James Laycock > Irwin Mitchell > Sheffield, England > Lawyer Profile
Irwin Mitchell Offices
RIVERSIDE EAST
2 MILLSANDS
SHEFFIELD
S3 8DT
England
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James Laycock
Work Department
Wills, Trust and Estate Disputes
Position
I am a Partner in both the Will, Trust and Estate Disputes team and also the Commercial Litigation and Dispute Resolution team.
In the Will, Trust and Estate arena, I have built up years of experience on cases involving challenges to the validity of wills. These challenges may be based on a range of reasons, including lack of capacity, irregularities, undue influence and fraud, challenges to the conduct of trustees, executors, attorneys and deputies, claims for financial provision from estates by children, widows and widowers, cohabitees and dependents and disputes relating to family farming businesses.
In the commercial litigation arena, I am frequently instructed on disputes concerning business to business contracts, shareholder disputes and claims against directors, professional negligence claims and disputes relating to restrictive covenants. I also have experience in intellectual property claims, property disputes and fraud cases.
Lawyer Rankings
South East > Private client > Agriculture and estates
Irwin Mitchell routinely assists commercial, institutional, and private clients operating in the rural sector. Leeds-based James Laycock co-leads the team alongside James Pavey who splits his time between Gatwick and London and is adept in property transactions. Charlotte West -Withers is located in Gatwick and is seasoned in easement, first registrations and lender refinance work in addition to agricultural tenancies and residential occupations.
Yorkshire and the Humber > Private client > Contentious trusts and probate
Paula Myers, national head and director of private client services, co-leads the team at Irwin Mitchell alongside head of the firm’s Leeds and Sheffield contentious trust and probate teams James Laycock. Both are highly recommended, Myers as ‘a national player of premier-league standard’ and Laycock an ‘estates and trusts litigation heavyweight’. The team deals with a variety of contested matters, from validity of wills and lifetime gifts to professional negligence claims arising from defective trust instruments and wills, in addition to Court of Protection work regarding financial abuse. Laura Pang joined the team February 2023 from Freeths LLP, bringing expertise regarding cross-border disputes and high value estates. Former Sheffield team head Carla Rist has left the firm.
Yorkshire and the Humber > Private client > Agriculture and estates
James Laycock leads the agricultural offering at Irwin Mitchell across Leeds and Sheffield. The team advises on issues from high-value tax planning advice to land developments, with notable experience regarding nitrate neutrality schemes. The group works collaboratively with the firm’s wider private client offering, with particular experience in handling succession planning work for agricultural clients.
Lawyer Rankings
- Contentious trusts and probate Yorkshire and the Humber > Private client
- Agriculture and estates Yorkshire and the Humber > Private client
Top Tier Firm Rankings
- Insurance > Clinical negligence: claimant
- Private client > Contentious trusts and probate
- Private client > Family: elsewhere in Yorkshire
- Insurance > Personal injury: claimant
- Private client > Personal tax, trusts and probate
Firm Rankings
- Finance > Banking and finance
- Real estate > Commercial property: Sheffield, South Yorkshire
- Public sector > Education
- Private client > Family: Leeds, West Yorkshire, North Yorkshire
- Finance > Insolvency and corporate recovery
- Private client > Agriculture and estates
- Dispute resolution > Commercial litigation: Sheffield, South Yorkshire
- Real estate > Commercial property: Leeds and West Yorkshire; North Yorkshire
- Employment > Employment: Leeds and West Yorkshire; North Yorkshire
- Employment > Employment: Sheffield and South Yorkshire
- Crime, fraud and licensing > General crime and fraud
- Insurance > Professional negligence
- Real estate > Property litigation
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Intellectual property