Multi-jurisdictional legal advice for private clients, family enterprises and businesses

The services described below are provided directly or, where the matter requires it, in association with trusted and experienced practitioners in the relevant jurisdiction. Where a co-adviser or specialist is engaged, I maintain direct oversight and full client access throughout. The determining factor is always the best outcome for the client — in terms of quality, speed and cost.

Trusts & Foundations

I advise on the establishment, structuring and governance of trusts and foundations across the principal UAE free zone regimes — DIFC, ADGM and RAKICC — and in other offshore jurisdictions. This includes the drafting of constitutive documents, complex by-laws and governance frameworks, and the ongoing review and amendment of those documents as a client's circumstances or objectives evolve. I have particular experience of coordinating UAE and offshore structures with English law and the succession or tax regimes of the jurisdictions in which my clients are resident or domiciled.

Asset Protection & Succession Planning

I advise high-net-worth individuals, family enterprises and family offices on the protection and orderly transmission of wealth across generations. This encompasses asset protection structures, family and business succession planning, exit planning, legacy vehicles and the avoidance of fixed succession regimes. I have extensive experience of multi-jurisdictional estate planning where assets, beneficiaries and beneficial owners are spread across several legal systems, and of coordinating those arrangements with the requirements of English law, UAE law and applicable European succession frameworks.

Corporate & Commercial (UAE)

I advise on corporate and commercial matters in the UAE, including company structuring, shareholders' agreements, joint venture arrangements, corporate governance and commercial contracts. I also act as ad hoc in-house counsel to businesses with multi-jurisdictional operations, providing ongoing support across corporate, commercial and compliance matters.

Probate & Estate Administration

I advise on and administer estates with assets in the UK and across multiple jurisdictions, including the obtaining of Grants of Probate and equivalent orders in England & Wales and other common law jurisdictions. I have experience of complex multi-jurisdictional probate, cross-border estate administration and the coordination of parallel proceedings in more than one jurisdiction.

UK Real Estate

I provide strategic advice to investors and owner representatives on the acquisition, structuring and due diligence of high-value UK real estate, with particular focus on the tax considerations that attend such transactions — including Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) and the Annual Tax on Enveloped Dwellings (ATED). I have considerable experience of cross-border ownership structures where the beneficial owner is resident or domiciled outside the UK.

Working with Other Professionals

I welcome referrals from and collaborative working arrangements with solicitors, barristers, accountants, wealth managers, family offices and other professional advisers in the UK and internationally. Where a matter falls outside my direct practice areas I will, where possible, refer the client to an appropriate specialist.