Anthony Gold

Contentious Probate:

Our contentious trust and probate team delivers innovative and pragmatic solutions to our clients’ problems at all levels. We have a particularly strong reputation for our work in contentious trusts and estates, which comprises a substantial element of our private wealth dispute work. Several members of our teams have been acknowledged and featured in Legal 500 and the Chambers and Partners directories.

A growing part of our practice is now the intervention in dysfunctional estate and trust administration. This involves a contentious application to remove trustees and then an investigation and preparation of an account of the fund.

We can also demonstrate work in other aspects of private wealth disputes, including property ownership disputes and professional negligence. We have dealt with cross jurisdictional cases, high value estates, appeals, novel points of law and cases involving procedural complexity. We are consistently instructed by or on behalf of wealthy individuals who value our technical expertise and our ambitious approach to their case.

Perhaps uniquely, we are real experts in assisting vulnerable clients who may have mental health issues. In such cases there is a real advantage in having litigators with genuine insight into this field. It accounts for many of our referrals from specialist bodies and other professionals. Many clients come to us for advice arising from a family member’s mental health issues. This applies to beneficiaries, surviving partners and testators. For those suffering from these types of disabilities, we not only secure a good financial result, but also pragmatic solutions to care and relationship needs.

Family:

The dedicated and well-recognised team, led by Loraine Davenport, offers expertise in all areas of family law with emphasis on children and finance, and has wide experience in international relocation. Well-known for pioneering alternatives to litigation, the team operates one of the most highly regarded mediation and collaborative law services in London. The firm has expertise in advising gay and lesbian clients on cohabitation agreements, civil partnerships and relationship breakdown.

Our firm is well known amongst peers and former/existing clients for providing an effective no-nonsense service, in plain English. We are approachable, accessible, and down to earth. We work well together as a team and clients value this.

The team can leverage its vast experience and knowledge to provide advice on several areas of law:

• We conduct complex high net worth financial matters on divorce, both negotiated and litigated, with a high success rate for amicably negotiated financial settlements.
• We advise on high value complex Schedule 1 and/or TOLATA cases, seeking advice from specialist counsel and often securing favourable outcomes for our clients without the need to litigate.
• We draft and advise on complex pre and post nuptial agreements, often with an international element, as is commonplace. We advise an increasing number of same sex couples in this area. We also advise an increasing number of unmarried couples regarding cohabitation and separation agreements.
• Several members of the department presented the International Conference with IFLG drawing on our specialist knowledge and experience in forum shopping, marital agreements with international issues, foreign marriages, and international finance/divorce.
• We deal with high-net-worth individuals including senior professionals in the legal and financial sector, premiership players, coaches, artists, band members, peers of the realm and venture capitalists.

We believe that our teams go from strength to strength. Each year we present publishable cases which attract industry attention.