Kevin Kennedy > Burges Salmon LLP > Bristol, England > Lawyer Profile

Burges Salmon LLP‘s practice is well-equipped to handle transactions, disputes, as well as tax and succession planning in the agriculture and estates sectors. The team fields extensive expertise in rural affairs and is led by Tom Hewitt, who is praised for being ‘at the top of his profession’. Agricultural disputes form the core of Kevin Kennedy‘s practice, while Emma Folkes specialises in transactional work. The taxation of development land alongside succession planning, inheritance tax, and asset structuring are particular areas of focus for Tim Williams. Another key name to note in the practice is Ross Simpson, whose capabilities include handling the disposal and acquisition of landholdings and agricultural portfolios.

‘A leading force based in Bristol‘, Burges Salmon LLP‘s private wealth disputes team excels at handling complex contentious matters for high-net-worth individuals, and in particular standing out for its expertise in beneficiary-executor disputes over trust structures involving landed estates and offshore assets. The team acts for both beneficiaries and trustees in high-value professional negligence claims, trust structure challenges, and breach of agreement claims, and it is also highly capable of handling complex will challenges. Kevin Kennedy is increasingly involved in matters at the intersection of private wealth and natural capital and heads up the team together with Justin Briggs, a private wealth and pensions expert who chiefly handles trusts matters. Suzanne Padmore is also a key contact for trusts disputes. Caroline Emslie left the team in December 2023.

Burges Salmon LLP has an enviable reputation for its work on an array of rural real estate transactions. The agile team also garners praise for its estate-focused tax planning advice, and for its expertise in agricultural dispute resolution. Tom Hewitt  is a trusted adviser to numerous landed estate clients, while Kevin Kennedy is recognised for his work on a range of high-value agricultural disputes. Ross Simpson has a strong track record in handling the disposals and acquisitions of some of the UK’s most significant landholdings and sizeable agricultural portfolios. Jim Aveline is another key member of the department who acts for a sizeable client base of diversified farms and landed estates on numerous tax, estate, and succession matters.

At Burges Salmon LLP, Kevin Kennedy has a proven track record of advising on complex contentious trust matters, as well as matters involving landed estates and high-net-worth individuals. Justin Briggs, who co-heads the department with Kennedy, holds the STEP Advanced Certificate in Trusts Disputes. Briggs handles high-stakes and challenging private trusts matters. Michael Ward acts in an array of private wealth disputes for high-net-worth clients, and these disputes often involve family businesses run as companies and/or partnerships, frequently with shareholdings held both personally and via trust structures.