Sinclair Gibson LLP > London, England > Firm Profile

Sinclair Gibson LLP
3 LINCOLN'S INN FIELDS
LONDON
WC2A 3AA
England

Private client > Personal tax, trusts and probate Tier 2

Sinclair Gibson LLP has been praised as ‘typifying the best of the private client boutique approach’. It is skilfully co-led by Keith Bruce-Smith and Lucy Gibson and covers a broad range of private client matters. Core areas of expertise include advising on lifetime wealth and tax planning as well as post-death tax planning and estate administration. It also excels in advising on the establishment and ongoing management and administration of trusts and on the provision of family office services. It deftly combines expertise in advising wealthy UK-based families and landed estates with its work in advising international clients on multi-jurisdictional issues.

Practice head(s):

Keith Bruce-Smith; Lucy Gibson

Testimonials

‘Extremely professional, extensive knowledge and efficient’.

‘Lucy Gibson is outstanding! Her knowledge is exceptional. The service I receive for all areas of our family needs is superb’.

‘Outstanding private client and trust work’.

‘Keith Bruce-Smith, creative in the extreme and an unparalleled appetite for a solution however complex the challenge’.

‘Very high quality partners who take a hands on approach to their matters’.

Key clients

Executors of the estate of the late Alexander Thynn, 7th Marquess of Bath

Executors of the estate of the late Guy Innes-Ker, 10th Duke of Roxburghe

Work highlights

  • Acts for the executors and trustees of the estate of the late Marquess of Bath, dealing with the ongoing administration of this significant and complex estate which includes cross-border elements, aggregable settled property and settled land with heritage exemption considerations.
  • Acts for the executors of the late Duke of Roxburghe, who died in 2019. It advises the executors and trustees of this very large landed estate in Scotland on the devolution of the late Duke of Roxburghe’s estate.

Private client > Contentious trusts and probate Tier 4

Under the leadership of Henry Hickman, Sinclair Gibson LLP acts for many clients ranging from successful professionals to landed families, entrepreneurs and ultra-high-net-worth individuals. It is recommended for its work on onshore and offshore trust and probate disputes. The group has been busy in other areas such as acting in professional negligence claims for private clients, as well as acting in court of protection proceedings on behalf of the incapacitated. Lucy Gibson is another key member of the department.

Practice head(s):

Henry Hickman

Other key lawyers:

Lucy Gibson; Hannah Southon; Amy Williams

Testimonials

‘Hannah Southon was extremely thorough and always ready to respond to my questions succinctly.’

‘They have a real dedication to the client’s requirements and do not miss anything. Very sound and diligent and always ready to go the extra mile. Technically excellent and very thoughtful. I have always found their analysis very penetrating. In short, they provide the service that every client wants.’

‘Lucy Gibson is razor sharp, very knowledgeable and absolutely on it.’

Henry Hickman is a very experienced litigator and always very sound.’

‘Sinclair Gibson combine great expertise in trust and probate litigation with top-notch client management and tactical and strategic thinking. They are a small firm but punch far above their weight.’

‘Amy Williams is a brilliant litigator. She has an instinctive grasp of what the client needs and how to get it for them. She is highly empathetic but also fights hard for her clients . The ideal combination for a solicitor in this area.’

Private client > Family Tier 4

Kathryn Peat and James Copson co-head the department at Sinclair Gibson LLP, which advises on all aspects of family law. It is particularly well-known for its specialism in advising high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients on complex financial remedy claims and pre and post-nuptial agreements. A significant proportion of its clients are internationally based, which brings a multi-jurisdictional element to a large proportion of the cases it works on. The group is increasingly advising on private children matters.

Practice head(s):

Kathryn Peat; James Copson

Other key lawyers:

Xanthy Papageorgiou

Testimonials

‘In a league of their own. Brilliant legal minds offering a premium service. If it’s complicated, they will sort it. Encyclopaedic knowledge of international and domestic law. Will fight relentlessly for their clients.’

‘James Copson is one of the brilliant minds in the business. Renowned for dealing with ultra complicated, almost impossible cases. Respected and revered by his peers.’

‘Kathyrn Peat is an exceptional lawyer. Compassionate, brilliant, and a leading expert in her field. Respected and admired by her peers.’

‘A breathe of fresh air when James Copson joined the team.’

‘James Copson is one of the best technical lawyers of his generation with an encyclopaedic knowledge of pensions in family law.’

‘First rate client care and wonderful letter writing.’

‘The family team at Sinclair Gibson are outstanding. The excellence of the partners, in particular Kathryn Peat, is now matched by Xanthy Papageorgiou and the rest of the team.’

‘Always client focused an Kathryn Peat’s judgement is first class. She listens carefully to her client’s needs, invariably offers the right advice and moves quickly to put a team in place to support them and achieve the desired outcomes.’

