Private Client
The Lawyer
Data Protection Policies — update from Global Data Hub weblink
Taylor Wessing has added a fresh batch of data-protection-focused content to its Global Data Hub site.
Mourant Ozannes wins Legal Team of the Year award at STEP Caribbean event
Mourant Ozannes has been named Legal Team of the Year at the inaugural STEP Caribbean Awards.
Taylor Wessing appoints Sanjvee Shah to its private client practice
Taylor Wessing has announced the addition of a lateral hire to its private client practice. Sanjvee Shah is set to join the firm on 7 May 2013.
ACH Shoosmiths moves to Edinburgh's Exchange district
ACH Shoosmiths has opened its new offices in the heart of Edinburgh’s business and financial district.
Mourant Ozannes schedules International Trusts & Private Client Conference 2013 weblink
Mourant Ozannes’ third annual International Trusts & Private Client Conference will be held on 4 October 2013 in the Cayman Islands.
Appleby announces partner promotions and counsel appointments
Appleby has announced the promotion of three lawyers to the partnership and the appointment of five lawyers to the position of counsel.
Private tax, probate and trusts
We can sensitively guide you on how to pass on your wealth in a protective manner and how to efficiently manage the administration of an estate or an existing trust.
Offshore PC&T developments in the Cayman Islands and BVI in 2012 download
Appleby’s Carlos de Serpa Pimentel has provided an overview of offshore PC&T developments in the Cayman Islands and BVI in 2012.
Regulatory
Our regulatory team can provide you with vital support if you or your organisation faces a criminal investigation or prosecution.
Mourant Ozannes forum focuses on trends in the Jersey high-net-worth sector
Mourant Ozannes recently hosted a forum dedicated to international trusts and private wealth management in Jersey.
Bermuda: jurisdiction of choice for trust and wealth structures download
Bermuda continues to maintain its position as an attractive jurisdiction for the international high-net-worth private client.
Shoosmiths announces 2013 promotions
Six new partners are among 22 promotions at Shoosmiths. The partners are joined in the law firm’s 2013 round by 16 new senior associates.
Trust and private client
We focus on the creation and reorganisation of trusts and corporate structures for the purpose of the preservation of client capital and the succession planning of ownership structures for family businesses.
Shoosmiths extends its Manchester team
Shoosmiths has reached 100 employees at its Manchester office.
Conyers Dill & Pearman tops Legal 500 UAE offshore rankings
Conyers Dill & Pearman has earned top marks in the UAE offshore category of Legal 500’s EMEA directory.
Chambers Global ranks Conyers as a Band 1 firm in global offshore
Conyers Dill & Pearman has been highly ranked in the 2013 edition of Chambers Global.
Mergers and acquisitions — private equity
Various industry publications rate NCTM as one of the best Italian law firms in the field of M&A and private equity.
Mourant Ozannes leads Citywealth Leading Lawyers list in 2013
Mourant Ozannes has gained recognition as the leading offshore law firm for international trusts and private client work.
Hogan Lovells partners are named as 2013 BTI Client Service All-Stars
Hogan Lovells has revealed that three of its partners were listed as All-Stars in the 2013 BTI Client Services All-Star report.
Asian Legal Business — A Question of Trust download
Paul Christopher, Hong Kong managing partner, talks to Asian Legal Business about increasing interests for private trusts in Asia.
Michelmores hires OC private client head for Bristol base
Exeter-headquartered Michelmores has beefed up its Bristol base with the hire of Osborne Clarke private client head Sandra Brown.
Private wealth
Our Private Wealth practice advises wealthy families and entrepreneurs on the legal structuring of their wealth and investments.
Withers to launch international family consulting group
Withers is to launch a consultancy group following client demand for a service that will help family-run businesses resolve arguments.
Private client
The Curtis private client group advises high-net-worth individuals, including owners of closely held businesses and executives of public companies.
Private client
Pooling together our trusts and estates, tax, corporate, real estate, litigation and other areas of expertise, our Private Client group focuses on the many needs of today’s modern global family.
Private client and trusts
Appleby’s Private Client & Trusts group provides trust services to high-net-worth individuals, families, international private banks and trust companies. We advise on all aspects of trust law, including the establishment, restructuring and winding up of private, charitable, purpose and commercial trusts.
Public and private law
The public and private law (PPL) department at Acumum specialises in the following areas: EU law; human rights; bribert and corruption; crime; and state and corporate responsibility.
Private capital
Addleshaw Goddard is now the largest firm in the UK with a full-service private client facility. We are regarded as pre-eminent in our field and have a large team of excellent technicians.
Private client
Taylor Wessing is one of only a handful of serious international law firms with strength-in-depth in the private client field across numerous jurisdictions.
International trusts and private client
Mourant Ozannes’ International Trusts & Private Client practice group (ITPC) is led from the firm’s London office by former barrister and international trusts litigation specialist Douglas Close.
Private client
Shoosmiths Access Legal gives our private clients access to the law through friendly, approachable people who know that understanding individual need is the first step to making the law work.
Private client
Our private client team at Winckworth Sherwood advises individuals, families, executors and trustees on a full range of private legal matters.
The International Comparative Legal Guide to private client 2013: Mauritius download
An overview of private client law in Mauritius by Appleby lawyers.
The International Comparative Legal Guide to private client 2013: Jersey download
An overview of private client law in Jersey by Appleby lawyers.
The International Comparative Legal Guide to private client 2013: Guernsey download
An overview of private client law in Guernsey by Appleby lawyers.
Leading sets prepare for boom year in litigation as The Lawyer reveals 2013's top cases
The civil courts will be dominated by credit crunch litigation and professional negligence battles in 2013, The Lawyer reveals today, while London’s courts continue to attract the wealthiest of litigants (see The Lawyer Top 20 Cases).
Withers hires BLP wealth planning partner in Singapore
Withers has hired partner Simon Michaels from Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) for its wealth planning practice in Singapore.
Macfarlanes boosts private client with senior Speechlys hire
Macfarlanes has made a rare lateral partner hire by re-recruiting Speechly Bircham international tax and wealth structuring head Charles Gothard.
Taylor Wessing ramps up private client with Manches hire
Taylor Wessing has hired Manches partner Amanda Nelson and is relocating partner Ryan Myint to Singapore in key moves for its private client practice.
