England - London • Private client

Macfarlanes LLP

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At Macfarlanes LLP ‘the quality of the advice and attention to detail pervades at all levels of the private client team. They are exceptionally bright and always maintain momentum on any assignment’. Piers Barclay is at the helm – the department is ’the yardstick of quality in international private client matters. Quite simply outstanding in anything they do’. It is skilled at handling a myriad of complex situations for typically high-net-worth clients with assets, business interests and families across multiple jurisdictions. Among the many ‘highly qualified professionals’ is Nicholas Harries who has a broad practice covering international trust and estate planning as well as assisting entrepreneurial clients fulfil their charitable and philanthropic goals. Charles Gothard spends considerable time in Switzerland developing relationships with key intermediaries and foreign lawyers. Edward Reed’s practice has a large European element. Other names to note include Richard Giangrande, Alex Jones, who was promoted to partner in May 2023, as well as senior counsel, Paul Hardwick.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘Good at matching the needs of a project with the right individual(s) as have resources at all levels from the more senior partners (Piers Barclay and Nicholas Harries particularly strong), younger partners (Richard Giangrande and Mark Hunter) and associates who function at a far higher level than other firms (Paul Hardwick stands out)'.

  • ‘Edward Reed stands out as an all-round advisor, capable of grasping clients' needs, including international ones, and translating them into wealth management structures tailored to the client'.

  • ‘Piers Barclay and Nicholas Harries have a wonderful talent for connecting with clients understanding their needs and presenting often complex legal matters in a simple fashion. They are leaders in their field. Paul Hardwick is an exceptional associate with a fantastic legal brain'.

  • ‘Charles Gothard: I am glad I have always been on the same side. Rigorous, thorough and gets things done. Jenny Smithson: Brilliant technical adviser with a can-do mindset. In particular in US related matters'.

  • ‘Knowledge, experience, toughness with the revenue authorities, resolution, calmness under pressure. The key platers in this team are Sebastian Prichard Jones and Richard Giangrande. But everyone is excellent'.

  • ‘Piers Barclay - one of the friendliest solicitors I have ever worked with. Clients are always at ease. The best all around lawyer I’ve ever worked with. Piers has led engagement delivering complex matters for clients of our firm. I trust him completely'. 

  • ‘I have worked quite closely with Paul Hardwick on a number of clients. Paul is a very likable individual who is easily trusted and very dependable. His attention to detail means that the advice he offers clients is always top quality'. 

  • ‘Special mention of new partner Alex Jones - outstanding technical expertise with strong communication and people skills, ability to explain complex UK tax topics with great clarity. Charlie Maydon Grace - Amazing lawyer, always ‘on’ and thinking about client matters'.

Lawyers

Hall of Fame

The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.

Edward Reed

Edward Reed

Hall of fameMacfarlanes LLP

Edward advises internationally mobile families on their asset structuring, personal tax and succession planning wills, trusts and personal tax planning. Having been educated both in the UK and in France, Edward has developed an affinity for civil law issues generally. He is a bilingual French speaker and fluent in Italian. In conjunction with overseas lawyers, he advises on cross-border estate, succession planning and complex tax investigation issues. He has a particular interest in drafting constitutional mechanisms in asset holding vehicles and has advised institutional and corporate trustees on the drafting of their standard forms, focusing on such issues as settlor reserved powers, settlor-directed investment provisions, protector committees and their appointment mechanisms and the trigger events (e.g. incapacity) for the transmission of key trust powers. Being a trustee and protector himself, he also advises trustees and settlors on fiduciary and tax issues arising out of the administration of existing structures. Edward has been quoted extensively in the press and lectured at industry conferences, as well as publishing articles in English and French on cross-border succession and tax issues. He also advises clients on philanthropic matters. With over 25 years’ experience in the field, he advises on UK immigration and nationality law and procedure for private and corporate clients. He has administrative oversight of the firm’s wholly-owned trust company, Embleton Trust Corporation Limited and of the Trust Administration Group. Edward is a contributor to Tolley’s Administration of Trusts and the author of the England and Wales Chapter in The World Trust Survey (Gothard & Shah) published by Oxford University Press. He is also co-author of the “Trusts, Trustees and the UK Anti Financial Crime Regime”, chapter (C11) in Glasson, The International Trust (3rd Ed. 2011). Most recently, he has co-authored with Iskra Doukova the UK chapter in the STEP Handbook for Advisers “Beneficial Ownership Registers” (August 2021, published by Global Law & Business).

