At Burges Salmon LLP, Kevin Kennedy has a proven track record of advising on complex contentious trust matters, as well as matters involving landed estates and high-net-worth individuals. Justin Briggs, who co-heads the department with Kennedy, holds the STEP Advanced Certificate in Trusts Disputes. Briggs handles high-stakes and challenging private trusts matters. Michael Ward acts in an array of private wealth disputes for high-net-worth clients, and these disputes often involve family businesses run as companies and/or partnerships, frequently with shareholdings held both personally and via trust structures.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘The team has enormous experience in this area and really comes into its own when contentious trusts and estates overlap with agricultural work where it is a leader in the field. It competes with the big London teams in this field and attracts high-profile and valuable work.’

  • ‘Kevin Kennedy is excellent with clients and tough with opponents but knows when to settle a case.’

  • ‘The team is very collaborative with the client as well as internally with other departments.’

  • ‘Our main point of contact, Justin Briggs, is very involved and thorough in his analysis of the issues being faced.'

  • ‘A superb team full of talented lawyers who are able to manage the most complex litigation.’

  • ‘Kevin Kennedy is undoubtedly one of the leading contentious trust lawyers in the country. He has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the law and is extremely adept at managing complex litigation and large teams.’

  • ‘A top-notch team which attracts first-rate work. Kevin Kennedy is a leader in this field; a first-rate lawyer.’

  • ‘A very capable team. Kevin Kennedy is an excellent trust litigator who is very easy to work with.’

Work highlights

  • Advised PME, a UK Landed Estate beneficiary, on the winding up and resettlement of a complicated family trust structure.
  • Advised WT Offshore Trustees on claims raised by a beneficiary.
  • Advised TA, a UK beneficiary, on claims against a family member’s Will and challenge to lifetime transactions that prejudiced him.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Justin Briggs, Kevin Kennedy

Other key lawyers

Michael Ward