Ledingham Chalmers boosts private client with bolt-on
Scottish firm Ledingham Chalmers has strengthened its private client practice by merging with Aberdeen boutique Esslemont Cameron & Gauld.
Withers promotes five as turnover rises by 12 per cent
Withers has announced a bumper round of partner promotions, with five added to its partnership.
Wealth and safety
The careful management of wealth for future generations is a hot topic for the well-off, with private client lawyers at the heart of the decision-making
Tods Murray bolts on private client boutique
Scottish firm Tods Murray has absorbed two-partner private client firm Fyfe Ireland.
LG partner Garnham quits firm for social networking
LG private client partner Caroline Garnham has left the firm to concentrate on the social networking site she dreamed up five years ago.
Error alert
Professional trustees can no longer rely on the Hastings-Bass principle as a cure-all for their mistakes. Michael Alden and Sue Savill report
Giving to the full
Changes to the Government’s policy on philanthropy are in the spotlight as the Big Society agenda takes shape, say Christopher Groves and Alana Lowe-Petraske
Remains of the pay
A recent pension law upgrade could be a game-changer in terms of advising clients on how their wealth is transferred. By Julie Hutchison
Family value: how private client filled the corp gap
Family constitutions, governance, succession planning and plain old hard work are in the spotlight, writes Catrin Griffiths from Monaco
Hunters additions set to up firm’s City profile
Hunters is taking advantage of the fallout from the Dawsons-Penningtons merger and the senior management changes at Farrer & Co to ramp up its presence within Lincoln’s Inn.
Dawsons and Penningtons set for imminent merger
Lincoln’s Inn firm Dawsons is close to sealing a merger with private client firm Penningtons after coming under pressure to recapitalise and keep a grip on its core partnership.
BLP nabs Herbies private client star
Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) has hired Herbert Smith’s only dedicated private client partner just three months after the latter firm declared its ambition to grow in that area.
Herbies aims for emerging markets by homing in on private client
Herbert Smith is upping its emphasis on private client work as part of a strategic push into emerging markets.
Ex-Schillings chief to open media firm in London
Celebrity lawyer Simon Smith is to launch his own practice in London six months after quitting Schillings.
Howes Percival boosts private client team
Howes Percival is forging ahead with plans to treble its private client team following the arrival of two lawyers.
A&O spin-off boosts partnership with double lateral hire
Allen & Overy spin-off Maurice Turnor Gardner (MTG) has hired two pensions partners.
Payne Hicks trio to set up boutique practice
Three Payne Hicks Beach private client partners will leave the firm next month to set up a boutique private client practice. Louise Stoten, a partner at Payne Hicks for the past 10 years, will set up New Quadrant Partners along with partners Marcus Parker and Jane Bennett, who both joined the firm last year. They will be joined by Payne Hicks associate Zoë Camp and tax and trust principal Simon ...
Trio of Payne Hicks partners form spin-off private client boutique
Three Payne Hicks Beach private client partners will leave the firm next month to set up a boutique private client practice.
Thomas Eggar's new private client chief vows to attract work to regions
Thomas Eggar has appointed Richard Jordan to replace Patricia Woolgar as head of its private client group.
Mace & Jones hit by £60m client action
North West firm Mace & Jones has been named as a defendant in a £60m professional negligence claim alongside Kings Chambers’ John Hoggett QC.
LG quartet launch private client boutique
Four LG private client partners have jumped ship to set up a wealth advisory boutique in Mayfair to target ’high-end’ individuals in the UK and abroad.
RJW U-turn sees family and private client take centre stage
Russell Jones & Walker (RJW) is putting its newly acquired family and private client team at the heart of its growth strategy two years after outsourcing the practice.
Wealth conscious
Private client lawyers have been proactive in response to the many recent setbacks with the launch of the Family Office Channel. Sarah Cormack and Patricia Milner explain the benefits already gleaned and the many to come from this innovative forum
What happened to A&O’s first female partner?
When Clare Maurice was made up at Allen & Overy (A&O) in 1985 she was the sole female partner at the firm.
McDermott unveils London private client practice
McDermott Will & Emery has launched a private client practice in its London office with a view to aligning the service with that in its New York offering.
A claim of two halves
The Radmacher case heard in the Court of Appeal, which accepted the viability of a prenup against the ruling of the first instance judge, appears to have allowed for an incursion of foreign law into English courts. By Henry Brookman
Forsters targets Middle East, Africa with Radcliffes capture
Private client and property boutique Forsters has hired former RadcliffesLeBrasseur private client chief Kelly Noel-Smith.
Courting the press
Allowing hacks into the melting pot of the family courts could have as yet unforeseen consequences, says Raymond Tooth and Jeffrey Nedas
Mishcon shifts family into private client
Mishcon de Reya is to revamp its private client practice to bring its flagship family practice into the fold.
Peter Andre turns to Stewarts for court battle with Shackleton
Family court transparency - how it will be achieved
As part of my determination to ensure that the justice system is as open and transparent as possible - and therefore accountable to the people it serves - media organisations will for the first time be able to attend proceedings of all the family courts as of Monday (27 April).
Rogues (and claims) gallery
Settling the estate of an eccentric artist who left behind bizarre artefacts and hundreds of claimants has been the (strangest) case of a lifetime, explains Peter Walmsley
Family Court transparency: has New Labour reneged on its promise?
In December last year Lord Chancellor Jack Straw QC declared that the Government would propose to change the law to allow access to the Family Court so that justice could be seen to be done.
A&O blames recession for exhaustive clearout
Allen & Overy’s (A&O) wide-reaching internal restructuring was triggered by an unexpectedly sharp downturn at the beginning of this year, according to managing partner Wim Dejonghe.
Mishcon offers Smarta online advice
Mishcon de Reya has signed up to a legal advice helpline, with two of its lawyers giving advice via online business support site Smarta.
Slaughters scores last-minute Arshavin transfer for Arsenal
Slaughter and May has completed the biggest deal of the football transfer window, securing Russian star Andrei Arshavin for Arsenal.
Private Client Special Report: Divine ’09
As the global economy braces itself for an uncertain 2009, Patricia Milner and Charlie Tee take a look at what the coming year has in store for private client lawyers
Private client special report: the two faces of commoditisation
Commoditisation is a reality of 21st Century business – the only way to combat its effects is to accept it, says Michael Alden.
Private client special report: Nisi does it
After a decade of high profile cases and escalating payouts, 2009 could herald the reform of arcane divorce laws, says Peter Baughan.
