I am a Senior Associate solicitor in the High Net Worth and International private client team in London. I specialise in multi-jurisdictional wealth planning, international tax and trusts, and succession planning for high net worth (HNW) and ultra high net worth clients and their families.

I am recognised for my expertise in complex cross-border tax and estate planning, including drafting bespoke Wills for UK and international HNW individuals and administering cross-border estates. This often involves applying international succession law and addressing tax-related considerations to safeguard assets and wealth from creditors, matrimonial claims, and succession regimes such as forced heirship rules. I also work with clients who wish to structure their wealth to comply with Islamic Sharia principles of succession and for non-Muslims resident in or connected to Islamic countries such as the UAE, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia.

I regularly work with international families and trustees to navigate the challenges posed by multi-national estates. I'm experienced with relevant tax reliefs for individuals and trusts, such as inheritance tax business relief, agricultural property relief, and capital gains tax.

The creation and setting-up of offshore trusts is another specialism of mine and I help beneficiaries and trustees of offshore trusts to ensure optimal tax efficiency. I also advise on residence and domicile issues, including the statutory residence test or the taxation of UK residential and non-residential property owned by offshore structures.

I'm a member of the Society for Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) and have completed the STEP Advanced certificate on UK tax for international clients.

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.

Simon is highly regarded by both clients and his peers, he brings his considerable expertise to bear to help separating couples resolve issues in a constructive manner. He has a particular strength in complex financial cases, often involving trusts, family businesses and assets in more than one jurisdiction.

Working closely with colleagues in the private wealth sector to provide a seamless service to high net worth individuals and their families, Simon is able to advise on the family law aspects of wealth protection, including prenuptial and cohabitation agreements. He has a thriving children law practice and has assisted parents in all aspects of the law relating to children. He has a specialist interest in the cross-border movement of children and frequently provides guidance on international surrogacy and applications for parental orders.

Simon is an elected member of the national committee of Resolution, the leading membership organisation for specialist family lawyers, and is the organisation’s treasurer.

Simon is recognised as a 'Next Generation Partner' in The Legal 500 2023 edition and is ranked in the Chambers UK and HNW guides for his work on sophisticated financial cases, many with a trust-related, family business or multi-jurisdictional element. He is recognised as a 'Recommended Lawyer' in the Spear's 500 2022 directory.

Mark is responsible for the strategic and operational leadership of CAF’s services for donors, charities and social investors in the UK. These include donor advised funds, impact investing, employee giving, impact advisory, grantmaking, social investment, and CAF’s digital fundraising platform. Mark plays an active role as an advocate for philanthropy, impact investing and more widely the third sector, both in the UK and internationally, inspiring and educating influential stakeholders with the aim of accelerating progress in society.

Mark joined CAF in 2016 as Senior Manager of the CAF American Donor Fund. He went on to lead our wider private client work as Head of Private Clients, before becoming Managing Director of Giving & Impact Services.

He has spent much of his professional life working with people to help them realise their philanthropic ambitions. Prior to joining CAF, Mark worked as Philanthropy Director at UK Community Foundations and as CEO of the Beacon Awards for Philanthropy.

Earlier in his career, Mark led programmes engaged in intercultural work and community development, as well as working for a British MP and an ultra-high-net-worth family in Miami, Florida. Mark’s expertise includes philanthropy and philanthropy advice, social investment, fundraising, major donors, cross-border giving, donor advised funds and other charitable giving vehicles.