England - South West • Private client
Burges Salmon LLP
Noted for its expertise in large and complex mandates, the team at Burges Salmon LLP has an excellent reputation in the South West, representing a range of high-profile clients at both the national and international scale. The team is jointly chaired by Justin Briggs and Kevin Kennedy; Briggs is noted for his capabilities in high-stakes private trust matters, while Kennedy is well placed to advise on matters involving landed estates and wealthy individuals. Caroline Emslie, who handles international disputes concerning trusts, wills, tax planning and the administration of estates, is praised for her ‘superb judgement.’
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- ‘Kevin Kennedy is excellent and approaches difficult litigation calmly. He has years of experience and fights very hard for his clients.’
- 'Caroline Emslie and Sarah Charteris-Black are very thorough, hard-working, and very effective at day-to-day running of litigation.’
‘A very experienced team when it comes to hard-hitting trust litigation. They have both the technical skills and the resources to deal with complex, multi-jurisdictional trust disputes.’
‘Kevin Kennedy is an extremely effective and commercially-savvy operator. He is excellent at dealing with difficult clients.’
‘The Burges Salmon contentious trusts and probate practice are absolutely top-tier - I would (and do) recommend them as able to match the very top London firms. They are particularly skilled at acting in complicated, high-value trusts disputes and bringing them to a successful resolution. They deserve a much higher profile in the market than they currently have.’
‘Caroline Emslie is a star - brilliant on the law, great commercial awareness and excellent with clients. She combines these skills with superb judgment and often makes me feel redundant. One of the best I've worked with.'
- 'Sara Charteris-Black is exceptional. She has the abilities and instincts of someone very much more senior. Always on top of every detail, she has great strategic insight and is a star in the making.’
‘Kevin Kennedy is head of the team, and has a fantastic reputation as a top-notch lawyer.’
Key clients
- Trustees of the St Fagans No 1 and No 2 trusts
- Lady Catherine Brudenell-Bruce
- Robert Sofer
Work highlights
- Acted for the trustees of a landed estate (led by the Earl of Plymouth) in their successful defence of a proprietary estoppel claim brought in an attempt to frustrate the trust’s multi-million pound development of a new garden city outside Cardiff.
- Acted for Lady Catherine Brudenell-Bruce in a highly charged application to replace her brother, Tom, Viscount Savernake, as executor of their late mother’s will.
- Advised Robert Sofer, an Australian resident, on a breach of trust claim made against a Swiss trust company, relating to a trust established by Mr Sofer’s father. A High Court claim was issued, and Mr Sofer was successful in the Court of Appeal following an adverse interlocutory decision.
Lawyers
Rising stars
Leading individuals
Specialist in Pension and Private Trusts Disputes and Head of the Pensions Disputes team.
Partner advising on private client/trust and agricultural disputes. Recent cases include Sofer v Swiss Independent Trustees (breach of trust claim), James v James (proprietary estoppel, will capacity), Owen v Harris (nature of tenancy), McDonald v Rose (proprietary estoppel and family company share allotment), Earl of Plymouth v Rees (agricultural tenancy interpretation and injunction) and Abberley v Abberley (binding nature of a settlement agreement), Other cases involve partnerships, trusts and agricultural property. Joint head of the firm’s Contentious Trusts and Probate Practice.
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Justin Briggs, Kevin Kennedy