Ecclestone ditches Withers for Manches in divorce
Withers for Manches in divorce" /Formula One tycoon Bernie Ecclestone has parted company with his divorce lawyers at Withers in favour of Manches' Helen Ward, The Lawyer can reveal.
Shearman advises Boston charity over Madoff losses
Shearman & Sterling has landed a lead role advising one of the largest victims of US hedge fund manager Bernard Madoff's $50bn (£33bn) pyramid scheme.
Manches secures £50m payout for Madonna's ex
Manches family partner Helen Ward has cemented her place as the UK's leading divorce lawyer after securing a £50m divorce settlement for Madonna's husband Guy Ritchie.
By royal appointment? Chelsy wins Farrers place
Prince Harry’s girlfriend Chelsy Davy has started a Christmas vacation scheme at the Queen’s law firm, Farrer & Co.
Prince Harry's girlfriend starts Farrers vac scheme
Royal WAG Chelsy Davy has started a Christmas vacation scheme at the Queen’s law firm, Farrer & Co - a move which her peers at Leeds University hope will gain the institution kudos among employees.
Clintons, Withers, line up for £2.4bn Ecclestone divorce
Clintons' star family lawyer Liz Vernon is to go up against Withers partner Mark Harper in the Ecclestone divorce, set to produce the largest divorce settlement in UK legal history.
Pannone plays Cupid to divorce clients
North West firm Pannone has launched a dating forum for its divorce clients.
Shackleton squares up to Manches' Ward on Madonna divorce
The battle for the assets from Madonna and Guy Ritchie’s marriage is to be fought out by heavyweight family lawyers Helen Ward of Manches and Fiona Shackleton of Payne Hicks Beach.
Bates Wells holds Poetry Day breakfast
London charity specialist Bates Wells & Braithwaite has hosted a poetry breakfast with Cornish poet Sally Crabtree in advance celebration of National Poetry Day today.
Divorce boom sees Manches add eight
Manches has ramped up its family practice in response to a rush of enquiries following the economic slump.
Credit crisis sparks rush on divorce proceedings
Family lawyers are already seeing an increase in work as a growing number of women seek to secure assets as the economic boom turns to gloom.
In good company
Executive-level salaries, severance pay and pension benefits are being targeted by the Dutch tax authorities – but forming a special type of limited company can halve the size of the eventual bill.
Harbottle names barrister as charity head
Harbottle & Lewis has hired a former Radcliffe Chambers barrister as head of its charities group.
Boodles bags LG tax and private capital partner
Private client firm Boodle Hatfield has hired an LG tax and private capital partner.
Private client/family special reports
Where is the best place for a woman to get a divorce? London of course, the divorce capital of the world. ‘Forum shopping’, as it is known in family law circles, creates a myriad of problems for all parties involved in the divorce process.
Split decisions
The EU’s efforts to reduce forum shopping for divorce cases – and potentially curtail the UK’s status as the top choice – has in reality created a minefield of legislation.
Mental wealth
Teething problems with the implementation of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 are defeating the legislation’s admirable objectives, argues Fiona Smith
There may be rubles ahead
The increasing mobility of international families and its strain on relationships has made it necessary for private client lawyers to understand the complexities involved in dealing with international divorce.
Forsters snares four Withers partners
Forsters snares four Withers partners" /Mayfair firm Forsters has secured four partners from Withers following legal discussions over their accession.
Seddons’ real estate team defects to Mishcon
Mishcon de Reya has bolstered its wealth-planning group after raiding West End firm Seddons for a specialist residential real estate team.
Wilsons bags BLP charity head; will open in London
Wilsons bags BLP charity head; will open in London" /Salisbury-based charity and private client firm Wilsons has hired Berwin Leighton Paisner's (BLP) head of charity and is to open a London office in ...
Advisors kept as Mosley moves from privacy to libel
Norfolk-based Steeles Law has been retained by Formula 1 chief Max Mosley as he launches libel proceedings against the News of the World.
Thring Townsend bucks recruitment trend
Bath firm Thring Townsend Lee & Pembertons is set to step up its recruitment programme after hiring two partners for its London practice.
Mishcon de Reya to put investment before profit
Mishcon de Reya to put investment before profit" /Mishcon de Reya has reported limited growth in 2007-08 as the firm’s partners prepare to invest heavily in new offices and growing the litigation arm.
Steeles beats Farrers in Mosley orgy case
Norfolk-based firm Steeles Law has won Formula 1 chief Max Mosley £60,000 in damages after suing the News of the World for breach of privacy.
Withers picks new head of family law
Withers has promoted family law partner Julian Lipson to head its family practice.
Too chicken for hot potato?
Until laws on divorce and cohabitants are brought into the 21st Century injustice will continue, says Julian Lipson
Cohabitation agreements
Divorcing couples have been dubbed the latest victims of the credit crunch. With house prices on the slide and houses failing to sell, would-be divorcees are finding themselves forced into extending their time under the same roof together.
Law Commission drags heels on divorce reform
The Law Commission’s attitude to the enforcement of pre-nuptial agreements has been slammed by family lawyers’ association Resolution for its lack of urgency.
Withers partner joins Stevens & Bolton
#Surrey-based Stevens & Bolton has hired private client partner Stuart Skeffington from Withers. Skeffington specialises in advising on taxation of investments, complex offshore structures, business exits and reconstructions, tax planning for international families and employee remuneration strategies. Skeffington was at Wither
Schillings wins Appeal Court victory for author JK Rowling
Media law firm Schillings scored a victory in the Court of Appeal today (7 May), which held that the privacy of client and Harry Potter author JK Rowlings’ five-year-old son had been infringed.
Lawyers mourn barrister shot by police
Family lawyers have expressed shock at the death of Mark Saunders, who was killed in a shoot out with police last night (6th May) in London’s Chelsea neighbourhood.
Dickinson Dees' private client dept sees sole partner promotion
North East firm Dickinson Dees has promoted only one partner this year compared with two promotions last year and five in 2006.
Speechly Bircham seals Revlon deal for supermodel Elle Macpherson
Speechly Bircham has picked up the lead role acting for model Elle Macpherson on her deal to become the new face of $1.33bn American cosmetics giant Revlon.
Mishcon demands IOC ensures athlete safety
Mishcon has written to the International Olympic Committee urging it to clarify how it will protect dissident athletes.
