Private client
Highly experienced private client duo Agnes Mallon and John McArthur jointly lead the offering at Gillespie Macandrew LLP, which is experienced in complex succession planning and trust creation for high-net-worth families, including those in the farming sector. The team also handles delicate executry work and strategic tax planning, and includes David Mowlem, who specialises in wills, trusts, asset protection, and tax efficiency, as well as Eilidh Adams, a key contact for complex estate planning, trust law, and inheritance tax planning. Stewart Dunbar‘s interests include advising on succession planning for business-owning families, and Angela McMahon is an expert in trusts.
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Profile
Work Department
Tax and Private Client
Position
John specialises in complex tax, trust and succession issues and regularly works with other professional advisers to provide advice on structuring complex multi faceted estates to maximise their tax and succession efficiency. He regularly provides opinions to other professionals on legal, tax and other contentious matters including wills, trusts and executries and has significant experience in all areas of personal tax, and tax planning, particularly Inheritance Tax and Land and Buildings Transaction Tax.
John is accredited by the Law Society of Scotland as a specialist in Trust Law and regularly speaks at legal courses for STEP, other legal education providers and the Law Society of Scotland. He presents seminars to other professionals on legal and tax matters and has published articles in the Journal of the Law Society of Scotland and The Scotsman.
John is as a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP), a member of the Association of Taxation Technicians and an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Taxation. He is one of the few lawyers in Scotland who can call themselves a Chartered Tax Adviser and he was until recently the Treasurer of a charity with a turnover of around £1m. He is also a member of the Society of Writers to her Majesty’s Signet.
Career
Trained Archibald Campbell & Harley; qualified 1987; joined Gillespie Macandrew WS in 1988; associate; partner 1994.
Languages
French (a little)
Memberships
Notary public, Law Society of Scotland; Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP), CIOT, ATT.
Education
Daniel Stewarts and Melville Colleges; Aberdeen University (1984 LLB; 1985 Dip LP).
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Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘The team at Gillespie Macandrew are highly professional, skilled, incredibly efficient, conscientious, and thoughtful, and we are very lucky to have them carrying out all aspects of our legal requirements, both personally and for the businesses. We couldn't wish for better.'
‘I am extremely satisfied by the service provided and have had no cause for complaint in any way.’
‘The partner in charge of my affairs is always very thorough and if there is more than one course of action to choose from, she spells out the alternatives in great detail which facilitates the choice.'
‘They see the bigger picture. Pragmatic.’
‘They have enough knowledge and experience to understand what can and cannot be done.’