Led by Jonathan Shankland, the contentious trusts and estates team at Weightmans LLP is adept at advising families from landed estates and ultra-high-net-worth individuals. Shankland has experience in complex international wealth structuring, trust and estate administration, succession planning, and fiduciary matters. Dividing his time between London and Manchester, David McGuire focuses on disputed wills and will challenges, trust disputes, Inheritance Act claims, and disputes involving trustees, executors, and beneficiaries. Oliver Haddock supports the team.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- The Weightmans team is best in class. I have a large client base of UHNW clients, and in that respect, I work alongside many of the leading London private client law firms. Weightmans is at the top of their game in terms of technical prowess, as well as commercial and practical experience at the highest level of complexity. The team is large and has highly skilled lawyers at all relevant levels to work with varying types and elements of complex client matters. The team has a wide reach in capability, dealing with all that I have thrown at them, from landed estate and inherited wealth clients to media names and entrepreneurial trendsetters. I have not seen any firms that do the private client piece better than Weightmans, and they never fail to impress me and my clients and add value to my offering to clients at every turn. The key differentiator for me is their ability to be second to none in commercial and technical high-level advice while also creating real bonds and trust with clients; they inspire confidence. They also have a much fairer and more realistic charging structure than some of the corporate law firms that I have come across.
- A good team focused on helping clients achieve a good outcome in their litigation. The resources of the firm mean that specialist advice (such as tax advice) can be provided in-house.
Work highlights
Advised a client in the case of Sofer v Swiss Independent Trustees SA, a leading case setting legal precedent and progressing to the Court of Appeal regarding a breach of fiduciary duties claim for significant value.
Acted for a client in the High Court re the use of powers of attorney and abuse of power, capacity, and a disputed will.
Practice head
Jonathan Shankland
Other key lawyers
David McGuire; Oliver Haddock