Al Fayed calls lawyers off the Diana quest
Al Fayed's legal team has finally been ordered to stand down from pursuing avenues as to the reasons Princess Diana and Dodi died.
Diana verdict: Gross negligence not conspiracy to murder
Mohamed Al Fayed's legal team yesterday were considering their options after the jury returned a verdict of unlawful killing.
Mills-McCartney judgment reveals all
Heather Mills has failed in her attempt to block the publication of the judgment handed down in her divorce from Paul McCartney.
Mills receives £24.3m in McCartney divorce settlement
Payne Hicks Beach client Sir Paul McCartney is to pay estranged wife Heather Mills £24.3m in a divorce settlement determined by High Court judge Mr Justice Bennett.
Dickinson Dees sets up wealth team for women
North East firm Dickinson Dees has launched an all-woman wealth management team to target the lucrative market of independently wealthy women in the region.
Non-domiciled policy slammed but lawyers pleased with Budget
Chancellor Alistair Darling has pushed ahead with plans to hit non-domiciled residents with a £30,000 annual tax, with the levy kicking in once they have lived in the UK for seven years.
Legal community slams Budget's non-doms policy
The Chancellor Alistair Darling has pushed ahead with plans to hit non-domiciled residents with a £30,000 annual tax, with the levy kicking in once they have lived in the UK for seven years.
House of Lords throws out Norris extradition case
White & Case has won a landmark House of Lords victory that will undermine key points of the UK's extradition treaty with the US.
Sand Aire general counsel joins Withers
Withers has hired corporate and family specialist Rosalyn Breedy to its London office as head of counsel.
McCartney-Mills judgment may be made public
Details of what is expected to be the biggest divorce settlement in history may be made public, Mr Justice Bennett has warned Sir Paul McCartney and Heather Mills.
The family courts and why Paul McCartney should reveal all
A new family courts pilot scheme poses more questions than it answers.
Thomas Eggar joins City revolt over non-doms' tax
Thomas Eggar has joined leading City figures in their campaign against the tax crackdown on non-domiciled individuals living in the UK.
McCartney/Mills divorce case rolls into second week
The Heather Mills/ Paul McCartney divorce hearing will extend into next week after the estranged couple failed to reach a settlement in London’s Royal Courts of Justice.
Mrs Crossley drops landmark divorce claim
The Crossley divorce case has grounded to a halt after Susan Crossley dropped her claim to her ex-husband's fortune.
High Court reveals identity of stalker barrister
Common law set 12 King's Bench Walk barrister Lincoln Crawford has been named as the recorder convicted of harassing his ex-wife and new partner.
Mills prepares to cross-examine McCartney
Payne Hicks Beach could find its client Sir Paul McCartney cross-examined by estranged wife Heather Mills as the divorce case goes to court today (11 February).
Where there's a will...
Recent changes to the inheritance tax threshold have the potential to make wills an easier sell than ever before.
Question of trusts
Sharia trusts' use of forced heirship rights tends to fragment share ownership down the generations, in some cases sparking disputes. Toby Graham advises on what to watch out for.
Pay daze
What should happen when bankruptcy and divorce proceedings coincide?
Media lobbies Govt to introduce libel cap
Twenty two media groups have joined forces to lobby the Government for a cap on the exponential costs in libel cases.
Growth forecast inspires Withers' Hong Kong move
Private client specialist Withers is to open an office in Hong Kong.
Actress gets £5m for superbug infection
Russell Cooke and Weightmans reached a settlement that will see actress Leslie Ash receive £5m compensation for contracting a superbug infection at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.
House of Lords hears Norris extradition case
The House of Lords will today begin hearing the case of Ian Norris, determining conditions under which a UK citizen can be extradited to the US.
Withers launches in Hong Kong
Private client specialist Withers is to open in Hong Kong, focusing on cross-border legal and wealth planning.
Manches chases Charman in £48m Bermuda showdown
Manches is set to pursue insurance magnate John Charman through the Bermudian Courts to recover the £48m he owes his ex-wife as part of their divorce settlement.
RJW outsources family practice after departure
Russell Jones & Walker (RJW) is to outsource its family practice following the departure of head of private client and family Jeremy Abraham.
Miners hit by compensation failures
Sick miners and their families are losing out on compensation they are entitled to because of administrative failures, according to a critical report by Legal Services Complaints Commissioner Zahida Manzoor.
Bindmans sees official cleared of secrets leak
Civil liberties specialist Bindman & Partners has successfully defended a civil servant accused of breaching the Official Secrets Act after leaking secret documents to the media.
Family lawyers welcome Divorce Day
The UK's family lawyers are enjoying D Day (Divorce Day) today, as more divorces are expected to be filed today than on any other day of the year.
Mishcon put through the Mills stone
Mishcon de Reya was all over the papers just before Christmas. In case you missed it, the firm is said to be looking to sue former client Heather Mills McCartney over her unpaid legal bills.
Heather Mills-McCartney turns to M Law
Media boutique M Law has won Heather Mills-McCartney as a new client, advising her on the three libel actions that are running alongside the former model's bitter divorce proceedings from Sir Paul McCartney.
DWF further strengthens family with northern hires
DWF has made further moves to strengthen its family practice credentials, with lateral hires to its Liverpool and Preston offices.
MAB leaves RJW family team bereft
Russell Jones & Walker (RJW) head of family and private client Jeremy Abraham has joined Matthew Arnold and Baldwin (MAB).
Personal injury lawyers face Govt guidelines on charges
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has established a costs committee to advise it on what rates personal injury (PI) lawyers can charge.
Banks claim victory in NatWest Three case
Jones Day, Travers Smith and White & Case clients Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and Royal Bank of Canada have landed a victory in the NatWest Three case, after the former bankers pleaded guilty to fraud.
Mills & Reeve goes all out for divorce market
Mills & Reeve has moved to cement its foothold in the matrimonial market by launching a website for people going through divorce, separation or dissolution of civil partnership.
Fox Williams targets credit crunch claimants
City-based law firm Fox Williams is positioning itself to act for private clients against banks in the expected credit crunch fallout.
Mills & Reeve launches in Leeds and Manchester
Mills & Reeve is set to launch offices in Leeds and Manchester after taking on Addleshaw Goddard's entire family practice in the North West.
