Supported by an ‘excellent’ clerking team, members of Serle Court regularly represent clients in major litigation. Thomas Fletcher acts unled against Richard Wilson KC and Oliver Jones in JTC Employer Solutions Trustee v Garnett, a High Court claim seeking the rescission of trust appointments on the grounds of mistake. Amy Proferes is acting in the factual complex Re Klein, a probate case where the estate was tied up in shareholdings in fifteen companies. Jonathan Harris KC is instructed in Kea Investments v Wikeley Family Trustee, where his client was able to obtain rare anti-enforcement injunctions in this case concerning an allegedly fraudulent agreement - the matter involved cross-border litigaiton involving New Zealand.
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Profile
Position
Richard Wilson KC has a practice encompassing litigation, drafting and advisory work across a wide range of traditional and commercial chancery, with a strong emphasis on trusts and probate (both contentious and non-contentious), related company and partnership law, claims under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975, tax, professional negligence and civil fraud.
Richard has been involved in many of the most significant and high-value cases in those areas in recent years, including: Futter v. Futter [2013] UKSC 26 (the leading case on the Rule in Re Hastings-Bass); Gany v Khan [2018] UKPC 21 (claim to establish ownership of companies by BVI trust and setting aside appointment by trustees); Grand View Private Trust Company v. Wong [2020] Bermuda Court of Appeal (challenge to exercise of trustees’ powers on the basis that it destroyed the ‘substratum’ of the trust) and the Dawson-Damer litigation (high value breach of trust claim in The Bahamas with related litigation in England and Bermuda). He is also currently acting in a number of disputes concerning the estates of UHNWIs in England.
His work frequently involves offshore matters and issues of private international law. He has appeared in the Privy Council, the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal of Gibraltar, the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal of Bermuda, the Supreme Court of The Bahamas, the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands and the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court and Court of Appeal. He has also given expert evidence of English Law in the Royal Courts of Jersey and Guernsey. He frequently acts in cases in all of the principal offshore jurisdictions including those mentioned above and in an increasing number of cases in Hong Kong.
Before commencing practice at the Bar, Richard worked as a tax consultant with Price Waterhouse.
Career
Called to the Bar 1996 (Middle Temple). Formerly worked as a Tax Consultant with Price Waterhouse. Co-author of 'The Trustee Act 2000: A Practical Guide' (Jordans). Author of numerous articles.
Memberships
Chancery Bar Association; STEP; ACTAPS; Professional Negligence Bar Association.
Education
LLB (Sheffield), LLM (London).
Content supplied by Serle Court
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'Arron Snipe in particular has been a pleasure to work with - always available, thorough and goes above and beyond to assist.'
- 'Serle is a top class set in the chancery field, with some of the most able practitioners.'
- 'The chambers has a very good reputation for trust and probate litigation and for general commercial litigation.'
- 'Excellent clerking team.'
- 'The set has strength in depth in private client work, with a focus on high-value and offshore work.'
- 'Serle Court are a very strong set and have a number of the best barristers in the field. They are particularly impressive in those cases involving commercial, offshore or more complex structures.'
- 'Serle Court is the go to and class-defining, excellent across the board.'
- 'The clerks are universally excellent. Responsive and knowledgeable.'