Nicholas Harries > Macfarlanes LLP > London, England > Lawyer Profile

Macfarlanes LLP is ‘a top-quality firm with lawyers of real ability at all levels, and is able to handle both traditional and commercial trust and charity work’. Nicholas Harries heads up the department, which draws on specialist teams from across the firm to provide a range of services to both operational charities and individuals with philanthropic aims. Clients range from family grant-making foundations to high-profile operational charities.

At Macfarlanes LLP ‘the quality of the advice and attention to detail pervades at all levels of the private client team. They are exceptionally bright and always maintain momentum on any assignment’. Piers Barclay is at the helm – the department is ‘the yardstick of quality in international private client matters. Quite simply outstanding in anything they do’. It is skilled at handling a myriad of complex situations for typically high-net-worth clients with assets, business interests and families across multiple jurisdictions. Among the many ‘highly qualified professionals’ is Nicholas Harries who has a broad practice covering international trust and estate planning as well as assisting entrepreneurial clients fulfil their charitable and philanthropic goals. Charles Gothard spends considerable time in Switzerland developing relationships with key intermediaries and foreign lawyers. Edward Reed‘s practice has a large European element. Other names to note include Richard Giangrande, Alex Jones, who was promoted to partner in May 2023, as well as senior counsel, Paul Hardwick.