BLP plugs gap in market with swoop on Dorsey for tax expert
Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) has continued its strategy of ramping up its tax practice by hiring star tax partner Liesl Fichardt from US firm Dorsey & Whitney.
Halliwells bolsters private client practice
Halliwells has boosted its private client team with the appointment of Irwin Mitchell partner Paul Hirst.
Mishcon snares Sears Tooth partner
One half of the partnership at matrimonial boutique Sears Tooth has defected to major rival Mishcon de Reya.
Heather Mills and Mishcons part company
Heather Mills has parted company with her divorce lawyer, Anthony Julius of Mishcon de Reya, a week after being dropped by her media spokesman Phil Hall.
Private client: Building bridges
What do onshore law firms look for when referring private client work offshore? The lawyers responsible reveal all
Jersey: fraud
Recovering assets through the criminal courts can be a tricky business. Stephen Baker reports on how Jersey's civil courts are about to get busier as new confiscation legislation comes into force
Gibraltar: non-doms
Any change to the status quo regarding the taxation of non-domiciled UK residents will provide countries such as Gibraltar with an opportunity to cash in, says Joey Garcia
Bakers partner joins Barclays Wealth
Baker & McKenzie private banking partner Jonathan Burt has joined Barclays Wealth as a senior wealth adviser. Burt will join the offshore and private banking arm of the financial service powerhouse in January 2008. The former Bakers’ partner was based in the City office for seven years where he focused on private banking.
Former Radcliffe head settles dismissal claim
Radcliffe Chambers' former chief executive Chris Owen has settled his claim for constructive dismissal after his acrimonious exit from the chancery set last year.
Police seize stolen Da Vinci painting from HBJ Gateley Wareing
The police raided the Glasgow office of HBJ Gateley Wareing yesterday (4 October) for a £30m stolen Leonardo da Vinci painting and arrested one of the firm's partners.
Celebrity lawyers aim for 'divorces with dignity'
An alliance of high profile lawyers to the stars are teaming up to launch a popular US alternative dispute resolution procedure for divorces in London this week.
Camerons sources immigration talent
CMS Cameron McKenna's new head of immigration is to be followed to the firm by her former team from Reed Smith.
Tycoon offers legal chief to McCanns
Double-glazing magnate Brian Kennedy has offered the services of his in-house legal chief Edward Smethurst to the parents of missing Madeleine McCann.
Thompsons hit with £150K travellers’ action
Trade union and personal injury specialist Thompsons Solicitors is being sued for negligence by a travellers’ warden for more than £150,000.
Irwin Mitchell appoints NW family head
Irwin Mitchell appoints NW family head" /Irwin Mitchell has appointed Elizabeth Tait to head the firm's family law department.
Withers draws new clients with art team
Private client specialist firm Withers has formed an alliance with an art investment consultancy to market jointly its art team to a new range of clients.
Ashurst, CC and Freshfields enable juniors' rugby dream
Ashurst, CC and Freshfields enable juniors' rugby dream" /Ashurst, Clifford Chance and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer ...
Pinochet's lawyer hired by McCanns
Kingsley Napley has been hired by the parents of Madeleine McCann to advise them on their legal rights.
Janet Jackson "wardrobe malfunction" back in court
Janet Jackson’s ‘wardrobe malfunction’ in 2004 will be back in court tomorrow (11 September), as the CBS television network once again tries to overturn its $550,000 (£273,000) fine for indecency.
Pop producer sues Charles Russell
Charles Russell has been hit with a second negligence High Court battle in as many weeks.
Charles Russell seeks to bolster private client arm with West End office launch
Charles Russell will launch its West End-based office on Monday (10 September) in a bid to ramp up its private client practice.
Cohabitation laws too expensive, says Haworth & Nutall
Blackburn-based firm Haworth & Nuttall has claimed that changes to cohabitation laws will “fall at the first hurdle” due to extra costs.
Family: Home sums
The laws regarding the financial rights of cohabiting couples are changing, but is the shift significant enough to reflect this sea change in society?
Family unfriendly
When the Lords threw out HMRC's appeal against an income-splitting family business, the Government announced a change to the law. By James Johnston
Shopaholics
Forum shopping in divorce cases is becoming ever-more popular. And the world's favourite shopping mall? England, of course. By Nigel Shepherd and Alison Bull
Cohabitees to get same financial rights as divorcees - Law Commission
Cohabiting couples that split up should be given the equivalent rights as divorcing couples, the Law Commission recommended today (31 July).
Thierry Henry turns to Mishcon for divorce
Mishcon de Reya has been appointed to handle the divorce of former Arsenal star Thierry Henry in what could be the biggest divorce payout by a footballer, with Henry's fortune estimated at £25m.
Wife keeps £48m Charman award
Manches scored a first in English legal history when the Court of Appeal today (24 May) upheld the largest-ever contested divorce settlement.
DWF snares Cobbetts family law team
North West firm DWF has hired the entire family practice team from Cobbetts.
Bircham's private client offering gets media savvy
Bircham Dyson Bell has launched a new family group to service its growing private client list with a combination of media and family law advice.
One Garden Court's speciality aims dashed by Carter reforms
Family law chambers One Garden Court has set a long-term target to become London's pre-eminent chambers in its field, but sees the Carter reforms as a major hurdle.
PI and Clinical Negligence
Gemma Westacott, deputy editor, TheLawyer.com
Howard Kennedy boosts private client
West End-based Howard Kennedy has hired Ruth Moore, the former head of private client at Northern Home Counties-based Pictonsas, as a partner to boost its private client department. Moore will add strength to areas including estate planning, probate and trusts. Partner Jo Summers, head of private client, said "Ruth's appointment reflects our ongoing commitment to providing a first-class service to our clients. "The private client department will also be welcoming another associate in ...
Private Client/Family Roundup
Private client and family lawyers are experiencing a flurry of change, including the Government's planned extension of financial rights to cohabiting couples.
Goodman Derrick raids ASB family and private client teams
London firm Goodman Derrick has swooped on ASB Law, hiring three partners to strengthen its family and private client teams.
Kirkpatrick private client pair joins Forsters
Mayfair firm Forsters has raided Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Nicholson Graham to bolster its private client team. Partner Carole Cook and consultant Eliza Mellor joined Forsters last Tuesday (1 February), increasing the firm’s private client team to seven partners and two consultants. Cook and Mellor specialise in providing tax and trust advice to individuals, trustees and companies, with a strong emphasis on ...
