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Dickinson Dees LLP’s Alexander Dickinson ‘inspires complete confidence in clients, and gives clear and diplomatic advice in difficult situations’. David Dale leads the ‘first-choice’ team, which has a specialist offering in landed estates and heritage property, and provides bespoke wealth management services.

Kirstin Cook’s experienced team at Hay & Kilner, which includes new arrival Jon Gould, provides wills, trusts, estate administration and succession planning advice to business clients, high-net-worth individuals and the elderly.

At Ward Hadaway, Alison Hall and Andrew Facer specialise in succession planning for entrepreneurial and landed clients.

Newly promoted partner Paul Nickalls leads the team at Crutes Law Firm, which increasingly advises high-net-worth individuals and handles tax-planning referrals. Carlisle-based Emma Fidler recently joined the team from Gorvins.

In 2010, the ‘extremely professional’ team at Gibson & Co handled the administration and winding up of over 130 estates. Tony Gibson is a key figure, and David Bawn is valued for his ‘skill, speed and efficiency’.

The team at Iain Nicholson & Co provides a ‘very impressive’ service, and advises on wills and inheritance tax planning. Recent highlights include obtaining an ad colligenda bona grant to protect the value of a wealthy client’s assets.

Muckle LLP saw the arrival of ‘unrivalled technical expert’ Keith Hately from Watson Burton LLP. It has a full-service offering and advises business clients, senior executives, professionals and wealthy individuals.

Sintons LLP’s team provides ‘a very good service’, with Alan Dawson and Julie Garbutt considered ‘very client friendly’. It continues to provide tax-planning advice to high-net-worth individuals, and has recently received referrals from Coutts Bank.

David Collier provides inheritance tax advice to high-net-worth individuals at Archers Law LLP.

BHP Law continues to advise clients on the administration of high-value estates, and has recently provided trust advice to parents with children with learning disabilities. Emma Gaudern recently joined Helen Biglin’s team from DWF LLP.

At David Gray Solicitors, Cliff Veitch specialises in property acquisitions and disposals, and wills and probate.

In 2010, Lydia McCaslin joined the team at Jacksons Law from Hay & Kilner; Rosemary Young retired.

Anne Elliott’s team at Latimer Hinks handles strategic inheritance tax planning matters, and advises on statutory will applications.

Mincoff Solicitors LLP has entered the market with the recent hire of the ‘outstanding’ Louise Miller.

Edward Pybus and Ingrid Forshaw assist wealthy clients on a wide range of matters at Samuel Phillips Law Firm.

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Legal Developments in the UK

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  • COUNCIL TAX

    In Harrow LBC v Ayiku [2012] EWHC 1200 (Admin) Sales J held that the word “or” in the Council Tax (Exempt Dwellings) Order 1992, art 3 Class N, had a disjunctive meaning, therefore it was sufficient for the non-British spouse of a foreign student to satisfy one or other of the two conditions, namely being prevented from taking paid employment or being prevented from claiming benefits, in order to qualify as a “relevant person” who was exempted from liability to pay council tax.
    - 11KBW

  • QUEEN’S SPEECH

    Bills already introduced pursuant to the Queen’s Speech on 9 May 2012 include Local Government Finance Bill and Electoral Registration and Administration Bill, both accompanied by Explanatory Notes, which in each case address ECHR compatibility.
    - 11KBW

  • Standards

    In R (Calver) v Adjudication Panel for Wales [2012] EWHC 1172 (Admin) Mr Calver was a member of Manorbier Community Council who successfully challenged the decision of the Panel to dismiss his appeal against a decision by Prembrokeshire County Council Standards Committee censuring him for a number of comments or blogs posted by him on a website he owned and controlled.
    - 11KBW

  • A justified retrospective

    Clive Sheldon - QC debates the pros & cons of retrospective tax legislation
    - 11KBW

  • Public Sector Equality Duty (“PSED”)

    In R (Greenwich Community Law Centre) v Greenwich LBC [2012] EWCA Civ 496 the Court of Appeal held that the Council had had “due regard to the PSED when making changes to its funding of community legal advice services”. At para 30 Elias LJ said:
    - 11KBW

  • Public Sector Equality Duty

    Surrey County Council conducted a review of its Library Service. This culminated in a Report to the Council’s Cabinet. The Recommendations in the Report included that there should be consultation about a community-partnership approach at selected Libraries.
    - 11KBW

  • Judicial Review

    The Judgment of Lindblom J in The Manydown Co Ltd v Basingstoke and Deane BC [2012] EWHC 977 (Admin) repays attention. The Claimant sought to challenge by judicial review 2 decisions of the Council: (1) the Council’s refusal to reconsider its position on the development of a site that it owns (and is the subject matter of a Joint Development Partnership Agreement with the Claimant); and (2) a decision of the Council’s Cabinet approving a selection of sites for development which did not include this site.
    - 11KBW

  • The Health and Social Care Act 2012: impact on adult social services

    After its torrid passage through Parliament, the Health and Social Care Bill received Royal Assent on 27 March 2012. The Act deals principally with healthcare reform, but it also contains some amendments to the legislative framework for social care. It will come into force on a day yet to be appointed by the Secretary of State.
    - 11KBW

  • Immigration update May 2012

    In this issue:
    - Penningtons Solicitors LLP

  • Premium service for tier 2 and 5 sponsors to be launched

    A premium service for sponsors will be launched by the UKBA on 6 April 2012. The service is designed specifically for companies that sponsor international employees under tier 2 and 5 of the points based system and aims to provide them with enhanced support.
    - Penningtons Solicitors LLP

Press Releases in the UK

The latest news direct from law firms. If you would like to submit press releases for your firm, send an email request to
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