Q: What was it like to join Wedlake Bell during the pandemic?
Although it’s not ideal joining in the middle of a pandemic, I have been made to feel extremely welcome by my new colleagues, and I feel very much part of the team already. I am looking forward to meeting everyone in person once we’re able to return to the office, but in the meantime the firm’s video conferencing technology has meant that I have been able to get to know the individual members of the team and begin collaborating with them.
I have been impressed by how effectively the firm has adapted to remote working. It’s clear that the firm has thought carefully about making sure all of the tools are in place to allow us to work efficiently from our virtual offices, and this has meant a seamless transition for my clients that have joined me at Wedlake Bell.
Q: What trends do you think will be affecting private clients as we move into 2021?
Part of my practice involves providing my clients with estate and succession planning strategies. Tax is often a key focus. It seems likely that capital gains tax rates will increase in 2021, and we may also see changes to the inheritance tax regime as the Chancellor looks to start balancing the books. With that in mind, I think we will see a trend towards clients, who may have planned to start passing on wealth to the next generation over the next few years, bringing forward their estate planning to take advantage of the current tax rules.
Q: What do you like to do in your spare time?
One of my big passions is playing the drums. At my previous firm I was involved in Law Rocks – a charitable endeavour allowing lawyers to act like rock stars for the night – and as a result I was lucky enough to play in gigs in various venues around the world. I have already heard there are a few musicians at Wedlake Bell so a firm band may be on the horizon!
My other passion is running. My children convinced me to go running with them a couple of years ago, and I’ve gone from having a hard time running for the bus to regularly running 10k races. I was due to run a half marathon this year, but it was postponed due to the pandemic, so I hope to conquer that next year.