Birketts LLP

Private Wealth Disputes

Barny joined as a Partner in Birketts’ Private Wealth Disputes Team in June 2025 working primarily out of our Bristol office.

His work covers will disputes on the grounds of lack of testamentary capacity, undue influence, lack of knowledge and approval, fraud and failure to execute a Will correctly; professional negligence claims; disputes concerning the lack of provision made for family and/or dependants in Wills; proprietary estoppel claims (in a nutshell: promises made during a testator’s lifetime, but not made good in their Wills); trust disputes; claims concerning the administration of estates; and advising executors and trustees in complex trusts and/or estates.

Barny has been recognised for many years as an expert in legacy and trust disputes.

Chambers and Partners praise him as “very well-liked by judges and other lawyers. He’s pragmatic, easy to work with, and has an excellent reputation. Even his opponents respect his approach.” Legal 500 describes him as “unflappable, even in the most complex and contentious probate cases.”

Barny is recognised as one of the leading advisors to charities in relation to legacy disputes, a sector in which he has a well-established and prominent reputation.

Bachelor of Science and Economics (BscEcon) – Aberystwyth University.

Certificate of Political Science – Science Po Strasbourg.

Bachelor of Laws (LLB) – University of Law.

Before going into the law, Barny took a degree in international politics at Aberystwyth University, studied political science in Strasbourg in France, helped set up a business and worked with a humanitarian NGO in London and in Malawi.