Areas of Practice
Track Record
Acting for a prominent family (net worth $20Bn) to establish a single family office structure to manage the family’s global assets including financial assets, commercial and residential property interests, a significant art collection, various aircraft and vessels, and a growing portfolio of private equity holdings
Restructuring a significant UK real estate portfolio valued at around £750M for an international client looking to undertake generational planning for his seven children; establishing a series of trusts incorporating detailed mechanisms for “allocation” of properties to particular branches of the family and related valuation mechanisms
Advising a leading international entrepreneur on his relocation to the UK, providing pre-immigration tax advice and structuring his investment portfolio to make provision for his children who were resident in four different jurisdictions
Awards & Rankings
Legal 500, Leading Partner, 2025
Legal 500, Leading Individual, 2024
Chambers HNW, United Arab Emirates – Foreign Expertise based abroad in UK Spotlight, 2023 & 2024
Chambers HNW, Top Ranked Individual, 2021 – 2024
Chambers HNW, Foreign Expert for Middle East-wide Spotlight,2024
Chambers HNW, Ranked Individual, 2017 – 2024
Business Today, Top 10 UK Family Offices & Funds Structuring Lawyers, 2023
Chambers HNW Awards, Foreign Jurisdiction Expert – Shortlisted 2022
Chambers HNW, Foreign Expert for Middle East, 2017 – 2022
Who’s Who Legal, Recommended Individual, 2020
Legal Week Private Client Global Elite, Top 200, 2017 – 2019 & 2021
Education & Qualification
University of London
Qualified as a solicitor in 1999
Recommended by Salpy
Changes to the “non-dom” regime which took effect from 6 April 2025 will significantly impact African individuals relocating to or already living in the UK. In the fourth instalment of our ‘Out of Africa’ series, Partner, Julie Howard and Associate, Annabella King explore how families and individuals can navigate the new rules – including the favourable four-year FIG regime and transitional reliefs – and highlight the importance of careful pre-arrival and ongoing planning.
Read more 5 min read 03 Jun 2025 A New Investor Visa – Why Now?The UK has a critical opportunity to restore its appeal to HNW individuals by reintroducing an investor visa route. In WealthBriefing, Immigration Partner, Zoe Jacob, argues that such a visa is essential to complement the new Foreign Income and Gains (FIG) regime and attract much-needed global investment.
Read more 2 min read 02 Jun 2025 Clare Stirzaker speaks at the Family Business UK Annual Conference 2025This Thursday at the Family Business UK Annual Conference, Partner, Clare Stirzaker joins James Wates at Wates Group to reflect on the core purpose at the heart of the Wates Principles and how family businesses can report authentically to build stakeholder trust.
Read more 6 min read 27 May 2025 Silver linings in replacement for UK non-dom regimeFollowing a flurry of criticism of the previous ‘non-dom’ tax regime, a new ‘foreign income and gains’ system is now being introduced. Senior Associate, Laura Cullinane suggests there may be a silver lining to this change, as it could encourage greater investment in the UK.
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