Renamed and famed
The Solicitors Family Law Association is now known as ‘Resolution’. And with its push for collaborative law, the organisation is changing more than just its name. By Jon Robins
All change at Brighton & Hove with new panel
Brighton & Hove City Council has established a new list of preferred barristers following a review that has seen both Francis Taylor Building and Cloisters axed from the panel.
Firm profile: Furley Page
The origins of Canterbury-based Furley Page date back to the 18th century, when it was founded by a sole practitioner named James Hanson. Today, following a number of mergers, the firm comprises 20 partners and is one of the leading practices in the South East.Approximately 50 per cent of Furley Page’s turnover is derived from private client work. ...
Firm profile: Margaret Bennett Solicitors
Margaret Bennett Solicitors can lay claim to being something of an anomaly. In fact, all the lawyers at the family law specialist are women.
Parlour games
The divorce of Arsenal FC footballer Ray Parlour and his wife Karen broke new ground in terms awards. Liz Vernon sets the record straight
For argument’s sake
Settling family disputes through mediation is growing in popularity, but more can still be done. Lisa Parkinson reports
Kid mapping
Parental disputes over children have never had a higher profile – and the most contentious area is the enforcement of contact orders. Kevin Hand and Rebecca Bailey-Harris report
Firm profile: Pemberton Greenish
Pemberton Greenish" /Although only a young firm, Pemberton Greenish is as steeped in tradition as its extensive client list of landed estates.
Manches family partner jumps ship to Blandys
Manches has lost a family law partner to Thames Valley firm Blandy & Blandy. Kerry Fretwell joins the Reading firm as a partner, specialising in ancillary relief and cases involving children. She is part of the Solicitors Family Law Association Training Committee and was also involved in setting up the Collaborative Family Law Group, a body that encourages the settlement of family disputes without recourse to court hearings. First revealed on www.thelawyer.com 4 October.
Firm profile: Hempsons
Established in 1890, Hempsons is anything but an old-fashioned firm. In the 115 years since it was created, when its partners broke away from Slaughter and May, the firm has remained independent, preferring, as managing partner Janice Barber puts it, to “slip the baton and ...
Park Nelson tie-up gives Lester Aldridge London base
Lester Aldridge is set to gain its first foothold in London after absorbing 200-year-old real estate, commercial services and private client boutique Park Nelson.
House rules
What happens when a bankrupt’s house has negative equity? This year’s changes to the Insolvency Act provide the answer. Adrian Hyde reports
Careers: people
Manby & Steward has hired a new partner for its dispute resolution division. Brian Aikman, a recently-appointed deputy district judge, joins the firm from Birmingham’s Martineau Johnson, where he was a partner in the litigation department.
Trowers hires Kidd Rapinet private client head
Trowers & Hamlins has signed up South East firm Kidd Rapinet’s private client head. David Semmens joins Trowers as a partner in the firm’s developing private client department, under the direction of group head Luke Valner. First revealed on www.thelawyer.com 22 September 2004
Last Cawthra Feather
August saw the launch of Last Cawthra Feather’s (LCF) sports law team, an unconventional development for a regional firm made all the more unusual by the presence of former professional footballers-turned-consultants Jim Pearson and John Hendrie.
Trowers goes South for private client head
Trowers & Hamlins has targeted South East firm Kidd Rapinet’s private client department to acquire the head of the practice.
Australian indigenous services come up for tender
Government-funded legal services provided to Aborigines and Torres Strait islanders in Australia are to be opened up to private law firms for the first time when an official tender process begins in November.
Taylor Walton
The philosophy at Taylor Walton is simple: regional is best.
Balfour & Manson hooks up with GW Tait
Edinburgh firm Balfour & Manson has bolstered its private client practice by merging with GW Tait & Sons. The move will see two GW Tait partners, George Tait and Allen Kerr, join the partnership, along with three associates and the majority of the firm’s staff. The 18-partner firm has expanded significantly this year with the acquisition in May of a substantial part of the personal injury practice of Aberdeen firm Burnside Kemp Fraser and the opening of an Aberdeen office, its first outside ...
Balfour & Manson boosts private client with local merger
Edinburgh firm Balfour & Manson has bolstered its private client practice by merging with G W Tait & Sons.
Clarkson Wright & Jakes
Some of the highest achievers start late in life. Some of those people end up at the very top of their professions. It’s the benefit of life experience, they say.
Careers: people
City firm Dawsons has boosted its corporate department with the promotion to partner of Ute Mueller. Mueller, who qualified in Germany in 1997 and joined the firm three years ago, specialises in international law.
KSB Law
Despite the trendy name, KSB Law is a firm strongly grounded in English history.
Careers: people
Canterbury firm Furley Page has bolstered its family law division with the hire of solicitor Anne Blenkinsop from Maidstone’s ASB Law. Blenkinsop has 14 years’ experience in family law and is a member of the Law Society’s Family Law Panel.
Pictons
Pictons chief executive officer (CEO) David Lambert is unusual in having a vision for the firm that he describes as “transient”. Some CEOs and managing partners might bridle at the suggestion of ‘transience’ in their thinking. But not Lambert.
Stephenson Harwood’s private capital team defects
Stephenson Harwood is losing its entire private capital and family team to Charles Russell.
Wife prop
After her victory in the Karen Parlour case, Liz Vernon sets the record, and her critics, straight. Gemma Charles reports
Parlour case results in victory for Clintons
Clintons scored a high-profile success last week after the Court of Appeal ruled in favour of its client Karen Parlour in her divorce claim against her ex-husband Ray Parlour. The court ruled that the Arsenal footballer must pay Karen Parlour a third of his future income in a landmark ruling that will change the face of high-earners’ divorces. Had the marriage lasted longer than its three years, the award would have been 50 per cent. Specialist matrimonial firm Alexiou Fisher Philipps ...
Public allowed to instruct barristers direct
Barristers can now receive instructions direct from members of the public following a change in the Bar Council’s code of conduct. The Department of Constitutional Affairs last week granted approval for the council to remove the blanket ban on direct public access. The new scheme does not apply to criminal, family and immigration barristers, who must still receive instructions from solicitors. First revealed on www.thelawyer.com 6 July
Careers: people
Matthew Arnold Baldwin announced a string of promotions last week, including Karen Jones, who became a partner in the firm’s IT and e-commerce division. Five lawyers have also been made up to associate.
