High-Net Worth Family Office

The acquisition, sale and ownership of art and antiques is a highly specialist field. Our UHNW team is experienced in advising individuals, business collectors, estates and trustees, galleries and dealers on the distinctive peculiarities of this niche marketplace. Our experts possess wide-ranging expertise across issues including general transactions, import or export advice and tax issues, artists’ rights, and authenticity and provenance disputes.

• Safeguarded clients’ investments through the negotiation and drafting of agreements for the purchasing of significant pieces of contemporary art.
• Acted for the co-curator of an exhibition in a claim relating to the damage of a purportedly genuine Faberge egg clock. The case concerned the provenance of the item, whether it was genuine and the client’s duties. Since the client had merely fleetingly handled the object rather than taking possession of it, had not assumed responsibility for looking after and returning it and had acted solely on behalf of the museum organiser, he was not liable.
• Acted for Sotheby’s in a dispute over the sale of a £4m Ferrari.

• Acted for a HNW individual in relation to dispute with a specialist dealer in connection with antique rug, value in excess of £1m – resolved by informal mediation.Acted for a Middle Eastern collector in a dispute with a top auction house over misdescription.
• Acted for a property owner defending a claim by a high-net-worth (HNW) tenant alleging damage to a multi-million-pound art collection caused by mould.
• Advised on maximising recovery on an insurance claim following a fire at a large country house.
• Advised a foundation in dispute with an auction house.
• Advised on the recovery of fine art trust assets wrongfully removed.
• Acted for a consortium of collectors and investors with claims against the trustees of a significantly capitalised and yet failed offshore investment fund that was set up to invest in modern and impressionist works of art.
• Advised and acted in ancillary and multi-jurisdictional disputes in relation to a long-running litigation at the instance of two Eastern European states asserting provenance and title to a significant and high-value collection of antiquities and collectibles owned by our client, who ultimately succeeded.

Buying and financing a business or private jet is often a complicated process. With that in mind, investment into enlisting the help of a specialist aviation lawyer can help minimise time and money spent. Our offering encompasses a detailed industry knowledge derived from extensive experience in dealing with commercial aviation agreements, including sale and purchase and aircraft financing, management, insurance, regulatory and operational matters, and dispute resolution whether in the form of litigation and arbitration.

• Advised a high-net-worth Russian individual on the purchase of a number of hotels in the UK.
• Assisted a Ukrainian client on a reorganisation of the holding structure for his Ukraine-based food and beverage business.
• Represented a family office on the sale of two £35m+ luxury yachts.
• Advised a number of family offices on the partial refinancing of business aircraft, including a Boeing Business Jet.
• Advised UHNW individuals on the purchase and sale of business aircraft and related matters such as operator, maintenance, hangarage and aircraft consultancy agreements.

The bloodstock industry is a highly lucrative, international business. Our equine team comprises experts who truly understand the sector and are involved in it both personally and professionally. Meanwhile our experience includes advising owners and breeders, jockeys and racing managers, competitive organisations and equine charities on the sale and purchase of horses, commercial agreements, employment issues, charitable or legacy issues, financing initiatives, real estate matters and disputes.

• Principal legal advisers to the Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association, providing a legal advice helpline to their 2,500 members.
• Legal advisers to the European Breeders’ Fund, advising on strategic constitutional issues and internal restructure.
• Acted for a leading UK stud in relation to a dispute with Tattersalls over the sale of a horse in training.
• Advised a well-known Newmarket stud farm on various thorny employment law issues.
• Advised Jockey Club Racecourses on a diverse range of legal issues.
• Handled professional negligence claims against veterinary surgeons and negotiated settlements with the Veterinary Defence Society.
• Advised on contracts for the sale and training of an international show jumper.
• Advised on a contract for sale and part ownership of a valuable broodmare prospect to the US.
• Handled insurance claims relating to first-season infertility of stallions.
• Successfully defended at trial a tribunal claim against a Newmarket stud.
• Speaker at British Horseracing Authority trainers’ course on leadership skills.
• Advised the Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association and British Horseracing Authority on their guide, Health and Safety in the Racing and Breeding Industry.

Privacy and reputation management is often a central concern for the UHNW client. Often individuals or families with vast wealth, access to valuable data and public profiles, can unfortunately be attractive targets for criminals and defamatory claims. We work with leading sports, media, and political personalities as well as UHNW business people to protect their brand and reputation. This includes safeguarding intellectual property from anyone seeking to unfairly gain from it, as well as responding swiftly and effectively to any threat, whether by means of litigation or negotiation. Our team also provides a joined-up approach by working closely with public relations specialists.

