Charles Gothard > Macfarlanes LLP > London, England > Lawyer Profile
Macfarlanes LLP Offices
20 CURSITOR STREET
LONDON
EC4A 1LT
England
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Charles Gothard
Work Department
Private Client
Position
Charles specialises in advising international families and entrepreneurs as well as the family offices, trust companies and other institutions helping them.
His work often relates to their estate planning, structures (whether trusts, foundations or other vehicles), philanthropy and personal affairs. This frequently involves complex international tax and estate planning, co-ordinating advice from advisers in different jurisdictions and often in situations with little or no UK connection. He also regularly advises foreign residents on the most tax efficient way to structure UK investments or a move to the UK.
Charles also has significant experience of contentious UK and international trust and probate work – resolving disputes between trustees or executors and beneficiaries, acting for either side.
Charles heads the firm’s family office group and is country partner for Switzerland so has overall responsibility for our relationships in Switzerland.
Charles lectures regularly in the UK and abroad and has published articles in many of the leading professional publications. He is the joint editor of The World Trust Survey – an overview of the trust laws of 34 jurisdictions published in 2010 by Oxford University Press and the joint author of a chapter on “Protectors” in Tolley’s Administration of Trusts.
Charles is a member of ACTAPS (Association of Contentious Trust and Probate Specialists).
Charles is ranked as a Tier One adviser in the UK and Global editions of the independent Chambers guide and as a leading individual in the UK Legal 500 guide. He has been recognised in the eprivateclient 2021 50 Most Influential list and is recommended in the 2020 Spear’s 500 guide.
Career
Qualified 1997; partner 2005; partner Macfarlanes 2013
Lawyer Rankings
London > Private client > Personal tax, trusts and probate
(Leading individuals)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.
Lawyer Rankings
- Leading individuals London > Private client > Personal tax, trusts and probate
- Personal tax, trusts and probate London > Private client
Top Tier Firm Rankings
- Private client > Contentious trusts and probate
- Corporate and commercial > Corporate tax
- Investment fund formation and management > Hedge funds
- Private client > Personal tax, trusts and probate
- Corporate and commercial > Private equity: transactions - mid-market deals (up to £250m)
- Investment fund formation and management > Retail funds
Firm Rankings
- Real estate > Commercial property: development
- Real estate > Commercial property: investment
- Dispute resolution > Competition litigation
- Employment > Employee share schemes
- Corporate and commercial > Equity capital markets – small-mid cap
- Corporate and commercial > Financial services: contentious
- Crime, fraud and licensing > Fraud: civil
- Investment fund formation and management > Fund finance
- Risk advisory > Regulatory investigations and corporate crime (advice to corporates)
- Dispute resolution > Tax litigation and investigations
- Finance > Acquisition finance
- Dispute resolution > Banking litigation: investment and retail
- Dispute resolution > Commercial litigation: premium
- Real estate > Commercial property: corporate occupiers
- Real estate > Construction: contentious
- Real estate > Construction: non-contentious
- Finance > Derivatives and structured products
- Corporate and commercial > EU and competition
- Crime, fraud and licensing > Fraud: white-collar crime (advice to individuals)
- Corporate and commercial > M&A: Upper Mid-Market And Premium Deals, £750m+
- Employment > Pensions (non-contentious)
- Real estate > Property finance
- Investment fund formation and management > Real estate funds
- Real estate > Residential property
- Corporate and commercial > VAT and indirect tax
- Finance > Bank lending: investment grade debt and syndicated loans
- Finance > Corporate restructuring & insolvency
- Employment > Employers
- Corporate and commercial > Financial services: non-contentious/regulatory
- Industry focus > Hospitality and leisure
- Corporate and commercial > Partnership
- Investment fund formation and management > Private funds
- Finance > Securitisation
- Private client > Charities and not-for-profit
- Real estate > Environment
- Corporate and commercial > Private equity: transactions – high-value deals (£250m+)
- Employment > Immigration
- Private client > Court of protection