Leading individuals

Piers Barclay

Piers Barclay

Macfarlanes LLP

Piers is the head of private client. Piers specialises in succession, tax and estate planning advice for individuals and their families as well as related advice to trustees and other private client service providers, such as family offices. In addition to UK-based clients, much of his work has an international element, including structuring multi-jurisdictional estates, using trusts in civil law and Shari’a law countries and advising non-UK trustees on tax and fiduciary matters. He has experience in UK pre-arrival planning for non-domiciliaries, remittance basis advice and the implementation of trusts, wills and associated mechanisms on arrival, both for entrepreneurs and for other high-net-worth individuals.  Piers is also involved in the post-death administration of estates, both in the UK and in the international context. Before becoming a partner, Piers spent six months on secondment in the trusts department of a leading international law firm. Piers is ranked as a Tier One adviser in the UK and Global editions of the independent Chambers guide and as a leading individual in the UK Legal 500 guide. He has been recognised in the eprivateclient 2021 50 Most Influential list and is recommended in the 2021 Private Client Global Elite guide.

Charles Gothard

Charles Gothard

Macfarlanes LLP

Charles specialises in advising international families and entrepreneurs as well as the family offices, trust companies and other institutions helping them. His work often relates to their estate planning, structures (whether trusts, foundations or other vehicles), philanthropy and personal affairs. This frequently involves complex international tax and estate planning, co-ordinating advice from advisers in different jurisdictions and often in situations with little or no UK connection. He also regularly advises foreign residents on the most tax efficient way to structure UK investments or a move to the UK. Charles also has significant experience of contentious UK and international trust and probate work – resolving disputes between trustees or executors and beneficiaries, acting for either side. Charles heads the firm’s family office group and is country partner for Switzerland so has overall responsibility for our relationships in Switzerland. Charles lectures regularly in the UK and abroad and has published articles in many of the leading professional publications. He is the joint editor of The World Trust Survey – an overview of the trust laws of 34 jurisdictions published in 2010 by Oxford University Press and the joint author of a chapter on “Protectors” in Tolley’s Administration of Trusts. Charles is a member of ACTAPS (Association of Contentious Trust and Probate Specialists). Charles is ranked as a Tier One adviser in the UK and Global editions of the independent Chambers guide and as a leading individual in the UK Legal 500 guide. He has been recognised in the eprivateclient 2021 50 Most Influential list and is recommended in the 2020 Spear’s 500 guide.

Nicholas Harries

Nicholas Harries

Macfarlanes LLP

Nicholas started his career as a barrister, practising from 10 Old Square, Lincoln’s Inn (a leading set of traditional Chancery chambers). He subsequently joined Macfarlanes in 2003. He continues to hold Higher Courts rights of audience. Nicholas’ current practice draws on both the detailed trust law and drafting experience gained at the bar and the technical tax experience gained later in his career. It embraces the full range of tax, estate and succession planning advice for individuals resident in the UK (UK and non-UK domiciliaries). It also includes advice for internationally-based individuals and their families, often where there is no significant connection with the UK. He works closely with our private client disputes team (drawing on his contentious experience at the Bar) and with our tax team (to deliver co-ordinated advice where both personal and business tax issues are at stake). Nicholas also heads up our charity and probate practices. He has many years' experience advising on all probate related matters.

Next Generation Partners

Richard Giangrande

Richard Giangrande

Macfarlanes LLP

Richard advises on all aspects of estate planning and personal taxation and focuses on cross-border tax advice. Many of his clients are individuals with a presence in multiple jurisdictions, and who originate from jurisdictions in Europe, North America and the Middle East. Richard also advises on the establishment and management of international asset-holding structures, focusing both on international taxation and asset protection. He has extensive experience in planning for international families, entrepreneurs, finance professionals, and regularly advises clients in relation to complex HMRC enquiries and disputes relating to tax or succession matters. Richard advises individuals, trustees, family offices and investment managers in relation to the tax treatment of complex structures and investment products, and has advised a number of banks and investment managers on the structuring of their investment platforms and the selection of appropriate investments for non-UK domiciled clients. He spent six months in New York on secondment to a leading New York law firm, where he worked alongside US lawyers, gaining an understanding of US tax, trust and estate planning that assists him in advising US clients who are resident in the UK or own UK assets. Richard is a regular speaker at wealth planning seminars and events and has written for Trusts & Trustees.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Piers Barclay

Other key lawyers

Edward Reed, Charles Gothard, Nicholas Harries, Richard Giangrande, Mark Hunter, Paul Hardwick, Charlotte Howard, Jennifer Smithson, Charlie Maydon Grace, Michael Shaw, Sebastian Prichard Jones, Alex Jones, Oliver Court