• Acted for a leading football manager in a libel action resulting in the highest recorded award of damages by a jury against a national newspaper.
• Acted for leading football, managers, officials, intermediaries and footballers in regulatory disputes and hearings including enquiries into corruption in football and all consequent reputational management issues.
• Acted for a renowned horse trainer and his family in reputational management issues and contractual disputes.
• Acted for senior political figures and UK and international businessmen on reputation management issues arising in the national and international media including proceedings for defamation, and engaging with national and international media including all principal written media ISP, social media and international broadcasting organisations.
• Acted for a leading newspaper group in several claims for defamation.

• Acted on behalf of a billionaire with Lewy Body Dementia, in proceedings brought by his brother; involved allegations of restrictions on contact and of manipulation and undue influence in the creation of his lasting powers of attorney.
• Acted on behalf of a very-high-net-worth Montenegrin national living with dementia; she was resident in London but her sister argued that she should be returned to live in Montenegro, against the wishes of her attorney and the relevant authorities. She remained in London in line with her latterly expressed wishes.
• Acted on the instructions of a high-net-worth individual whose wife lacked capacity to make decisions about where she lived; the relevant authority had concerns about his exercise of control over her in their marital home. The concerns were ultimately deemed unfounded.
• Acted on the instructions of the mother of a young man with severe learning difficulties; challenged inadequate provision of services in his private supported living placement and a lack of court authorisation. He was moved to alternative accommodation and an authorisation was granted, with his mum appointed as the relevant person’s representative (RPR).
• Acted on behalf of a severely disabled young woman moved to England from the United States by her mother; the proceedings dealt with mother’s application for recognition of Letters of Guardianship granted in New York, a challenge to the Standard Authorisation in place at the time and further care planning and a trial placement in the care of mother.
• Acted on behalf of an elderly client seeking to challenge an NHS decision to amputate his leg, arising from unstable diabetes.
• Acted on behalf of an Irish man living with dementia in a London care home. He wished to return to Ireland but this option had not been investigated on his behalf. He returned to Ireland in line with his wishes.

Employment law and HR continues to be a minefield for the unwary. In-depth expertise and guidance is vital to ensure families and their offices get the very best advice and remain protected. We have extensive experience in assisting family offices and households with all their employment needs, ensuring that they receive the best advice and remain protected. We ensure that families and their offices have the correct documentation in place to reduce risk and improve employee efficiency. We advise on how to manage household and office staff (including dealing with disciplinaries, grievances, sickness absence and internal disputes) as well as how best to manage staff out of a household swiftly within legal parameters. Our experts can also assist with the navigation of complex immigration requirements, whether relating to household staff or the international transfer of entire family units.

• Advised on whether staff should be employed by HNW individuals personally or via the Private or Family office.
• Provided assistance with setting up limited companies to employ staff.
• Assisted clients with their recruitment decisions when dealing with staff with differing rights to work in the UK.
• Coordinated advice from global immigration specialists on the movement of staff members between client households based in the UK and abroad.
• Advised on employment status (self-employed v employee).
• Advised on Right to Work checks and criminal and background checks.
• Provided guidance on household staff pay (gross v net) and in line with industry standards and salary surveys.
• Drafted bespoke contracts of employment based on clients’ exact needs.
• Drafted specialist agreements to supplement the contract of employment and provide better protection to clients.
• Drafted tailored handbooks to serve the needs of the clients.
• Provided guidance on the Working Time Regulations, domestic workers and close protection exemptions.
• Advised clients on workforce agreements, assisted with the election process and explained the terms and process to domestic staff, with the assistance of interpreters.
• Provided house managers with guidance on how to manage household staff (e.g. disciplinaries, grievances and ongoing disputes).
• Trained the head housekeeper and house manager on the importance of staff rest breaks and working hours to ensure the client remained fully protected.
• Defended a high-profile client when they received a statutory demand against them personally (mistaken to be the employer).
• Provided contacts to clients for related services and coordinating ancillary services such as employee banking/payroll/insurance on behalf of clients.
• Advised clients on confidentiality and drafting non-disclosure agreements for service providers.
• Defended clients where an ex-employee commenced legal proceedings, blackmailed and threatened claims of unfair dismissal, discrimination and disclosure of confidential family affairs.
• Settled and negotiated disputes and drafted undertakings against ex-employees serving as household staff.
• Assisted with visa and leave-to-remain applications for HNW individuals in both the investor and entrepreneur categories, to include assisting with an investor visa application for an investment bank owner.
• Assisted with a large number of family-based and European applications, to include an application for leave to remain for a very well-known international sports person.