Family lawyers gain pension service
Family lawyers are being targeted by a new legal consultancy that completes the pension valuation and sharing aspects of divorce proceedings for solicitors.
Leo Abse & Cohen
Ian Hopkins, managing partner of South Wales law firm Leo Abse & Cohen (LAC), makes no bones about how the firm needed a shake-up two years ago. “We recognised that big changes were needed and went through an enormous cultural shift,” he admits. “We were a sleeping giant, but we’ve woken up.”
SAS Lawyers
Philip Smith, the managing partner of Cheshire firm SAS Lawyers, is not one to hide his firm’s light under a bushel. “We’re very assertive on PR,” he says.
Lee & Pembertons
“Commercially active high-net-worth individuals demand expert legal advice,” says Julian Whately, senior partner of Westminster firm Lee & Pembertons. Whately claims that his firm provides that advice, and not just in the traditional private client sectors of, for example, trusts and personal tax planning. “What we aim to be is a one-stop shop for all our clients’ needs,” he says.
Scottish firms gain as Ketchen & Stevens lawyers scatter
Scottish boutique Pagan Osborne has cherry picked a range of practices from dissolved Edinburgh firm Ketchen & Stevens.
BL&B solicitors
Bishop Longbotham & Bagnall Solicitors (or, as it would prefer to be known in these days of abbreviated law firm names, BL&B Solicitors) perhaps sums up the dilemma faced by many established regional firms early in the 21st century. Should they keep the faith and retain tried-and-trusted ways of doing things, or jettison the status quo in favour of trendy alternatives, such ...
Regional firms come good as City counterparts suffer profits slump
Regional law firms have shrugged off the economic malaise affecting their City contemporaries by reporting solid figures for the last financial year.
Firm profile: Clarke Willmott
A lot of law firms talk about understanding their clients’ needs, but Clarke Willmott claims to offer “more understanding”. This is the South West firm’s brand, and it means what it says. “It could sound a bit nebulous,” says managing partner David Sedgwick, “but we’re serious.”
Dawsons rejigs management for private client drive
Dawsons has appointed a lateral hire of 18 months to senior partner in a bid to drive forward its private client practice.
Rainmaker quits Blake Lapthorn for Shoosmiths
Blake Lapthorn Linnell has lost its leading corporate rainmaker, at the same time as the firm announces the axing of its three-lawyer children and education team.
Firm profile: Gardner Leader
Times have changed a lot since Berkshire firm Gardner Leader was set up in 1895. Nowadays firms are brand-aware, have state-of-the-art IT systems, work through management committees and even, in the case of the present day Gardner Leader, allow clients to provide ‘qualitative appraisals’.
Boodle Hatfield appoints new senior partner
Mayfair’s Boodle Hatfield has elected property partner Tim Manning as its new senior partner to replace long-standing leader Richard Moyes on 1 May. The appointment, after an uncontested election, comes in the wake of a firmwide overhaul which saw the 280 year-old firm return to its core practice areas of property and private capital. Outgoing senior partner Moyes will return to fee-earning in the private client department.
Opinion
Experts in the dock’, screamed one broadsheet headline in January 2004 after the Court of Appeal quashed Angela Cannings’ conviction for murdering two of her children. The Court of Appeal said that in cases such as Cannings’ it will often be unsafe to proceed to trial if the outcome would depend on a serious disagreement between distinguished and reputable experts.
The secret’s out
The steady erosion of professional privilege will have significant implications for lawyers and their clients. John Rhodes reports
Taxing times
Is the UK’s attitude to wealth changing as its population becomes increasingly affluent? Arabella Saker reports
Giving what you get
Recent changes to family home inheritance tax may have major implications for how clients prepare for their future financial security. Penny Catterick reports
Goldman Sachs funds ace joins King & Spalding
King & Spalding has scored another coup for its private equity group by taking on a funds specialist from Goldman Sachs. Stephen Culhane served as vice-president and associate general counsel at Goldman Sachs & Co and was legal director of the private equity group. He will join King & Spalding’s New York private equity group, where he will specialise in fund formation work. First revealed on www.thelawyer.com 31 March
1KBW snares St Philips childcare barrister
Birmingham’s St Philips Chambers has lost a leading childcare barrister, who has joined London’s One King’s Bench Walk. It is understood that David Hershman QC has made the move to practise in a smaller set with a more specialist family focus. First revealed on www.thelawyer.com 31 March
Firm profile: Warner Goodman & Streat
Hampshire firm Warner Goodman & Streat recently celebrated its 150th anniversary, making it one of the longest-established South Coast practices. But longevity is allied with expansionist and forward-thinking policies. Family-friendly policies are the norm, with staff working regularly from home. Profit, while clearly important, is not the sole motive ...
Opinion
The bill creating foundation hospitals scraped into law last year. Through the mist and fog of political debate, one thing seems clear. Foundation hospitals will have to behave much more like private companies than extensions of the civil service. If trusts status was one step away from Whitehall, foundation status is probably three steps away – and that may only be the start of a long walk.
Firm profile: White and Bowker
Hampshire firm White and Bowker has been around longer than many of its competitors. Established in 1750, the firm has existed “in a number of guises ever since”, according to chairman Niall Brook.
RadcliffesLeBrasseur family man joins Harcus
RadcliffesLeBrasseur family department head Roger Cobden-Ramsey has left to join small London firm Harcus Sinclair. His assistant Terry Bray moves with him.
Travers introduces new head of private equity
Travers Smith Braithwaite has appointed Charles Barter as head of the firm’s nine-person private equity group.
Shadbolts carves out new management role
Shadbolt & Co has created a new management position in London to maintain its current development push. Liz Jenkins, head of the national and international projects and procurement group, has been appointed as managing partner and head of Shadbolts’ London office. Jenkins has recently worked on the £200m Colchester garrison project, acting for service providers Sodexho and WS Atkins. Her new role will include promotion of the firm’s projects/public finance initiative/public-private ...
Firm profile: Withy King
Withy King managing partner Martin Powell is unequivocal in his commitment to new ways of doing things. “To move with the times a firm has to be run as a business, not a traditional partnership,” he argues. “You’ve got to recognise the value of your capital assets and finds ways to value the firm’s work-in-progress and its goodwill in a way that keeps everyone enthused.”
Olswang set to raid SJ Berwin for private equity push
Olswang is poised to bulk up its private equity team with the hire of two SJ Berwin partners Jonathan Pittal and Perry Yam.
