Michael Alden > Ashfords LLP > Exeter, England > Lawyer Profile

Regional and local business and property owners, farmers, and trustees frequently instruct Ashfords LLP to handle complex trust administration and will drafting, as well as inheritance and capital gains tax planning. The team is particularly well versed in advising on the administration of landed and farming business estates, with Michael Alden standing out for his extensive knowledge of agricultural property matters. Alden co-heads the practice with Kerry Morgan-Gould, who stands out for her expertise in trust matters. Inheritance tax planning expert Michael Westbrook joined the team from Thrings LLP in August 2023, while Tom Biddick left the firm in April 2023.

Situated within the firm’s disputed wills and trusts team, Ashfords LLP‘s practice covers charity litigation and legacy disputes as well as non-contentious matters such as governance, compliance and real estate. Head of private wealth Michael Alden jointly helms the charities team together with two other key partners: Kerry Morgan-Gould, who also leads the firm’s contentious charities group, as well as head of disputed wills and trusts Robert Horsey. Disputes within the third sector are also a core part of Barny Croft‘s advisory portfolio.

Ashfords LLP‘s multidisciplinary private wealth team is highly capable of handling the full range of will and trust disputes, representing high-net-worth individuals, as well as charities in 1975 Act claims, proprietary estoppel disputes, and disputes between trustees and beneficiaries, among others. The team is jointly led by Robert Horsey, an experienced trust and property litigation expert, Kerry Morgan-Gould, who is noted for her expertise in contentious charity and estate matters, and Michael Alden, who heads up the firm’s broader private wealth offering. Barny Croft stands out for his ability to handle complex disputes, including claims for executor removals and high-value inheritance claims. Katie Webber extends the team’s expertise to encompass contested Court of Protection applications and capacity assessments.

Ashfords LLP fields an active charity legacy disputes team. It acts for a large number of third-sector organisations, including some national charities. The group has particular strength in advising on estate administration, and in providing valuable reputational guidance to its clients. Key members of the practice include Michael Alden, John Toth, and Robert Horsey. Kerry Morgan-Gould is another significant figure who continues to represent various national household name charities, and a number of smaller local charities, on complex and high-value cases.