Duncan Elson > Charles Russell Speechlys LLP > London, England > Lawyer Profile
Charles Russell Speechlys LLP Offices
![Charles Russell Speechlys LLP company logo](https://www.legal500.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2023/09/CRS-Primary-Logotype-Dark-Navy-RGB-1-300x195.png?v=1695734903)
5 Fleet Place
EC4M 7RD
England
- Firm Profile
- Go to...
Duncan Elson
![Duncan Elson photo](https://www.legal500.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2020/07/duncan-elson-300x200.jpg)
Work Department
Dispute Resolution, Private Wealth Disputes
Position
Partner
Career
Duncan has over 30 years of practice covering a wide range of High Court Litigation, mediation and alternative dispute resolutions. His client base ranges from private individuals to charitable and corporate entities. His work centres around trusts and estates (both contentious and as a professional trustee/executor and also as a Court appointed Administrator and Deputy) and family business restructuring and related shareholder issues. He also deals with contentious pension matters and professional negligence. He is listed as a leading individual in Chambers, Legal 500 and Citywealth.
Duncan is admitted to practise in England and Wales.
Lawyer Rankings
South East > Insurance > Professional negligence
(Leading individuals)With expertise in pension disputes, tax and trust matters, the Guildford-based practice Charles Russell Speechlys LLP assists both individuals and company claimants. Stephen Burns is particularly active in matters pertaining to the financial services, healthcare, as well as technology and telecoms sectors. Duncan Elson
is knowledgeable of negligence claims against solicitors, while David Savage has over two decades of experience in claims against construction professionals.
South East > Private client > Agriculture and estates
(Leading individuals)Charles Russell Speechlys LLP routinely assists real-estate owning clients with the maintenance, purchases and sales of long-held family assets and property-based businesses. Duncan Elson
is a strong choice for landed estate and pension litigation, while William Marriott is particularly proficient in the acquisitions and disposals of domestic property. David Haines
is a key port of call for professional negligence claims concerning property. All of the individuals that have been mentioned are located in Guildford.
South East > Dispute resolution > Commercial litigation: Kent, Surrey and Sussex
(Hall of Fame)Focusing on dispute resolution, litigation prevention and risk management, the Guildford team at Charles Russell Speechlys LLP handles matters with multi-jurisdictional elements for corporate clients in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, with clients praising it as ‘a law firm of great calibre with excellent people’ who are ‘great, very friendly and a pleasure to work with’. The team specialises in corporate litigation, commercial matters, and product liability and supply chain disputes and is increasingly handling professional negligence claims. The team is led by Stephen Burns, who is ‘clever, with terrifically good judgment’ and is a specialist in Companies Act litigation, shareholder disputes and professional negligence issues; and ‘shrewd, experienced negotiator’ Jamie Cartwright, who has experience in technology, automotive, retail and product liability disputes. Rachel Warren is ‘excellent on financial services regulation and disciplinary matters’. The ‘highly commercial’ Gareth Mills is an expert in international arbitration and has substantial experience advising financial services and TMT clients. Head of the Guildford office Duncan Elson
is also noted.
South East > Private client > Contentious trusts and probate
(Hall of Fame)Leveraging support from the firm’s London office, Charles Russell Speechlys LLP is led by Guildford-based Duncan Elson
, a reputed practitioner who frequently acts as an independent administrator, professional executor, and trustee in contentious estate matters. Oliver Auld splits his time between Guildford and London and is particularly proficient in challenging wills through the Inheritance Act. Rebecca Piper and Edward Birell are also based in Guildford, the former is a seasoned court of protection litigator, whereas the latter is knowledgeable of asset tracking and freezing injunctions.
London > Private client > Contentious trusts and probate
(Leading individuals)Charles Russell Speechlys LLP is ‘involved in the big cases and is handling these big cases well’, under the able leadership of the ‘exceptional’ Graeme Kleiner
, who has ‘almost legendary status.’ The practice enjoyed a number of recent highlights, including the arrival of the ‘real powerhouse’ Ziva Robertson from McDermott Will & Emery UK LLP, and the promotion of Geneva-based Robert Avis to the partnership. The team has a stellar reputation both nationally and internationally. Its work spans the entire private wealth sector – it regularly works with its matrimonial team on some of the largest international divorce cases. Duncan Elson
covers the full gamut of contentious trusts and estates work. Tamasin Perkins advises high-net-worth individuals, trustees and fiduciaries on many complex international trust and probate disputes. Areas of expertise include breach of trust claims, and claims involving protectors. Oliver Auld specialises in acting for private clients, and a wide range of people who are acting in a fiduciary capacity.
Lawyer Rankings
- Contentious trusts and probate London > Private client
- Leading individuals London > Private client > Contentious trusts and probate
Top Tier Firm Rankings
- Private client > Contentious trusts and probate
- Private client > Family
- Corporate and commercial > M&A: Smaller Deals, £10m-£100m
- Private client > Personal tax, trusts and probate
- Dispute resolution > Professional discipline
Firm Rankings
- Private client > Agriculture and estates
- Private client > Art and cultural property
- Private client > Charities and not-for-profit
- Corporate and commercial > Commercial contracts
- Dispute resolution > Commercial litigation: mid-market
- Private client > Court of protection
- Private client > Family: mediation
- Crime, fraud and licensing > Fraud: civil
- Employment > Immigration
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > IT and telecoms
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Media: Advertising & marketing
- Real estate > Property litigation
- Real estate > Residential property
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Sport
- Real estate > Commercial property: corporate occupiers
- Real estate > Commercial property: development
- Real estate > Commercial property: investment
- Real estate > Construction: contentious
- Real estate > Construction: non-contentious
- Industry focus > Emerging markets
- Corporate and commercial > Equity capital markets – small-mid cap
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Intellectual property: trade marks, copyright and design
- Investment fund formation and management > Listed funds
- Real estate > Planning
- Dispute resolution > Professional discipline
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Reputation management
- Industry focus > Retail and consumer
- Employment > Senior executives
- Risk advisory > Data protection, privacy and cybersecurity
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Fintech
- Industry focus > Hospitality and leisure
- Corporate and commercial > Partnership
- Dispute resolution > Tax litigation and investigations
- Employment > Employers
- Corporate and commercial > Financial services: non-contentious/regulatory
- Corporate and commercial > Private equity: transactions - mid-market deals (up to £250m)
- Real estate > Property finance
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Intellectual property: patents (contentious and non-contentious)
- Corporate and commercial > Venture capital
- Finance > Corporate restructuring & insolvency
- Corporate and commercial > EU and competition
- Public sector > Administrative and public law
- Employment > Employee share schemes