Sinclair Gibson LLP

The firm: Sinclair Gibson is a specialist firm, based in Lincoln’s Inn Fields in London, focused on the needs of the private client and private client adviser through its three complementary practice areas of private client, litigation and family law.

Sinclair Gibson, which was set up in 2019, represents a return to the core work that the founding partners have always enjoyed and valued and continues to move away from the expansionist business model reliant on compartmentalisation, juniors and precedent-led work increasingly prevalent in the market.

The firm’s model places an emphasis on bespoke advice from experienced, partner-led teams with many of the firm’s practitioners having competence and proficiency across the conventional departmental demarcation, allowing teams for individual matters to span two or more practice areas depending on specific needs.

This ensures that clients benefit from high quality and robust advice, rooted in independent and intelligent thinking as well as extensive experience. This expertise, coupled with individual partners’ personable and pragmatic approach, has resulted in long standing relationships with clients who recognise that Sinclair Gibson is committed to delivering excellent and relevant advice in all aspects of private client law.

Types of work undertaken: 

Private client: the private client practice of Sinclair Gibson is led by Keith Bruce-Smith, a partner with over 30 years’ experience. He is one of the authors of two precedent books on trusts and wills and original co-editor of an international law trust compendium. He and Lucy Gibson, widely acclaimed for her international trust and estate law expertise, act for a wide range of UK- and overseas-based individuals and trustees.

Litigation: headed by Henry Hickman, the firm’s vastly experienced and well-regarded litigation practice acts for private clients specialising in acting for private individuals, charities and trust companies in trust litigation, succession and probate disputes and inheritance claims.  It also undertakes commercial litigation in the High Court (Commercial Court) and offshore.

Family law: Sinclair Gibson's family department is led by the highly respected Kathryn Peat and James Copson. The team advises on all aspects of family law but is best known for its work with high net worth clients on complex financial remedy claims and nuptial agreements, often with an international element, and both domestic and international private children matters. Further areas of expertise include disputes involving unmarried couples and the preparation of cohabitation agreements. A significant proportion of the department's clients are neither UK resident nor UK domiciled and they benefit from the wealth of experience the team has in international family law matters, including offshore trusts, overseas assets and international relocation of children, as well as access to the firm's renowned Private Client team.