Bernadette Baker > Birketts LLP > Norwich, England > Lawyer Profile

Birketts LLP routinely leverages the strength of the firm’s private client and court of protection team. In Chelmsford, practice co-head Daden Hunt’s areas of specialism include professional negligence matters, while Rachel Leech’s workload consists of Inheritance Act claims, trust disputes and cases regarding the validity of wills. Norwich-based co-head Bernadette Baker, handles a broad range of complex and high-value claims, including cross-border disputes and estate administration matters. Amanda Smallcombe joined the group from Birkett Long LLP in May 2024, contributing her longstanding experience in proprietary estoppel claims and Court of Protection matters involving the conduct of attorneys.

The litigation group at Birketts LLP has broad focus that includes professional negligence disputes, which are handled by general commercial litigators, or specialists in areas such as private client. Led by Laurence Weeks in Cambridge, Andrew Kinnison in Norwich and Daden Hunt in Chelmsford, the practice includes Norwich-based Bernadette Baker, who handles claims arising from the wills and the administration of estates and trusts. Senior associate Adam Blenkinsop frequently acts for claimants, and Matthew Atkins is a key adviser on claims involving solicitors, accountants and surveyors.

Birketts LLP has a dedicated contentious trusts and probate practice that works across all of its offices, but the key expertise lies in Norwich with practice head Bernadette Baker, and in Cambridge with ‘calm and constructive‘ legal director Kate Harris. Together they have ‘excellent specialist knowledge and provide pragmatic advice‘ on cases concerning trustee or executor responsibilities, the validity of a will, matters of mental incapacity caused by dementia, and claims under the 1975 Inheritance Act. Baker and Harris recently assisted a deceased father’s children with a £5.4m challenge to his will. Katie Emerson joined the team in June 2024.