Contentious Trusts & Estates Team of the Year 
Forsters 
Maurice Turnor Gardner 
Stewarts 
Baker McKenzie 
Payne Hicks Beach 

Winner: Forsters

Forsters rose to Band One in the London Private Wealth Disputes category this year, having received especially strong feedback from its competitors in this market. The group, headed by Roberta Harvey, added Hannah Mantle to the partnership this year and brought in highly-rated litigator Alison Meek in 2022. The team can also celebrate a new ranking for associate Maryam Oghanna who is building a name for herself in this practice area.

Emerging Firm/Practice 

Winner: Melius Family Law

Melius Family Law is the latest in an exciting trend of boutique family law firms spinning off from larger groups. Melius, which comprises lawyers from Hughes Fowler Carruthers, has already generated a significant buzz since the firm was founded in April 2023. 

European Private Client Team of the Year  
Arkwood 
Bär & Karrer 
Baker McKenzie 
Loyens & Loeff 
Maisto 
Walder Wyss 

Winner: Bär & Karrer

Bär & Karrer remains a powerhouse firm in Switzerland for private wealth work. The firm receives strong feedback every year in High Net Worth guide research, and this year was no exception. “All the lawyers are heavy hitters,” said one interviewee; “there is no one who lacks substance on the team.”

Family Law Team of the Year 
Family Law in Partnership 
Mills & Reeve  
Payne Hicks Beach
Russell-Cooke 
Stewarts 

Winner: Stewarts

Stewarts has risen to a dominant position in the Ultra High Net Worth family law rankings. The firm has strength in depth at all levels, with senior partners Emma Hatley, Debbie Chism, Stephen Foster and Richard Hogwood all handling market-leading divorce mandates in the last year; up-and-coming partners such as Carly Kinch, Sophie Chapman and Lucy Stewart-Gould all making significant strides in developing their reputations as leading lawyers; and associates such as Jenny Duggan and Sarah Havers showing the strength of the firm’s succession planning.

Foreign Jurisdiction Expert 
Nicola Saccardo - Charles Russell Speechlys 
Michael Rutili - Stephenson Harwood 
Stephen Nerland - Withers LLP 
Tulin Hamit - Collyer Bristow 
Filippo Noseda - Mishcon de Reya

Winner: Nicola Saccardo - Charles Russell Speechlys

Nicola Saccardo joined Charles Russell Speechlys from an Italian law firm. He has long had a great reputation in the London market for UK/Italian tax matters, and was described this year as being “like a walking encyclopaedia of cross-border Italian/UK law.”

Offshore Firm of the Year 
Carey Olsen 
Conyers 
Lennox Paton 
Mourant 
Ogier  

Winner: Carey Olsen

Carey Olsen continues to entrench itself as the pre-eminent offshore law firm for private wealth work. The firm has a market-leading trusts litigation practice headed by Keith Robinson, and it has strength in depth in advisory work both in the Channel Islands and in the Caribbean. Market commentary from onshore lawyers supports the view that Carey Olsen’s lawyers are among the strongest in each of the markets in which it operates, and this is reflected in the firm’s rankings this year.

Out-of-London Practice of the Year 
Addleshaw Goddard 
Mills & Reeve 
Cripps 
Irwin Mitchell  

Winner: Mills & Reeve 

Mills & Reeve has one of the few genuinely national private wealth practices: it is strong in London and has market-leading teams in East Anglia, the Midlands, Yorkshire and the North West. The breadth and quality of its private client practice sets it apart from its rivals and sees it rewarded with 12 Band One lawyer rankings in Chambers High Net Worth 2023.

Outstanding Contribution

Winner: Sue Laing - Boodle Hatfield

Sue Laing of Boodle Hatfield is a hugely well-respected figure in the London private wealth scene and around the world. Laing id particularly well known for her work with large landed estates and other property-owning clients. Many of Laing’s clients reported having worked with her for many years, and she consistently received exceedingly strong references from these clients. “I think Sue is one of the best lawyers in the industry,” said in interviewee in 2021, adding: “She is known as the doyenne of the landed estate world, and she has a fantastic reputation.”

Private Client Team of the Year 
Forsters  
Macfarlanes 
Mills & Reeve 
Stephenson Harwood 
Taylor Wessing 

Winner: Stephenson Harwood

Stephenson Harwood has grown its private wealth team significantly over the last five years. This year it took another step forward by bringing in Beatrice Puoti, a highly regarded specialist in European wealth planning work, and industry stalwart Jon Conder. The Stephenson Harwood team, which also includes Emily Osborne, James Quarmby and Michael Rutili, and litigators Jenny McKeown and Helena Berman, now stands as one of the leading teams in London for private wealth work.

Residential Property Team of the Year 
Farrer & Co 
Maurice Turnor Gardner 
Withers 
Birketts 
Keystone Law  

Winner: Maurice Turnor Gardner

The residential property team at Maurice Turnor Gardner received near-universal acclaim this year from our interviewees. “Sarah [Conway] and Edward [Burton] are the best in the business,” said one; “a brilliant double act.”Partners Conway and Burton are complemented by senior counsel Mary Campbell and a strong team at the associate level.

Rising Star 
Hannah Mantle - Forsters 
Charlie Maydon Grace - Macfarlanes 
Eesha Arora - Maurice Turnor Gardner 
Phyllis Townsend - Baker McKenzie 
Sangna Chauhan - Charles Russell Speechlys  

Winner: Charlie Maydon Grace - Macfarlanes 

Charlie Maydon Grace of Macfarlanes is rapidly making a name for herself in international private wealth, particularly for her very impressive practice acting for Family Offices on tax and trusts matters. Maydon Grace, who was made up to the partnership at Macfarlanes in 2022, was described by one industry veteran as “a star to come.”

Set of the Year 
Cloth Fair Chambers 
Serle Court 
Pump Court Tax Chambers 
XXIV Old Buildings 

Winner: Cloth Fair Chambers 

Cloth Fair Chambers members have appeared in many of the most consequential financial crime cases in the last year, including many too confidential to mention. While many of its high net worth matters never reach the courts or the pages of the newspapers, its barristers were heavily involved in the reported cases of ENRC v. Gerrard, SFO v. Balli Group and SFO v. Hume-Kendall (the London Capital Finance case).

Star Associate/Junior Under 10 Years’ Call 
Luke Richardson - Baker McKenzie 
Maryam Oghanna - Forsters
Stephanie Thompson - Serle Court 
James Poole - Ten Old Square 
Morag Ofili - Harbottle & Lewis 
Isabella Savill - Payne Hicks Beach 

Winner: Isabella Savill - Payne Hicks Beach 

Senior associate Isabella Savill of Payne Hicks Beach won rave reviews this year from senior barristers and partners at rival family firms. Savill was described as “a superstar in the making” and as someone who “delivers partner-level service.”