The Legal Business Awards > Categories > Private Client Team of the Year

At a glance

2019 Winner

  • Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner

2019 Shortlisted

  • Stephenson Harwood - HIGHLY COMMENDED | James Quarmby
  • Charles Russell Speechlys | Andrew Cameron
  • Collyer Bristow | James Badcock
  • McDermott Will & Emery | Ziva Robertson
  • Womble Bond Dickinson | Neil Long

Previous Years

Select a year below to download a .pdf of the previous winners and nominees.

Private Client Team of the Year

This award recognises the top private client teams in the country, either offshore or onshore, handling high-value work in the areas of estates, charities, family, contentious and non-contentious trusts and probate, as well as personal tax, particularly to high-net-worth individuals and families.

2019 Winner

Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner

Damian Bloom

The firm now offers a truly global practice following its 2018 transatlantic merger. It has made a particular impression in Shari’a-compliant succession planning structures and continues to lead in real estate matters for private clients, including directly held, diversified and corporatised residential real estate.

Shortlisted

Stephenson Harwood - HIGHLY COMMENDED


James Quarmby

The London private wealth team achieved a 20% fee-income increase in the last financial year on the back of key highlights, including substantial victories in Gany Holdings v Khan & ors; Rangoonwala v Khan & ors, setting a precedent for the advancement of trust assets and clarifying the existing law on trustee’s discretion.

Charles Russell Speechlys


Andrew Cameron

The firm underlined its commitment to the practice with the appointment of four new partners in 2018, following the launch of a Hong Kong office in 2017 and expansion in Switzerland. Recent highlights include advising an ultra-high net-worth family and trustees on the disposal of high-value property interests to the family’s property management company.

Collyer Bristow


James Badcock

The hire of experienced family law partner Tanya Roberts from Charles Russell Speechlys was a major fillip for this City firm. It also advised a long-term client on wealth structures involving six offshore trusts along with underlying companies, having a total value of £1.4bn, as well as another on a $6bn cross-jurisdictional trust.

McDermott Will & Emery


Ziva Robertson

The firm successfully represented Truchot Trustees in obtaining a highly favourable judgment in an unusual case before the Chancery Court. The team managed to set aside potentially disastrous litigation on the basis that the client had no knowledge of the litigation and the firms representing it were doing so without proper authority.

Womble Bond Dickinson


Neil Long

The UK private wealth division saw revenue grow by 11% in the last financial year and, following the merger with Womble Carlyle in 2017, the team has seen a significant increase in engagements from US-based private banks and financial institutions, including advising a family with a net worth of over £1bn on succession planning.