relation to complex financial disputes arising on divorce and separation, disputes involving children and the drafting and negotiation of pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements.

Caroline joined Hughes Fowler Carruthers in 2008, rising rapidly to become the firm’s first promotion to the partnership in over ten years.

She joined from international law firm, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, where she was a tax lawyer. During her time at Freshfields, Caroline worked on a wide range of cross-border, commercial transactions, involving both corporate clients and major financial institutions.

Since joining Hughes Fowler Carruthers in 2008, Caroline has worked on a number of reported cases and has built up extensive experience across the whole spectrum of family law work, in particular in relation to complex financial disputes arising on divorce and separation, disputes involving children and the drafting and negotiation of pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements.

I’m a Partner of Mourant Ozannes (Guernsey) LLP in our Guernsey Litigation and Dispute Resolution practice. I specialise in complex commercial and trust litigation, and provide advice to a range of financial institutions and fiduciaries, particularly in multi-jurisdictional disputes.

Having obtained diplomas in compliance and anti-money laundering, my focus is often on regulatory and compliance matters. I regularly advise on routine and non-routine matters, including liaising with the Guernsey Financial Services Commission, the police and the Financial Investigation Unit.

I also have expertise in relation to cross-border assistance in tax and money-laundering issues.

I joined Mourant Ozannes in January 2002 and was called to the Guernsey Bar in 2005.

Joe has over 30 years’ experience in the finance industry, most of it as a professional trustee. His own experience has given him unique insight into the workings of trust companies and their clients. 

Matthew was born and bred in Norfolk, growing up on the family farm. He studied classics at Oxford University and qualified as a solicitor in 1979 with Linklaters & Paines in London. He practised first as a private client solicitor and then set up his own tax consultancy, advising, lecturing and writing books on estate planning and trusts, until his professional retirement in 2013. Since his father’s death in 1984, he has been managing the farm, now with his wife and son. In 2014, he was ordained as a self-supporting minister in the Church of England. In 2020, Matthew was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of the County of Norfolk. Married to Annie, they have three children and two grandchildren.  Matthew has published the second edition of Your Last Gift - Getting Your Affairs in Order (March 2024), a helpful guide to get everything in order for your loved ones. Endorsed by Stephen Fry and Rupert Everett, it has also been featured in The Sunday Times, Bloomberg and Huffington Post.

In this role, Julian leads the team in London which assists clients (from individuals and families to regional and national museums) with the special tax exemptions which are available for qualifying heritage property in the UK. He also works closely with Sotheby’s network of professional advisers, notably lawyers, fiduciaries, accountants and wealth managers; partnering with them, to bring the full range of Sotheby’s expertise into play for them and for their clients.

Internationally acclaimed magician and illusionist with over 25 years of experience.

With a mesmerizing blend of charm, mystery, and skill, Etienne has enthralled audiences around the globe, performing for prestigious events, exhibitions, trade shows, corporate events, private gatherings, and delivering captivating lectures.

Sam Williams is a Partner in the Dispute Resolution team in Jersey.

He is an experienced litigator and advocate, having been called to the Jersey Bar in 2015, and appears regularly in the Royal Court of Jersey and Court of Appeal. Sam has particular expertise in private wealth disputes, including breach of trust proceedings, fiduciary removal applications, contentious restructurings, construction and tax mistake applications.  He advises trustees, beneficiaries and settlors.

In addition, Sam has experience of enforcing foreign arbitral awards and judgments and obtaining urgent injunctive relief, often in the context of fraud and asset tracing. He also advises on corporate and shareholder disputes, as well as on insolvency matters.

Claire Weeks is a partner in the Private Wealth team at Maurice Turnor Gardner LLP.

With the ability to present complex issues in a clear and easily-digestible way, Claire’s clients derive particular benefit from her exceptional understanding of international tax and trust issues. The winner of two STEP Worldwide Excellence Awards and numerous ‘Rising Star’ accolades, Claire is recognised as an expert in providing advice on bespoke multi-jurisdictional wealth planning strategies and investment structures. Claire was named as one of the 2024 Private Client Global Elite, and is ranked by Chambers & Partners (HNW) for her Private Wealth Law expertise. She is also named as a Recommended lawyer by the Who’s Who Legal: Private Client 2023 report.

