Boodle Hatfield LLP

Senior Partner: Sara Maccallum
Number of partners: 36

Boodle Hatfield is a full-service, commercially-focused firm with leading practices in property, private client and tax, litigation, family and corporate law.

The Firm:
Boodle Hatfield is a law firm which has partnered with individuals, families, property owners and businesses for 300 years. The ability to truly understand clients and their individual needs has enabled the firm to provide a high quality service for three decades. Through booms, downturns and recessions, Boodle Hatfield lawyers have worked alongside clients in all manner of situations. From critical family events, crucial company issues, new business ventures, investment decisions and more, the teams are relied upon to offer a blend of exceptional legal expertise with a forward-thinking approach.

The firm is deliberately kept at a size where everyone knows each other, supports one another and enjoys working together, whilst still providing a wide range of legal expertise. Boodle Hatfield is based in London and Oxford and supports clients from all over the world. Thanks to its long history, the firm has built up a network of trusted professionals across the globe to work closely with when cross-border advice is needed. Whether it’s advice on property, business or private wealth issues, the firm provides the right guidance to enable its clients to succeed today and in the future.

Types of work undertaken  

Property: the highly rated property department is involved in large urban estate and commercial real estate transactions and advises on associated landlord and tenant matters, hotels, retail and London-based residential and mixed-use developments and investments. It acts for local and international developers, owners, occupiers, funders and private investors. Expertise also includes property finance and secured lending; property taxes; construction (contentious and non-contentious); and residential - advising private individuals on the sale and purchase of prime residential property in London and the countryside.

Private Client and Tax: the private client and tax department is a leader in its field, domestically and internationally. It handles tax planning for large and complex estates, private companies, entrepreneurs, family offices, high-net-worth individuals and families, trustees, executors and charities. It advises on inheritance, capital gains and income tax planning, wills and probate, domicile and residence issues, pre-immigration planning, VAT, property and corporate taxes, the creation and administration of trusts, and trust and probate disputes.

Corporate: the corporate department focuses on mid-sized corporate clients and private capital. It acts for an international mix of private businesses (primarily SMEs, ranging from start-ups to substantial, established organisations), entrepreneurs, funds, corporate and private investors, and financiers. It advises on M&A, MBOs and private equity transactions, joint ventures, banking transactions (especially property-related), listings and the issue of securities, and commercial agreements.

Litigation: the litigation department is active in a broad range of commercial and property disputes and has substantial, well-regarded expertise in arts and employment disputes. Clients rarely choose to get involved in disputes, but inevitably sometimes things go wrong and it is essential to find a solution quickly and effectively. The team advises international businesses, property companies, trustees and fiduciaries, high net worth individuals and family offices on how to deal with disputes, whether by arbitration, mediation or litigation, both domestic and with an international scope.

Family and Divorce: the family law department advises individuals on all stages of a relationship, whether it is at the outset of living together or in the lead up to nuptials, in the midst of a marriage; or on separation and divorce. The team looks beyond the immediate challenges and takes a holistic approach to personal and financial circumstances throughout the proceedings. Family law expertise is combined with advice on property, tax, private finances and businesses, both in the UK and internationally. The team has particular experience in cross-border cases as many of its clients have international backgrounds.

Arts and Culture: the arts group advises individuals, institutional collectors, estates and trustees, galleries, and art and antique dealers on art law issues including the disputed authenticity of old masters and conditional exemption claims for landed estates, as well as on commercial transactions.