Private Client: North East & Yorkshire

This Northern market leader's strong private client capability is complemented by its commercial outlook and commanding corporate client base. The team attracts an impressive following of high net worth individuals (HNWIs), families, and entrepreneurial clients. Its work often has an international flavour, including cross-border trust management and litigation.

Commercial Awareness "They have their fingers on the pulse and inspire confidence."

KEY INDIVIDUALS Paul Howell is widely regarded as a tax and trust planning expert. He leads the national private capital group. Pervinder Kaur is adept across a diverse range of trusts matters, and is regarded as a "stand-out" at charitable trusts work.

This well-established North East powerhouse is now making inroads into the Yorkshire market, having opened a York office in recent years. The private client department acts for old and new money clients, private banks and trust companies. It is also praised for its contentious trusts and probate expertise, and its comprehensive care for the elderly service. 

Client Service "The team is hugely efficient, compassionate and responsive - I couldn't fault the service."

KEY INDIVIDUALS George Lyall administers a large number of high-value deceased estates, acting for off and onshore trust companies as well as individuals and families. Caroline Hedges heads the private client team in the York office. She specialises in tax, estate and succession planning. Helen Tavroges has a diverse practice which encompasses almost all areas of private wealth management work.

This Leeds boutique is dedicated to serving the needs of private individuals and families. Its client roster consists of landed estate owners, closely held business owners and HNWIs. In addition to tax, trusts and estate planning, the team also engages in catastrophic and personal injury trusts, and has a unique compensation protection service. 

Client Service "The team is consistently expert and highly responsive."

KEY INDIVIDUALS Matthew Wrigley focuses largely on managing the affairs of heritage property and landed estate owners. Commentators say "he is as good a listener as he is an adviser." Peter Greswold and Marie-Louise Hamilton specialise in offshore trusts and wealth management for entrepreneurial clients. Greswold is described as "very approachable and pragmatic," while Hamilton is "extremely thorough, helpful and a pleasure to work with." Andrew Wriglesworth advises on trust and capital tax planning matters. Clients find him "intelligent and refreshingly down to earth."

Andrew Jackson is based in Hull and serves farmers, major landowners, wealthy individuals and families on tax, estate and succession matters. The department is handling an increasing volume of work with an international dimension, and has a team devoted to contentious probate litigation.  

KEY INDIVIDUALS Kevin Webster is highly rated for his "technical excellence" and skill at complex inheritance tax planning.

The private client group at this full-service Leeds firm advises owners of enterprises of all sizes, including some of the largest family businesses in the country. It also has a strong focus on contentious trusts, estates and probates, including international and offshore matters.

Commercial Awareness "They are client-oriented and provide excellent value for money." 

KEY INDIVIDUALS The "measured and thoughtful" Frances Davies advises on capital and personal tax planning, as well as shareholder agreements in closely held businesses.

This growing Newcastle team advises HNWIs, business owners, leading professionals and landowners on a range of tax planning, wealth management and trust creation matters. The team is also devoting increasing resources to its Court of Protection and care for the elderly services practice. 

Client Service "The lawyers are very impressive in terms of approachability, helpfulness and speed of response."

KEY INDIVIDUALS Kirstin Cook heads the team and specialises in advising high net worth clients on estate, tax and wills matters. She is described as "practical and a good communicator." Alice Clewes is praised for the acuity of her tax expertise.

This Sheffield-based team is best known for its volume provision of will-writing, power of attorney, probate and a variety of personal services to trade unions, charities and a host of institutional clients. It also does an amount of high-quality work for individual clients. 

KEY INDIVIDUALS Craig Marshall heads the department.

This Leeds firm has a wide-ranging private client service and is instructed by people of modest, medium and high net worth. The team has highly developed care for the elderly and Court of Protection practices, and also a well-regarded contentious trusts and probate litigation capability. 

KEY INDIVIDUALS The "personable, experienced and knowledgeable" Sara Rogers leads the department.

This venerable York firm devotes much of its resources to private client work. Acting for farmers, landowners and family businesses, areas of expertise include tax, trust and estate planning, wills and probate. The team also handles Court of Protection deputyship applications and powers of attorney.

KEY INDIVIDUALS Christopher Goodway is a key contact. 

The team at Lupton Fawcett is unusual in that it has Independent Financial Adviser status. As such, the lawyers advise on investment portfolio management and retirement planning as well as the usual offering of tax, trusts and estate structuring. The team's Court of Protection work also garners praise from respondents.

KEY INDIVIDUALS Duncan Milwain is a trust expert typically acting for HNWIs and family and charitable trusts. 

Rollits' private capital department offers its high net worth clients a comprehensive estate planning and administration service, which includes trust creation and management, will drafting, LPAs, and probate administration. The team has a strong contentious practice and also engages in power of attorney applications. 

Commercial Awareness "A superb team."

KEY INDIVIDUALS John Lane is a trusts and estates specialist. He is widely admired for his capability in complex trusts disputes.

Sintons handles all facets of private client work for HNWIs, closely held business owners and financial institutions. The team administers a number of very high value trusts and estates, and is a regional favourite for panel appointments from private banks. 

KEY INDIVIDUALS Alan Dawson is widely respected for his advice on tax, trusts and succession planning.

This Newcastle team has an impressive history of helping landed estate and business owners in the North East manage their affairs, and is expert in obtaining agricultural, business and heritage property relief. Much of their trusts and asset structuring has an offshore or multi-jurisdictional aspect.

KEY INDIVIDUALS Andrew Facer specialises in inheritance planning and heritage property matters for rural and landed families.