Private wealth team news 2019

We are pleased to announce a clutch of promotions and arrivals across the teams that assist individuals and trusts.

Tristan Ward (Partner) –  Tristan has joined us from Macfarlanes to head our thriving landed estates and agriculture group, which provides comprehensive advice to individuals, trustees and institutional landowners – both in the UK and internationally – on all matters relating to landed estates, agricultural property and rural business activities. Tristan also continues to advise clients on ultra-high value urban residential property matters, in London and elsewhere.

The latest Chambers High Net Worth guide to the world’s leading private wealth advisers continues to rank Tristan in the highest band. Peers comment that ‘his knowledge of the law and dealing with estates is second to none’; ‘his attention to detail is exceptional and he understands the academic side of the law much better than most’; and ‘he is terrifyingly technical in his knowledge, and if you want a thorny problem done properly, he’s your man’.

Paddy Lynam (Partner) –  Paddy has been promoted to partner in the landed estates and agriculture team. His main focus is on the sales and purchases of estates, farms and country houses. He also advises individuals, trustees, and institutional landowners on matters relating to the management of their rural property holdings and assists with a substantial amount of development work, including the preparation of promotion agreements, options and overage deeds. Paddy has a particular interest in bloodstock law and in advising those with equine interests and enterprises.

As part of our integrated service, the team works closely with our tax, trusts and estate planning specialists in relation to capital tax planning and administration of estates for landed portfolios.

Roopa Ahluwalia (Partner) – Roopa, based in our Cambridge office, has joined as a member of our family and matrimonial team. In response to increasing client demand, our Cambridge office has continued to grow since first opening in 2017.

Roopa has a breadth of skill and knowledge in all family law matters, with particular expertise in complex and high value multi-jurisdictional divorce cases. Her practice also covers Children Act matters, including child care arrangements. An experienced mediator and trained collaborative lawyer, Roopa has been recognised by leading legal directory, Legal 500, for her ‘excellent feel for the law relating to children and her great manner with clients’, profiling her as ‘dynamic and tenacious’ and someone who ‘really stands up for her clients’ She is chairman of the Cambridge and West Suffolk arm of Resolution, the national organisation for family lawyers, and is a committee member of the Cambridge Dispute Resolution group.

Elisabeth Sneade (Legal Director) – Elisabeth has joined, with Roopa, the Cambridge-based part of our family team. She has more than 17 years’ experience in family law, mostly spent working in Cambridge and surrounding areas, affording her established strong connections with a wide range of clients in the region, including those from Cambridge University and the tech industry, two of the key employers in the area. Like Roopa, Elisabeth is a member of Resolution’s Cambridge and West Suffolk regional group. Legal 500 has acknowledged Elisabeth for being ‘particularly supportive emotionally and structurally’.

Helen D’Monte (Senior Trust Manager) – Many readers of Individual Matters will know Helen D’Monte and will be as delighted as we are to celebrate her 30 year anniversary with the firm.

Helen joined Bircham & Co, as it then was, way back in the late 1980s. She started out in general office but quickly moved to the private wealth team. She has gained many qualifications and plaudits since and is now a senior trust manager and qualified legal executive.

Helen manages a number of family trusts and over the years has cared for the affairs of up to five generations of some families. She also manages a number of grant-making charities. She enjoys assisting trustees with the administration of these family trusts and charities, and the evolution of strategies for them.

Other recent arrivals

It is always good to see growth flourishing at the more junior end of the department. In our London office the private wealth team has welcomed Danjuma Mshelia as an associate, together with Annmarie Forster and James Fuller as solicitors, while our Southampton office is delighted to have been joined by Alex O’Sullivan as a solicitor.

Stop press

We are delighted to mention some promotions within the individuals department that were announced just before Individual Matters went to press.

In private wealth:

• Lara Mardell has been promoted to legal director. She provides English legal and UK tax advice to individuals and trustees, particularly those with international connections, including the US, Canada, the Far East, the Middle East and Europe. She frequently works with local professionals, coordinating cross-border advice, including advising individuals moving to or leaving the UK. Prior to joining BDB Pitmans, Lara practised for eight years in Hong Kong; she is also familiar with the laws of Jersey, Guernsey, BVI and Cayman;
• Owen Byrne has also been promoted to legal director. He specialises in the long term protection of wealth between generations, merging technical advice with each family’s differing circumstances. In most cases that wealth will be held in trusts and will include property or a family business. Owen is based in our London office but, with a strong interest in and involvement with the bloodstock and horse racing industry, he has close links with East Anglia generally and is regularly to be found in our Cambridge office. Owen has recently passed his STEP exams with distinction; and
• Alexandra Parris has been promoted to associate.

In family:

• Anna Stanworth has been promoted to senior associate; and
• Alice Mathams to associate.

In residential:

• Rachel Crapnell has been promoted to associate.