Steven Kempster > Withers LLP > London, England > Lawyer Profile
Withers LLP Offices

20 Old Bailey
LONDON
EC4M 7AN
England
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Steven Kempster

Work Department
Trust, estate and succession disputes team.
Position
Partner.
Steven specialises in the resolution of disputes relating to trusts and estates in a UK and international context, in particular where cross-border issues and conflicts of law are involved. Recent cases have involved disputes in the Channel Islands, Isle of Man, Switzerland, Gibraltar, Liechtenstein, Hong Kong, Singapore, Cayman Islands and Bermuda. He also advises on dispute resolution where UK charities are involved. Steven has also accepted appointment by the relevant courts to act as a representative party looking after the interests of children and unborn beneficiaries in trusts and estates disputes. He also has particular expertise in guiding clients through alternative dispute resolution processes, including mediation, early neutral evaluation and the evolving use of arbitration in trusts disputes.
Career
Trained and qualified, Herbert Smith LLP, London, 1998 to 2008
Partner at Taylor Wessing LLP, London, 2008 to 2014
Partner at Withers LLP, London, 2014 to present.
Publications
Editor and contributing author to ‘International Trust Disputes’, published by Oxford University Press 2013 (first edition) and 2020 (second edition).
Memberships
STEP (elected as committee member for Contentious Trusts Steering Group); and
Association of Contentious Trust and Probate Specialists.
Lawyer Rankings
London > Private client > Contentious trusts and probate
(Hall of Fame)Withers LLP ‘is at the top of the tree in terms of private client work and trust related matters. It has a wealth of experienced lawyers in its ranks and a well-earned reputation for being very client focused and diligent’. It has ‘great strength in depth in its lawyer bench’. Led by Suzanne Todd, it has continued to attract a variety of complex and high-value cases from around the globe. The entire team is adept at handling cross-border and complicated trusts, estate, inheritance, and Court of Protection disputes. It has a solid grounding in charity legacy disputes, and in domestic work too. Paul Hewitt
continues to be recognised as one of the top contentious trusts and probate practitioners, along with Steven Kempster
. Stephen Richards
is increasingly advising families of which a vulnerable member, often with cognitive decline, has suffered financial abuse. Natasha Stourton has a particular interest in the succession and trusteeship of digital assets and cryptocurrencies. Senior Counsel Dawn Goodman
is recommended, along with Alice Tomlin, Sarah Aughwane, and Alexandra Dix.
Lawyer Rankings
- Contentious trusts and probate London > Private client
- Hall of Fame London > Private client > Contentious trusts and probate
Top Tier Firm Rankings
- Private client > Agriculture and estates
- Private client > Charities and not-for-profit
- Dispute resolution > Commercial litigation: mid-market
- Private client > Contentious trusts and probate
- Private client > Court of protection
- Private client > Family
- Private client > Personal tax, trusts and probate
- Employment > Senior executives
Firm Rankings
- Private client > Art and cultural property
- Private client > Family: mediation
- Employment > Immigration: personal
- Corporate and commercial > M&A: Smaller Deals, £10m-£100m
- Dispute resolution > Public international law
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Reputation management
- Real estate > Residential property
- Dispute resolution > International arbitration
- Corporate and commercial > Venture capital
- Public sector > Education: institutions
- Public sector > Education: schools
- Corporate and commercial > Financial services: contentious
- Crime, fraud and licensing > Fraud: civil
- Employment > Immigration
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > IT and telecoms
- Employment > Employers
- Crime, fraud and licensing > Fraud: white-collar crime (advice to individuals)
- Insurance > Professional negligence
- Risk advisory > Regulatory investigations and corporate crime (advice to corporates)