Payne Hicks Beach LLP

Payne Hicks Beach is a full service law firm providing specialist legal services to domestic and international high-net-worth private individuals and families, family offices and commercial clients. Its offices in Lincoln’s Inn, which it has occupied since its establishment in the 1730s, complement its long and distinguished heritage. The firm is well known for building very strong client relationships, often spanning several generations and for having a thoroughly twenty-first century approach.

With a stellar reputation built on its family and private client work: it is regarded as one of the very best of the small number of firms in the UK providing these specialist services at the highest level. This capability is matched by top ranking expertise in key areas of law including: commercial, privacy and media, citizenship and immigration, dispute resolution, sport, white collar crime and regulatory, and surrogacy, fertility, adoption and modern family law.

Expert teams take the time to understand clients’ needs fully, advising clients objectively but sensitively to suit their particular circumstances or commercial realities, and to ensure the firm provides the absolute right advice.  Whether an individual or a corporate client, the advice will be incisive, straightforward and solution led. Used to working under pressure, often in stressful and sometimes emotional situations, the firm handles difficult issues sensitively and is completely focused on protecting its clients’ interests.

Much of the firm’s work is international, arising from the US, Scandinavia, Middle East, Far East, Russia, Africa, Switzerland and other European countries. Clients include: ultra-high net worth/high-net-worth and affluent individuals and their families (UK and international), landed estate owners, entrepreneurs, trustees, fiduciaries and family offices, family businesses, private and listed companies, charities, schools, financial institutions and professional practices.

Above all, the firm focuses on client care. Its structure, culture and commitment to outstanding client service ensures it can deftly handle complex problems for clients across their personal or business lives, delivering seamless advice across all its practice areas.

Types of work undertaken: Payne Hicks Beach’s key practice areas include: private client, family, corporate, employment, dispute resolution, privacy and media law, sports law, property, property litigation, landed estates and agriculture, citizenship and immigration, surrogacy, fertility and modern family, education and advising vulnerable clients.

The private client department is recognised as one of the best in the UK. Its areas of expertise are wide-ranging: from domestic and international tax, trust and estate planning, family offices, US/UK work, heritage property and agricultural work, property development, taxation, probate and trust administration. The team acts for individuals, families, estates, trusts, family businesses, educational establishments, museums and charities with the aim to build long-term relationships with clients and families that often span several generations. Whilst many clients are based in the UK, a significant number are overseas or have overseas interests and the team advises on a variety of offshore and international matters.

The family law department has unmatched expertise in all areas of family and matrimonial law, including Part III claims (where divorces take place abroad, and financial matters are resolved in the UK), pre- and post-nuptial agreements, the treatment of pre-acquired and inherited wealth, and the complex issues involved when children are removed from the home jurisdiction and implications of the Civil Partnership Act. Family law is an increasingly complex area on which the team is renowned for its unrivalled experience guiding clients through difficult and emotional times. Bespoke specialist advice is also offered in the rapidly evolving area of surrogacy, fertility, adoption and modern family matters. Members of the department belong to Resolution, the SRA’s Family Law Accreditation Scheme and The International Academy of Family Lawyers.

The corporate department advises on the full range of corporate and business law. The team provides commercial and pragmatic advice on acquisitions and mergers, new issues, management buy-outs, banking, competition law, intellectual property, family office and governance, sponsorship, marketing and sale of goods, and partnership matters. Clients include high-net-worth individuals, business owners, private and publicly listed companies, international groups, family offices and private equity and sovereign wealth funds across a wide range of different industries and sectors. The team has significant experience in acting for wealthy individuals in relation to their corporate law and business requirements, complementing the firm’s leading position for private client and family work.

The employment department advises employers and senior employees on all contentious and non-contentious employment matters, including their rights and obligations and the conduct of tribunals and other hearings. It is known for advising on complex contractual whistleblowing or discrimination issues that are often very high value or of significant public interest for senior individuals, and for employers across a wide cross-section of industries.

The dispute resolution department handles a broad range of work including domestic and international contentious trusts and estates, Inheritance Act claims, finance disputes including banking, shareholders and insolvency, commercial disputes in general and specifically in the motor industry professional negligence, breach of warranty, intellectual property, landlord and tenant, loan instrument disputes and town and country planning. There is particular expertise in representing clients before high-profile public and regulatory inquiries and Judicial Reviews. Other areas of work include marine and construction contracts, sailing-related issues, partnership disputes, and property disputes. With niche practices in sports, education and entertainment. Everyday life and commercial dealings can lead to unwelcome disputes and, as experts, the team makes sense and resolves all types of complex problems.

The privacy and media department specialises in managing and protecting client reputations through its extensive experience and intimate understanding of how the media and other publishers work. The team’s work encompasses a wide range of clients and circumstances and is well known advising on: significant reputational attacks, unwanted media/social media attention faced by high-net-worth individuals, libel, privacy, harassment, GDPR and Data Protection Act issues, pre-publication issues for publishers, litigation, arbitration and regulatory proceedings, phone hacking claims for claimants, online-publication, cyber-stalking and Norwich Pharmacal applications, urgent interim-injunctions and claims for breach of confidence. The partners in the team are well-recognised commentators on the development of the law in these areas.

The sports law team is best known for its expertise in sailing, marine sports and equine matters which is complemented by its extensive experience in sport disputes, including marketing and sponsorship issues, media relations and sports contracts. The firm acts for a number of famous competitors and also for businesses and charities supporting the sport sector.

The property department advises on all aspects of property transactions, environmental issues, leases, secured lending, management of investment property and development work including joint ventures and planning agreements. It is well known for its expertise dealing with prime residential property transactions often involving international investors from the US, Scandinavia, Europe and Middle and Far East, farm, forestry and renewable energy projects, and agricultural property and landed estates.

The citizenship and immigration department advises on the full range of UK immigration applications, providing services from initial entry to the UK, all the way through to British citizenship. The team is best known for advising: high-net-worth individuals in connection with UK Tier 1 Investor and Entrepreneur applications, overseas companies establishing a branch or subsidiary in the UK under the Representative of an Overseas Business Route, Sponsor Licence revocations for companies and on complex applications for EEA nationals and their family members. Additionally, the team is experienced in appeals and judicial review applications within the immigration context. In the ever-changing world of immigration, the team understands the importance of staying abreast of the continual changes in immigration rules and policy.

The landed estates and agriculture team has a depth of experience which enables them to provide a seamless and wide-ranging service to landowners. Payne Hicks Beach is one of the few London firms that remain fully committed to an agricultural practice. The team advises on key factors such as tax, finance, investment, succession and the structuring of property ownership. Specialist advice includes: buying and selling of farmland across the country, first registrations of large tracts of land, protection from trespass and the protection of mineral rights, diversification and development schemes (for example in relation to alternative energy systems), the difficult process of generational change and succession planning for landed estates including major trust and farming business reorganisations; and tax matters such as maximising agricultural/business property relief and entrepreneurs’ relief.

The property litigation team combines its in-depth knowledge of the property sector with top level dispute resolution skills to resolve disputes concerning property. The team provides specialist advice and support to both commercial and individual clients dealing with lease renewals, notices and rent reviews, service charge and dilapidation disputes, boundary and covenant disputes, planning issues and judicial review, and the arbitration or adjudication of construction disputes.