Ruth Hughes > Chambers of Penelope Reed > London, England > Barrister Profile
5 Stone Buildings Offices
5 Stone Buildings
LINCOLN'S INN
LONDON
WC2A 3XT
England
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Ruth Hughes
Position
Ruth has a private client practice focusing on taxation, trusts and estates (in all cases both contentious and non-contentious) and Court of Protection. Ruth has experience in resolving all manner of property, tax and litigation related problems which arise in these areas. She frequently deals with complex cross-border estates and large landed estates within the UK.
Ruth is often involved in very high value disputes, for example the Ingenious tax litigation worth in excess of £1bn. She has a particular interest in the judicial review of HMRC. Ruth has a wide range of advocacy experience especially in the High Court and the Tax Tribunal. Her written and oral advocacy were described as “exemplary” by King LJ in Quan v Bray, charity/matrimonial trusts dispute.
Ruth is able to advise on all pre-and post-death planning issues which is also of assistance in her contentious practice. She frequently advises on tricky (and sometimes esoteric) issues of Inheritance Tax and associated Capital Gains Tax and draft the documents necessary to effect her advice.
Ruth is also a trained mediator and is able to bring this experience to bear in negotiating the best practical solutions for her clients.
Memberships
Chancery Bar Association and ACTAPS
Education
Graduated from Trinity Hall Cambridge, 2006, First class (Bateman Scholar)
Erskine Chambers Prize for Company Law
Called to the Bar 2007, Lincoln’s Inn (Levitt Scholar)
Lawyer Rankings
London Bar > Court of Protection and community care
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 3Ruth Hughes –5 Stone Buildings ‘Ruth is a fount of knowledge and excellent at applying that knowledge to the facts of the case. She is a great team player and very good with clients. Her advocacy is good.’
London Bar > Private client: trusts and probate
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 3Ruth Hughes –5 Stone Buildings ‘Ruth is tenacious in her advocacy and makes her points strongly and well. She is good in her written advice.’
5 Stone Buildings is the ‘go-to set for complex trusts and estates work’ and ‘a superlative set of excellent lawyers whose expertise is beyond doubt’. Penelope Reed KC recently appeared before the Supreme Court in Guest v Guest, a Supreme Court case concerning what relief the courts should provide in proprietary estoppel claims. Turning to the set’s juniors, Ruth Hughes represented the claimant in the Clitheroe v Bond litigation, a dispute between siblings raising complex issues of the correct test for testamentary capacity, and issues regarding testators’ deluded beliefs, while Mathew Roper represented successful claimants who rescinded mis-sold trust products, which purported to protect family homes from care home fee means-testing but instead created capital gains tax problems. Rose Fetherstonhaugh is known for ‘cross-examining witnesses in a very effective matter.’
London Bar > Tax: personal
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 2Ruth Hughes – 5 Stone Buildings ‘Ruth is a true team player. She is always prepared to go the extra mile and has an extraordinary work ethic. Highly diligent. A strong litigator who you want on your side.’