Nawal is a Senior Counsel in Al Tamimi’s Corporate Commercial Practice who has been extensively involved in major M&A, corporate restructuring, family business, IPOs and other capital market transactions in the UAE.

Nawal is an expert in designing and executing legal private structures for family groups operating throughout the GCC/MENA countries and over the past decade of working with leading families, Nawal has implemented major reorganisations for families spanning every GCC country family group reorganisations in her UAE practice.

Nawal has been advising families in the GCC/MENA in relation to establishing their family companies, restructuring and safeguarding their assets and putting in place enforceable family governance and succession planning arrangements. Nawal has assisted many families in developing Sharia compliant legal binding arrangements and structures to survive transition and challenges from one generation to another and to provide for smooth succession for the family and its business taking into consideration the culture and nature of each family.

Nawal has particular expertise in structuring issues for corporate groups operating throughout the GCC/MENA countries.

Nawal has also participated in many government initiatives related to developing and improving the business environment and finding solutions to legal framework challenges. She participated in many legislative initiatives and amendments to the laws and regulations.

Since joining Al Tamimi, Nawal has been providing legal opinions and advice in various aspects of corporate commercial matters. She has also been involved in many of the major transactions and projects in the UAE, all of which has been highly regarded in the local market.

Dipali Maldonado is a Partner with the Private Client Services team at Al Tamimi & Company and has been ranked Band 1 in Chambers & Partners Private Wealth law for 4 years in a row. Dipali has also been shortlisted for the Wealth Management Lawyer of the Year in the Women in Business Law Awards 2023-EMEA and her team has won multiple awards, most recently the 9th Annual Wealth Briefing MENA Awards for exceptional “Legal advice provision for UHNW individuals, families or wealth managers”. She is a regular speaker at international conferences relating to private wealth, succession and estate planning in the MENA region, newspaper, radio & podcast contributor and has published a number of articles and chapters for the international legal and business community.  Dipali is also an active member of Al Tamimi and Company’s India Desk given her large NRI client base.

Katherine advises professional trustees, settlors and beneficiaries on matters relevant to trusts and foundations, including drafting trust deeds and advising on complex structures including employee reward schemes, JPUTs and pensions.

Katherine joined Ogier in 2012 having previously been a Partner at Harvey Ingram Shakespeare; working in their Leicester and Birmingham offices advising a variety of high net worth private, charitable and commercial clients on contentious and non-contentious issues.

Katherine graduated from the University of Lincoln with a BA Hons in Law and French and completed her academic training at College of Law, York.

Katherine is a member of the International Pension and Employee Benefit Association Lawyers (IPEBLA), the  Association of Contentious Trusts and Probate Specialists (ACTAPS), the working party for charities legislation in Jersey and until leaving the UK in 2012 was the Vice Chair of the Law Society of England and Wales Private Client Section.

Katherine has been recognised in the Citywealth IFC Power Women Top 200 list for 2018.

Victoria advises clients on all aspects of family law arising from the breakdown of marriage, civil partnership, or cohabitation, including pre/post nuptial agreements. Victoria also has extensive experience with private law children matters, including residence, contact disputes and leave to remove applications (both international and domestic).

Nick Dent is a Managing Associate in the White Collar Crime & Investigations Group.

Nick has significant experience representing individuals suspected of having committed serious and general criminal offences in investigations and trials conducted by the Police, the Serious Fraud Office, the Financial Conduct Authority and other agencies.

Nick has particular expertise in discretely handling sensitive cases for individuals who value their reputation and privacy as well as for those who work within regulated sectors.

Nick is familiar with defending individuals against a wide range of criminal allegations which often arise as a result of an individual's employment or relationship breakdown.  He has a particular focus on providing pre-charge advice and representation in order to achieve an early conclusion to a criminal investigation. In addition, Nick has extensive experience of successfully defending his clients following a trial as well as successfully appealing against sentences and convictions. 

