Robert Brodrick > Payne Hicks Beach LLP > London, England > Lawyer Profile

At Payne Hicks Beach LLP, Simon Blackburn leads a team of ‘excellent communicators’ who ‘will work hard to find solutions to problems’. The group works for the owners of over 50 farms, estates, and country houses varying in size from 150 acres to well over 30,000 acres. Some of these estates are worth over £300m, and many of these estates have houses and grounds that are open to the public. Robert Brodrick acts for the trustees and owners of landed estates on a variety of tax and estate planning matters, while Rosamond McDowell is the trusted legal adviser to a number of substantial landed estate owners. Rupert Burchett is another key member of the department.

Payne Hicks Beach LLP ‘is a blue chip London Private Client firm’. It is praised for offering ‘a full service for both onshore and offshore clients, combining deep technical knowledge with a smooth and seemingly effortless approach to client service’. Rosamond McDowell heads the ‘first-rate’ team, which advises high-net- worth clients from the UK and internationally. Many of its clients feature in the Sunday Times Rich List, Forbes 400, and the Arabian Business Rich List. It frequently advises on a diverse range of complex matters to UK resident non-domiciled clients. The team is skilled at advising on the tax aspects of pre and post-nuptial agreements, and on structuring divorce settlements. Robert Brodrick has a significant client following in the Middle East, as well as in the US and the UK. Frederick Bjørn’s offshore work has a particular focus on Scandinavia, although he also advises a number of US clients. Basil Dixon is another seasoned practitioner who advises numerous international and UK high-net-worth clients and Martin Paisner has an enviable domestic and overseas client base. In June 2023 Benedict Jennings and Melissa Solly were both promoted to the partnership.

Under the joint leadership of Till Vere-Hodge and James Bacon, the excellent team at Payne Hicks Beach LLP is consistently involved in many prominent matters that relate to significant and valuable artworks. It is skilled at advising on a broad range of matters, from disputes and transactions, to secured lending, divorces, and asset division. Vere-Hodge has built up an enviable reputation for resolving claims relating to looted artworks and antiquities. He also specialises in art insurance claims against specialised art and specie insurers. Other names to note include Robert Brodrick, Rosamond McDowell, and Mark Jones.