Jim Aveline > Burges Salmon LLP > Bristol, England > Lawyer Profile

Burges Salmon LLP‘s Bristol team is active nationally and internationally, advising high-net-worth individuals and families, as well as trustees, on matters ranging from tax structuring and exemptions to trust terminations and restructurings. Cross-border estate planning and trust structuring represent key areas of work for Suzanna Harvey, who co-heads the team alongside Jim Aveline, an expert on landed estate matters. Former practice head John Barnett has longstanding experience working with entrepreneurial clients, and Catherine De Maid regularly advises on cross-border tax planning matters with philanthropy aspects. Emma Heelis-Adams advises UK non-domiciled clients on succession planning, and Tim Williams advises on land development taxation issues.

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.

The ‘extremely knowledgeable, proactive and approachable’ team at Burges Salmon LLP is recognised for its skill at advising high-net-worth individuals and their families on global wealth-related mandates. Jim Aveline leads its family business team and he has a particular focus on family businesses, succession issues, and structures for holding wealth through trusts, companies, or partnerships. Suzanna Harvey became the head of its private wealth sector in February 2023. Another important member of the ‘technically excellent’ team is John Barnett, who is both a solicitor and a chartered tax adviser.