Nick is named in the Legal 500 in 2022 for Crime and is ranked as an Associate to Watch by Chambers and Partners 2022 for Crime which states that he is "a force of nature who pursues cases vociferously and leaves no stone unturned - he can find an argument where there was none to be found."

Nick is also the editor of the chapter "The Decision to Charge" in the leading practitioner text, Blackstone's Criminal Practice 2023.

James is a Group Partner in Private Client and Trusts team. He joined Collas Crill in January 2024. James is an English barrister and Jersey Advocate and has a busy practice with a particular focus on contentious and non-contentious trust work. 

He advises, undertakes drafting work, and acts for beneficiaries, trustees and other power-holders in relation to breach of trust claims, asset tracing/recovery and claims for secondary liability against accessories, issues concerning trust administration, the appointment and removal of trustees and the exercise of powers, applications to court for directions, the variation and rectification of trusts and the disclosure of information to beneficiaries and third parties, jurisdiction disputes and the enforcement of foreign judgments against trustees and beneficiaries and issues concerning trustees’ rights of indemnity, fees and legal cost.

James also advises in relation to a broad range of contentious commercial and company law disputes. He is named as a Rising Star in Legal 500 UK 2023 and ranked in Chambers UK and Global 2023.

Ed joined CAF in April 2020 bringing with him extensive experience of managing corporate and private clients in both commercial and third sectors as well as front-line experience of running a social enterprise. His role is to lead CAF’s entire Private Client proposition, including both the CAF Charitable Trust and CAF American Donor Fund teams.

Having started his career in legal practice Ed moved into the London Insurance market where he managed the client service division of a specialist professional risk brokerage, leading a team advising and supporting a portfolio of major national and international professional services firms. Pursuing his interest in delivering positive social impact Ed joined a start-up social enterprise where he oversaw the development of a national network of independent and state school partnerships providing opportunities and resources to the most deserving young people in the UK.

Ed is particularly passionate about improving social equality through access to quality education and the potential of blended finance and digital technologies to maximise the impact of capital deployment for social and environmental initiatives.

Cerisse is a Group Partner in our International Private Client and Trust department, joining in September 2018.

She specialises in all aspects of Guernsey trust and private client law and regularly advises trustees, family offices, high net worth individuals and intermediaries on the creation, restructuring and winding up of trusts and a wide scope of cross-jurisdictional fiduciary transactions.

George Pascoe-Watson is a founding partner of Schillings Communications LLP.

He is a former Political Editor of The Sun newspaper and Chairman at Portland Communications.  George has deep experience as a strategic adviser to high profile individuals, sporting and political leaders, and the boards and C-Suite of some of the world’s largest companies and organisations. These span the defence, pharmaceuticals, transport, major infrastructure, regulated utilities, professional services, FMCG and energy sectors. He draws on a wide network in the media, politics, and corporate life, as well as years of strategic communications experience.

George is featured in the Spear’s 500 2024 Best Reputation Managers Index.

Rachel is a leading lawyer specialising in reputation and privacy. Acting for private clients, corporates, and entrepreneurs from the UK and around the world, Rachel is called on in high stakes situations to manage complex cases and the strong personalities involved.  She is an experienced litigator, applying calmness, balance and objectivity to her cases.  Rachel is often asked to lead corporate internal enquiries, particularly where public scrutiny is intense.  

Rachel is featured in Chambers’ Defamation and Reputation Management directory and recognised by Legal 500 as a leading individual. She is ranked in the prestigious Spear’s Best Reputation & Privacy Lawyers Index 2024, and features in the Citywealth Leaders List.  She is also amongst the winners of the 2024 Citywealth Powerwomen Awards, and features is ranked Tier 1 in the Private Client Global Elite Directory.

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.

Deborah is Partner and Head of the International Private Client Team at UK law firm Birketts LLP.

Deborah is an award-winning trusted adviser to many HNW and UHNW clients and has been advising international families on all aspects of UK tax, trust and succession law for over 25 years. She also advises international trust and fiduciary providers, family offices and global financial institutions on multi-jurisdictional trust and governance issues.  The Birketts international private client team have a particular focus on clients who have links to the US, being skilled in advising on the interaction between two of the most complex tax regimes in the world.