I spy...
The Proceeds of Crime Act has created outrage among family lawyers, who may have to secretly act against the interests of their own client and breach professional privilege. By Jon Robins
Firm profile: Rawlison Butler
Tim Sadka, managing partner of West Sussex practice Rawlison Butler, uses a boxing metaphor to sum up his sense of the firm. “We punch well above our weight,” he claims. Proudly, he quotes testimonials from clients praising the way in which he and his colleagues deliver a City service. Indeed, with its expansionist drive, Rawlison Butler looks well placed to be ...
Radcliffes partner exodus mounts as two heads quit
Westminster firm RadcliffesLeBrasseur has lost two departmental heads – making a total of three partners this year. This means that the firm has lost four department heads in the past 15 months.
St Philips hikes turnover by ninety-three per cent
A bumper January, with gross income for the month hitting a record £2.25m, has helped St Philips Chambers post total revenues of £18.3m for its last financial year.
Anthony Gold benefits from Barnett Sampson’s closure
Holborn-based family and commercial property firm Barnett Sampson has dissolved after 20 years in practice, with the bulk of its partnership migrating to Anthony Gold.
Firm profile: Gibson & Co
It was an eventful 2003 for Newcastle’s Gibson & Co. In just a year the 300-year-old firm grew from four partners to six with the hire of two Allen & Overy (A&O) litigators.
Stephenson Harwood in ‘planned’ staff loss
Stephenson Harwood has lost three partners and two consultants from its private capital team, but has stated that the moves were “anticipated” in its business planning following profitability “concerns”.
Opinion
The Government’s plans to reintroduce the Civil Partnerships Bill to Parliament in its amended form would introduce a scheme whereby same-sex couples can choose to register as a ‘civil partnership’. This would carry with it recognised legal (and social) status.
Firm profile: Fennemores
The people of Milton Keynes were, until recently, inhabitants of the largest conurbation without a league football team in Europe. The consortium Inter MK was formed to change all that. It spearheaded the drive to bring London’s Wimbledon FC to Milton Keynes. This season, Wimbledon has played in front of capacity crowds in its temporary home of the Milton Keynes ...
Field Fisher Waterhouse scoops social care role
Field Fisher Waterhouse (FFW) has won out against 47 other law firms to become sole legal adviser to the General Social Care Council (GSCC), the regulator of the social care workforce.
O’Melveny breathes new life into London strategy
O’Melveny & Myers is kickstarting its UK office by appointing a founder of SJ Berwin’s private equity group as London managing partner.
Firm profile: Whitehead Monckton
Last November, Kent firm Whitehead Monckton underwent a complete rebranding in a bid to raise its profile, not only in Kent but also across the South East. Its aim was to signal that the firm was no longer just a high street practice.
Firm Profile: Zermansky & Partners
Leeds firm Zermansky & Partners welcomed in the new year with its eponymous founder Victor Zermansky celebrating 50 years on the roll of solicitors.
Eversheds partner joins Mills & Reeve
Eversheds PFI/projects partner Jason Poole is set to join the Cambridge office of Mills & Reeve as a partner later this year. Poole specialises in advising public and private sector clients on a wide range of PFI/public private partnership schemes, project financings and outsourcings. Pooles recent transactions ...
Eversheds dumps London private client practice
Eversheds has decided to cease its private client function in London and has reached an agreement to transfer the practice to Dawsons. Under the arrangement, Eversheds partner Neil Morris will be joining Dawsons from 30 April 2004. Partner Nigel Porteous will move to Maples & Calder in the Cayman Islands. First reported on www.thelawyer.com, 12 December
Eversheds axes London private client business
Eversheds has decided to cease its private client function in London and has reached an agreement to transfer the practice to Dawsons.
Project catch-up
Plans are well and truly afoot to give Northern Ireland's PFI/PPP market a leg-up. Stuart Cairns gives the lowdown on the changing face of projects
Fathers’ rights group occupies Family Court
Hundreds of angry fathers dressed in black and brandishing purple flags have staged a demonstration at the High Court in London as part of a Fathers’ Day protest against their treatment at the hands of Family Division judges. Between 60 and 70 men made it past security guards on Friday (13 June) to occupy the Family Court building itself, while the protesters claim that up to 500 others staged a non-violent protest outside. The court is believed to have been in session at the time and, ...
Jacksons to split in two within months
North East firm Jacksons has announced that it is splitting its core areas of business into two new firms, with effect from 1 September.
Key to the City
Addleshaw Booth & Co has pinned its hopes for private equity in London on Simon Pilling - regardless of Theodore Goddard. By Catrin Griffiths
Guardian angel
Harrowing though her work must be, The Lawyer/Unicef Child Rights Lawyer of the Year Pat Monro still manages to keep smiling. Jennifer Currie reports
A sporting life
Northern managing partner and national litigation head for Pinsents Nigel Kissack is certainly not one to refuse a challenge. Matheu Swallow reports
Happy as Barrie
After downsizing at his last firm, private equity boss Keir Barrie is happier to be charged with expansion at Theodore Goddard. Kathryn Hobbs reports
Worth fighting for
Zimbabwean lawyer Lydia Zigomo is taking a stand against President Mugabe's corrupt regime despite the threat of violent repercussions
The pearly queen
Withers senior partner Diana Parker might opt for tweed and pearls, but her firm's US merger and LLP drive is leaving other firms open-mouthed
Eversheds finally shuts the door on family law
Eversheds is to bow out of family law and refocus its private client department in Norwich in the latest round of reforms, which has seen a strategic shift towards corporate and commercial work.
As big as his boots
Michael Coleman has hurtled through his career rodeo-style, and with clients such as James Hewitt and the Hamiltons, he isn’t about to fall off
Split decisions
Henry Brookman has recently had the sort of press coverage that many advertising agencies dream about. Front page of The Guardian, page five of the Daily Mail, in addition to most of the other national newspapers, discussed on daytime television and follow-ups from around the world.
David Willis
Fiona Callister meets David Willis, Forsters' senior partner, who has helped nurture the young firm which grew out of the ashes of Frere Cholmeley Bischoff.
Erica Shelton
Sean Farrell meets Erica Shelton, the woman Sir Terence Conran referred to as 'bright and manipulative' after she won a £10.5m divorce settlement for his ex-wife.
