
- Tel:
- Work 0344 880 2666
- DX:
- 122891 CAMBRIDGE 4
- Web:
- www.mills-reeve.com
Chris Belcher
- Tel:
- Work 01223 222618
- Email:
Work Department
Private client.
Position
Partner and team leader of private client team, advising a range of high-net-worth clients including sports people, land owners, business people and entrepreneurs on their complex trusts and tax planning. Current directorships: Cambridgeshire Community Foundation. Publications of note: ‘Butterworths Finance & Law for the Older Client’.
Career
Sharpe Pritchard; qualified 1999; partner Mills & Reeve 2009 to date. Solicitor Sharpe Pritchard 1999-2001; solicitor Farrer & Co 20001-05; partner 2005-09.
Member
Solicitors for the Elderly; Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners
Education
Kenilworth School; Cambridge University (MA law).
Leisure
Triathlon, duathlon, cycling, rugby
East Anglia: Private client
Personal tax, trusts and probate: Cambridge
Within: Leading individuals
Chris Belcher - Mills & Reeve LLP
Within: Personal tax, trusts and probate: Cambridge
At Mills & Reeve LLP ‘the overall level of service is excellent from a well-qualified team that has many years of experience; they respond quickly and provide helpful and practical advice at a reasonable cost‘. Clients are ‘impressed with the quality of the advice and fairness of the fees‘ and one source remarks that it 'certainly punches above its weight in terms of the calibre of clients and the advice it gives; it is a London standard firm based in the provinces'. The firm advises many business owners, landowners, high-net-worth individuals, trusts and charities across East Anglia and beyond. Chris Belcher (who has 'unrivalled knowledge of clients' needs and expectations') and ‘quick-witted, clear and pragmatic‘ rising star senior associate Alex Hunt are ‘excellent at understanding clients’ needs quickly and providing appropriate advice; they make an effort to provide advice which is practical and easy to understand where matters might be quite complex, and apart from the expected technical expertise, they understand the requirement for a fast response‘. Hunt has 'great in-depth knowledge of the taxation of non-domiciled individuals'. Kimberly Sayward  joined Birketts LLP.
East Anglia: TMT (technology, media and telecoms)
Sport
Within: Sport
Mills & Reeve LLP has an accomplished sports regulatory practice, which is led from Manchester but calls on expertise in the Cambridge and Norwich offices. The firm handles image rights, tax and private client matters for for high-profile sports personalities and teams, particularly in football. It also provides in-depth knowledge of technology and intellectual property issues. Greg Gibson in Norwich, who handles commercial and IP matters, and tax adviser Chris Belcher in Cambridge are the key contacts. Principal associate Richard Plaistowe is a key adviser on IP matters. Cambridge-based associate Edward Hadcock  is a member of the regulatory, public law and dispute resolution teams, and he gives 'consistently clear advice' on matters such as GDPR. He provides specialist commercial support for athletes and sports organisations, including advice on image rights and representation. He was part of a cross-office team that helped Liverpool and England footballer James Milner establish a sports agency focusing on young, up-and-coming golfers.
London: Private client
Personal tax, trusts and probate
Within: Personal tax, trusts and probate
Key figures at Mills & Reeve LLP include the 'excellent' Cambridge-based Chris Belcher and principal associate Gillian Kennedy-Smith, who is ‘highly experienced’ in matters of succession and estate planning. Kennedy-Smith specialises in providing UK and international families, trustees, attorneys, executors and companies with advice on complex tax, trusts and succession planning matters especially where there is a foreign element. The team routinely handles family investment company structuring, wills and other similar matters.