The firm: Sinclair Gibson is a specialist firm, based in Lincoln’s Inn Fields in London, focused on the needs of the private client and private client adviser through its three complementary practice areas of private client, litigation and family law.

Sinclair Gibson, which was set up in 2019, represents a return to the core work that the founding partners have always enjoyed and valued and continues to move away from the expansionist business model reliant on compartmentalisation, juniors and precedent-led work increasingly prevalent in the market.

The firm’s model places an emphasis on bespoke advice from experienced, partner-led teams with many of the firm’s practitioners having competence and proficiency across the conventional departmental demarcation, allowing teams for individual matters to span two or more practice areas depending on specific needs.

This ensures that clients benefit from high quality and robust advice, rooted in independent and intelligent thinking as well as extensive experience. This expertise, coupled with individual partners’ personable and pragmatic approach, has resulted in long standing relationships with clients who recognise that Sinclair Gibson is committed to delivering excellent and relevant advice in all aspects of private client law.

Types of work undertaken: 

Private client: the private client practice of Sinclair Gibson is led by Keith Bruce-Smith, a partner with over 30 years’ experience. He is one of the authors of two precedent books on trusts and wills and original co-editor of an international law trust compendium. He and Lucy Gibson, widely acclaimed for her international trust and estate law expertise, act for a wide range of UK- and overseas-based individuals and trustees.

Litigation: headed by Henry Hickman, the firm’s vastly experienced and well-regarded litigation practice acts for private clients specialising in acting for private individuals, charities and trust companies in trust litigation, succession and probate disputes and inheritance claims.  It also undertakes commercial litigation in the High Court (Commercial Court) and offshore.

Family law: Sinclair Gibson’s family department is led by the highly respected Kathryn Peat and James Copson. The team advises on all aspects of family law but is best known for its work with high net worth clients on complex financial remedy claims and nuptial agreements, often with an international element, and both domestic and international private children matters. Further areas of expertise include disputes involving unmarried couples and the preparation of cohabitation agreements. A significant proportion of the department’s clients are neither UK resident nor UK domiciled and they benefit from the wealth of experience the team has in international family law matters, including offshore trusts, overseas assets and international relocation of children, as well as access to the firm’s renowned Private Client team.

Department Name Email Telephone
Private client, tax and trusts Keith Bruce-Smith keith.bruce-smith@sinclairgibson.com 0207 539 4710
Private client, tax and trusts Lucy Gibson lucy.gibson@sinclairgibson.com 0207 539 4712
Litigation Henry Hickman henry.hickman@sinclairgibson.com 0207 539 4738
Family Kathryn Peat kathryn.peat@sinclairgibson.com 0207 539 4722
Private client, tax and trusts Eleanor Walsh eleanor.walsh@sinclairgibson.com 020 7539 4713
Family James Copson james.copson@sinclairgibson.com 020 7539 4723
Family office service group Angela White angela.white@sinclairgibson.com 020 7539 4709
Litigation Amy Williams amy.williams@sinclairgibson.com 020 7539 4732
Photo Name Position Profile
Oliver Bishop photo Oliver Bishop Senior Associate, Private Client Oliver joined the firm in 2015 and qualified…
Keith Bruce-Smith photo Keith Bruce-Smith Keith, who is ranked in the Legal 500 ‘Hall of Fame’, is…
Roger Cobden-Ramsay photo Roger Cobden-Ramsay Roger is a senior divorce solicitor. With over 30 years of experience…
Emily Cook photo Emily Cook Associate Emily completed her training contract at the firm and qualified into…
James Copson photo Mr James Copson Partner James has more than 30 years’ experience as a family lawyer.…
Lucy Gibson photo Lucy Gibson Lucy Gibson is a private client trust and tax lawyer. She primarily…
Henry Hickman photo Henry Hickman Henry’s clients include private clients, privately owned companies, trustees, family offices and…
Charlie Kassell photo Charlie Kassell Associate Charlie completed his training contract at the firm and qualified into…
Celia McLuskie photo Celia McLuskie Celia joined the firm on qualification in September 2022 having completed her…
Xanthy Papageorgiou photo Xanthy Papageorgiou Xanthy is a solicitor in the Family department. Xanthy advises on all…
Kathryn Peat photo Kathryn Peat Partner Kathryn has specialised in family law for over 30 years. Her…
Hazel Power photo Hazel Power Senior Associate Hazel is a solicitor in Sinclair Gibson’s Private Client Department.…
Hannah Southon photo Hannah Southon Consultant Hannah’s practice is dedicated to advising private individuals faced with disputes…
Hannah Storey photo Hannah Storey Associate Hannah joined the firm in December 2022 having previously trained at…
Eleanor Walsh photo Eleanor Walsh Partner Eleanor specialises in private client tax and trust law. She acts…
Angela White photo Angela White Partner Angela specialises in trust and estate work. She has over 25…
Amy Williams photo Amy Williams Partner Amy works in the litigation department, as part of the contentious…
Harry Yeoward photo Harry Yeoward Associate Harry trained at the firm and qualified into the Family Office…
Number of UK partners : 9
Number of other UK fee-earners : 18
English
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CLIENT: N/A
COMPANY/FIRM: N/A
TESTIMONIAL: A divorce is obviously a very painful and emotional process to go through and not an experience one can ever be proudly comfortable with. Kathryn’s advice was first class and her understanding of the details in my case were outstanding. However, in my opinion, the most important factor in highly recommending Kathryn was that she made me feel better about the situation whenever I called in a panic. She kept me calm and positive about the process and at all times helped me be see that reasonable and sensible behaviour on my part was the only way I could look back and say at all times I did the right thing. For that I will always be grateful.


