Payne Hicks Beach LLP

Charlotte Henshall

Charlotte is an senior associate in the Dispute Resolution department with particular focus on contentious trusts and probate disputes. Charlotte has recently been involved in acting in applications for the removal and substitution of Executors, representing high net worth beneficiaries in cross-border litigation concerning breach of trust and/or breach of fiduciary duty by trustees, and advising both executors/will trustees and beneficiaries/potential beneficiaries in disputes relating to challenges to the validity of wills, mental capacity, and claims under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975.

Richard Manyon

Richard has a Chancery practice encompassing trusts, property and civil disputes before all levels of the judiciary including the Supreme Court. Richard focusses on contentious trusts and estates work, and has received the STEP Global Excellence Award. He is co-chair of the annual Trusts in Litigation Conference. He advises on all aspects of international and domestic trust and probate disputes and presently is busy removing trustees and protectors, seeking and resisting trust disclosure, blessing and voiding trustee decisions and challenging the validity of wills amongst other matters. He has a substantial international caseload presently involving Jersey, Guernsey, Bermuda, Kenya, the US and Cayman amongst others. Recently he has been engaged in: Acting in applications for the removal of trustees, protectors and executors; Cross-border litigation concerning allegations of breach of trust or fiduciary duty by trustees or protectors; Representing high net worth beneficiaries in high value estate litigation concerning challenges to the validity of wills, mental capacity, lifetime gifts and claims under the Inheritance Act; Acting for some of the UK’s oldest and largest estates and handling applications concerning long standing family trusts.

Jessica Henson

Jessica is a private client partner specialising in risk and disputes in relation to trusts and estates. As well as advising on all forms of trusts and estates disputes, Jessica draws on her wealth of litigation experience to inform asset protection and estate planning strategies designed to avoid disputes in the future. For this reason, Jessica is frequently asked to advise on the establishment of trusts, nuptial agreements and Wills where there are particular risks or asset protection concerns. Jessica has also built up particular expertise in advising trustees on the impact of divorce - both in terms of pre-emptive measures and advising trustees in the course of financial remedy proceedings.

Ane Vernon

An experienced litigator in a broad range of areas of law, Ane Vernon specialises in disputes arising in the commercial, education and regulatory sector, including safeguarding. Ane leads the Payne Hicks Beach education and public law team. She is proud of longstanding relationships with her clients whom she advises on a wide range of issues, often with a view to averting potential claims or defending existing claims. Ane regularly represents clients in high value and multi-party litigation in the High Court, including contractual/commercial and corporate cases. She has significant experience representing students and their parents facing exclusions or suspensions and is accustomed to handling the many sensitive issues that arise out of claims of misconduct, whether this is the victim or the person facing the allegations. Schools and institutional clients also regularly turn to Ane for advice in relation to their policies, byelaws and regulations, and in connection with membership examinations, disciplinary matters, complaints and appeals. Understanding that litigation is not always the route best suited to achieve her clients’ objectives, Ane has an exceptional track record of careful strategic planning which leads to workable solutions for her clients. She is both experienced in taking litigation to trial and in obtaining favourable commercial outcomes through alternative forms of dispute resolution such as mediation. A skilled and efficient case manager, clients value her sound and practical legal advice and her empathy when helping them deal with the difficult and sensitive issues that can arise during disputes. Ane has successfully represented clients in judicial review applications acting for both claimants and defendants. The decision in The London Oratory School’s claim against the Schools Adjudicator and the Secretary of State for Education attracted national media coverage and widespread public debate concerning faith schools in the UK. More recently she was involved in the judicial review challenge of the government’s decision to terminate the Leveson Inquiry into the culture, practices and ethics of the press.