Wealthy families and their advisers require sophisticated legal services across various disciplines and often multiple countries. While planning for the future is often a daunting prospect, we work closely with UHNW clients to ensure that the estate that they have worked hard for is preserved in line with their family goals and future aspirations. Our experience encompasses wealth, estate and succession planning, tax controversies, charitable giving and dispute resolution. We also advise institutions in their roles as trustees, executors, custodians and investment managers.

• Acted for numerous HNW clients including four who feature in the Sunday Times Rich List.
• Acted in a successful claim of an active service exemption for a deceased client in respect of wounds received 62 years prior to death, thereby obtaining a refund of £585,000 of inheritance tax and interest to the deceased’s estate.
• Advised the trustees of various trusts holding multi-million pounds of assets on a successful application under the Variation of Trusts Act 1958.
• Assisted in persuading HMRC that £1.5m worth of trust income received during a ten-year period should still be regarded as income and therefore excluded for an IHT ten-yearly charge.
• Set up family charitable trusts for UHNW and HNW individuals and regularly advised the boards and individual trustees in carrying out their duties and in managing interactions with the Charity Commission, grant recipients and other partner charities.
• Renegotiated on behalf of a UHNW client the terms of a nine-figure personal loan.
• Advised the co-founder of a successful hedge fund on the entry and exit of a business and the structuring of personal wealth throughout the process.

Family breakdown is never easy. But when it comes to UHNW clients, the stakes are often even higher. With that in mind, cognisant advice from an adviser can make the world of difference during what is a difficult time. Our family lawyers provide bespoke solutions, often for high-profile individuals with media exposure, on prenuptial considerations as well as divorce and family settlement issues. From negotiation skills to expert understanding of the benefits of mediation, our lawyers are constructive, meticulous and highly experienced.

• Obtained a very significant settlement for the wife of a businessman who sought to protect his assets through complicated business and trust structures.
• Protected and preserved the family home when the other party was intent on using it to discharge his own liabilities.
• Prepared a postnuptial agreement for a Swedish couple moving into the UK to reflect the terms of their Swedish prenuptial agreement.
• Acted for a wife following a short childless marriage and obtained a financial settlement to enable her to buy her own property outright.
• Advised an unmarried mother in respect of financial claims for her child against a wealthy foreign businessman and freezing assets in this jurisdiction pending resolution of the claims.
• Drafted a prenuptial agreement for a high-profile English rock star and resolved his subsequent divorce and financial settlement in accordance with the terms of the agreement without the court’s intervention, thereby maintaining his privacy throughout.
• Successfully negotiated, through solicitors, a financial settlement for a celebrity TV couple, thereby keeping the details of their divorce out of the press.

Our UHNW-focused team of experts combine international capabilities with local knowledge. With extensive sea and sailing experience, we offer commercial and practical knowledge to prospective yacht and superyacht buyers, owners, banks and marine companies in the leisure sector such as management companies and marinas, crew and charter businesses. We regularly act on behalf of insurers in relation to subrogated recovery claims and personal injury actions involving yachts and superyachts. We also deal with claims involving yacht cradle and mooring failures, storm damage and theft.

• Advised a major French bank in financing a number of superyachts from 30m to 65m.
• Acted for the Italian borrower in finance under the Maltese Leasing Scheme of a 33m sailing yacht.
• Created and implemented novel and unique contracts, such as a joint venture agreement for the financing, purchasing and refitting of an 80m Blohm+Voss, and a hybrid new-build/second-hand agreement for the buyer of a previously rejected 64m Benetti.
• Acted for the seller of a 60m superyacht in relation to the loan finance, yacht management and sale.
• Protected superyacht buyers’ interests – for example, developing a limited partnership structure to prevent the loss of VAT-paid status on a chartered 38m Oyster and negotiating a bespoke builder’s warranty and refit contract to dovetail with the sale of a 31m Benetti.
• Helped to develop clients’ businesses through the creation of a suite of contracts for a new superyacht management and brokerage business and drafted terms of business for key superyacht suppliers.
• Promoted crew happiness and wellbeing through the drafting and implementation of seafarer employment agreements.
• Successfully recovered damages through complex arbitrations, having obtained financial security in a variety of challenging jurisdictions.