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TESTIMONIAL: Kathryn Peat has been our family lawyer for almost 8 years. She has been an incredible support for the family, a true guiding light when we were struggling to find a way forward, and highly focused on achieving the right outcome. Our situation has many layers of complexities, often with issues interwoven into the mix making it hard to present a clear case. But Kathryn always saw through the complexities, and would present a clear compelling case, and then lead everything to the hoped-for outcome even when it looked almost impossible to achieve. Kathryn also has the most extraordinary work ethic – putting the family she supports ahead of everything. I have had to contact her from time zones from the other side of the world, on weekends, on her holidays and regardless, she immediately responded, supported, guided and led to a solution. I do not believe that my family could have the life we have right now, with all the opportunities that it present for the children (and even for me) without her invaluable support, advice, guidance, and execution.


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TESTIMONIAL: When I first met Kathryn Peat I was going through a crucial time in my life. Years of marriage that had to be left behind in the best possible way. Kathryn Peat helped me at all times and advised me on all the details of the process. Being alone in London and as a foreigner, my legal position was special but her knowledge made it possible to obtain a fair trial. Kathryn proved to be an excellent woman above all, as well as her commitment to me and to my case throughout all time. I will never be grateful enough to her and her entire team.


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TESTIMONIAL: I instructed Sinclair Gibson to litigate my divorce following a personal recommendation from a friend who told me that “They have given me my life back”. Divorcing my husband has been complicated, I expected the worse and he has been determined to be difficult about every stage of the process. However in every regard Kathryn and her team not only conducted themselves with the utmost professionalism and used their full

knowledge of the law to represent me in the best possible way, they have also shown support, kindness and empathy for my circumstances. At a vulnerable time, I have felt secure in their hands and trust them to achieve the best possible solutions.


 

 

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TESTIMONIAL: Divorce proceedings can be overwhelming but from the moment I walked into Kathryn’s office, I knew I was in safe and capable hands. Her vast experience and considerable legal expertise combined with a calm, pragmatic and common sense approach gave me all the support and reassurance I needed during a complex and protracted divorce. She brings to the table a formidable combination of intellectual incisiveness, integrity and sensitivity with a focus on seeking resolutions.

Kathryn takes a genuine interest in her clients’ welfare and is committed to achieving the best possible outcome for them in order that they can move on with their lives. I greatly appreciated her invaluable advice and compassion when issues arose involving our children. If you are looking for a family law firm where client care is paramount, I cannot recommend Kathryn Peat and her team at Sinclair Gibson highly enough.


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TESTIMONIAL: Kathryn Peat at Sinclair Gibson has supported me during my divorce negotiations. Kathryn came highly recommended and has worked tirelessly in helping me through an extremely difficult period. Kathryn has provided robust counsel on both legal and strategic matters during an extremely contentious process. Kathryn’s experience has been invaluable in balancing the appropriate level of engagement with the other side in order to protect my position. I in turn would have no hesitation in recommending Sinclair Gibson.


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TESTIMONIAL: Kathryn Peat helped me through a very difficult period of my life. Her stellar professionalism is second to none and she has been able to combine wisdom and sound judgement with empathy – rare qualities indeed. I cannot thank her enough.


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TESTIMONIAL: Kathryn Peat has been my divorce lawyer recently and has done a fantastic job not only fighting for me but also protecting my interests and advising me along every step of the way. Kathryn and her assistant Jane’s demeanour and etiquette constantly made me feel at ease and confident even during the most trying of times and circumstances. All communications were replied to without delay. Kathryn’s knowledge of the law and the associated system were invaluable. I was never once in doubt that I was in the best possible hands. Thank you, Kathryn!


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TESTIMONIAL: I have found Kathryn and the team at Sinclair Gibson nothing but professional, responsive and empathetic. Whilst I am still at the start of what I know will be a difficult journey, to have a team as capable and proactive is incredibly reassuring at such a difficult time. Kathryn has been a real help when it comes to understanding my options and the right course of action whilst also offering sage advice along the way. I have been hugely impressed and have already recommended their services to friends.