Weightmans

Senior Partner: Peter Wake

Managing Partner: John Schorah

Total staff: 1,400 UK

Offices:Birmingham, Cardiff, Glasgow, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, London, Manchester and Newcastle.

CONTACTS

Emma Collins – Partner and national head of legal services for individuals

Jonathan Shankland - Partner and head of international private wealth

Richard Bate – Partner and national head of private wealth.

THE FIRM: Weightmans is an award-winning UK law firm, employing more than 1,400 people. The firm has grown rapidly because of its focus on two key aspects of its business: its clients and its people. Weightmans’ people are determined to achieve the best result for their clients. The firm monitors results to provide value that can be measured — ensuring clients come back time and time again and that it is their preferred choice of legal service provider. As such the firm recognises the importance of its people enjoying what they do. That’s why it is committed to creating a friendly and inspiring working environment.

PRINCIPAL AREAS OF WORK: The firm offers a full spectrum of services to individual private clients, large corporate institutions,owner managed businesses, built environment enterprises, insurance companies, health organisations and public sector bodies.

Weightmans has built up a highly successful multi-disciplinary team of specialist lawyers nationally, advising individuals on both their personal and professional affairs. Work for individual private clients includes:

• Will, trust and estate planning– wills, trusts and probate; tax planning and asset protection; lasting powers of attorney; Court of Protection; wills, trust and estate disputes
• International private wealth - international tax, trusts, estates and succession planning; international family wealth structuring and wealth planning; domicile and tax residency; internationally mobile clients; offshore trust and company structuring; international tax compliance and disclosure
• Family– divorce and separation; children; cohabitation; inheritance claims; pre and post marital agreements
• Employment– settlement agreements; director’s service agreements; employee benefits; business immigration; directors’ duties; boardroom disputes
• Property– residential property; buy to let; leases; remortgaging; leasehold enfranchisement; business premises
• Business owners– share sales; partnerships and JVs; investments; succession planning; insolvency and bankruptcy; business crime
• Litigation – property issues; breaches of contracts and guarantees; professional negligence; business disputes

CLIENTS: The firm provide practical and tailored advice to private clients, which often involves substantial and complex assets for high profile and high net worth individuals. The firm acts for both traditional UK clients, landed estates, entrepreneurs and business leaders, as well as international families and fiduciary service providers. The firm counts amongst its client base: royal families, prominent business leaders, political figures, sporting and media high profile names, leading accountancy and wealth advisory firms, private banks and large corporate and charitable organisations.