Areas of Practice
Track Record
Acting for a prominent MENA based family with assets of £2bn plus to establish a single-family office to manage the family’s global assets based in seven different jurisdictions. Advice includes the establishment of multiple separate PTC vehicles, and the structuring of real estate in the UK, Europe and MENA region. The work also included structuring significant business assets as well as substantial tech start-up businesses.
Acting on a number of cases involving Sharia succession rules and advising in the context of the application of these rules outside of the Gulf. Kyra has worked to both structure wealth as well as to challenge planning undertaken where there has been a family dispute.
Kyra has a typical Family Office practice and manages multiple different elements for individuals, from sourcing luxury goods and property to management of household staff and art, cars, yachts and private jets.
Awards & Rankings
Legal 500, Leading Partner, 2025
Private Client Global Elite, Excellence, 2024
Chambers HNW, Band One Individual, 2023 & 2024
Chambers HNW, Foreign Expert for Middle East-wide Spotlight, 2024
Chambers HNW, United Arab Emirates – Foreign Expertise based abroad in UK Spotlight, 2024
Chambers HNW, Ranked Individual, 2024
Legal 500, Leading Individual, 2023 & 2024
Chambers HNW, Foreign Expert, 2020 – 2023
Business Today, Top 10 UK Family Offices & Funds Structuring Lawyers, 2023
Chambers HNW Awards, Foreign Jurisdiction Expert – Shortlisted 2022
Legal Week Private Client Global Elite, Rising Leader, 2022
Legal 500, Next Gen Partner, 2021 & 2022
Legal Week Private Client Global Elite, One to Watch, 2021
EprivateClient, Top 35 under 35, 2016 – 2018
Conference Speaking
PCD TrustConsult Conference in Monaco, 2023
STEP Isle of Man, ‘Protecting Legacies: Options for structuring Family Businesses with Trusts’, 2023
Informa, ‘Cross Border Planning: The Next Generation’ Conference in Dubai, 2022
STEP Arabia Conference in Abu Dhabi, Tax Update, 2022
Thought Leaders 4 Private Client ‘Wealth / Life Middle East’ Conference in Dubai, Working With Family Offices: Should you have one? Setting One Up? Client, Obstacle or Threat?, 2022
STEP Jersey Seminar, Practical tips for dealing with the new IHT rules for UK residential property, 2019
ICSA Seminar, Private Client Governance Succession Structures for the Internationally mobile, 2018
Memberships
Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners
Education & Qualification
University of Southampton
Qualified as a solicitor in 2011
Recommended by Kyra
STEP, the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners, has today launched a Responsible Stewardship Toolkit, a platform designed to guide families, their advisers and trust and estate practitioners with tools to incorporate responsible stewardship principles in trusts, wills and powers of attorney. Clare Stirzaker, Private Wealth Partner, Emma Haley, Legal Director and Sophie Harcourt, Private Wealth Associate, contributed to the Toolkit, alongside industry experts across the wealth planning, fiduciary and philanthropic sectors.
Read more 5 min read 01 Jul 2025 Modernising wills – A significant step, but work is still to be doneIn eprivateclient, Partner, Nicola Bushby explores the Law Commission’s Modernising Wills report, highlighting key proposals for reforming the law of wills, such as recognising electronic wills and adopting the test for capacity in lieu of the common law test. While progress is clear, concerns remain, especially around the rule revoking wills upon marriage.
Read more 10 min read 24 Jun 2025 Long term residence and its importance for UK inheritance tax (IHT) purposesPrivate Wealth Partners, Kyra Motley and Laurence Morgan explain the concept of long-term UK residence and its significance for UK inheritance tax (IHT) following the shift away from the domicile-based system, introducing new considerations for individuals and trustees.
Read more 10 min read 17 Jun 2025 The artist’s estatePlanning for an artist’s legacy involves more than just inheritance – it’s about preserving creative identity while providing for loved ones. In the Christie’s Bulletin, Senior Associate, Alice Julian, explores the complexities of managing an Artistic Estate, from copyright and resale rights to tax strategy and charitable foundations.
Read more