Leigh Beirne > Harper Macleod LLP > Elgin, United Kingdom > Lawyer Profile

Harper Macleod LLP
The Old Station
Maisondieu Road
IV30 1RH
United Kingdom
Leigh Beirne photo

Position

Leigh advises individuals and families on a wide range of private client matters, tailoring her advice to best address each client’s family and financial circumstances.  She specialises in the administration of complex and high value estates, the preparation of tax efficient Wills, lifetime Inheritance tax planning and financial and welfare Powers of Attorney.

She also has experience in the creation, management and termination of trust arrangements, with a particular interest in Personal Injury and Charitable Trusts.

Leigh was shortlisted as a finalist for ‘Junior Solicitor of the Year’ at previous Law Awards of Scotland.

Leigh advises clients across the whole of Scotland, travelling to Shetland on a regular basis to service clients from our Lerwick office.  As part of her work in Shetland, Leigh frequently advises on the succession of farms and crofts, and assists business owners with their personal succession planning, including within the marine sector.

Memberships

Leigh is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP), the worldwide professional association for practitioners dealing with family inheritance and succession planning.  Leigh was awarded the STEP Worldwide Excellence Award for two of her four STEP exams, having achieved the top mark in those sittings.  Leigh qualified as a Trusts and Estates Practitioner in March 2021, completing the Diploma with Distinction.

Lawyer Rankings

Scotland > Private client > Personal tax, trusts and executries

Harper Macleod LLP handles the full range of private client issues with particular emphasis on cross-border taxation matters, complex executries and high-value trusts. Pamela Niven heads the team from Glasgow. Also in the core team is Jacqueline Leslie, an accredited trust specialist, and Julie Doncaster, who has considerable experience advising farmers and rural business owners. The firm also has a strong presence in Shetland; its Lerwick office is led by Leigh Beirne, who was promoted to partner in 2022. Kathleen Martin is noted for her estate planning expertise.