Andrew O’Keeffe

Partner

Private Client Disputes
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Expertise

Andrew advises on a wide range of contentious trust and probate matters with particular expertise in disputes concerning the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975, where he has acted for spouses, partners, both adult and minor children as well as dependants. He has also acted for and advised executors in relation to such claims.

Andrew is regularly asked to advise on issues regarding the validity of Wills including issues relating to testamentary capacity, lack of knowledge and approval, undue influence, fraud as well as lack of due execution and revocation.

He also has considerable experience in disputes relating to the administration of both trusts and estates where he has advised trustees, executors and beneficiaries on matters such as allegations of breach of trust, actions for an account and disclosure of trust documents. He has also acted in claims relating to the removal of personal representatives or trustees.

Andrew also undertakes Court of Protection work and has a particular interest in the professional negligence side of contentious trust and probate matters.

Recent Experience

  • Acting for the successful claimants in the recent leading case regarding presumed undue influence: Hart and Samways v Burbidge [2013] 1628 (Ch).
  • Acting for a major beneficiary of a farming partnership in respect of claims for rectification and construction of the terms of his deceased partner’s Will.
  • Acting for the granddaughter of a patient of the Court of Protection in respect of a statutory Will application in respect of an estate worth over £3m.
  • Advising clients in respect of a claim for proprietary estoppel over their entitlement to the deceased uncle’s interest in a substantial farm.
  • Advising beneficiaries in relation to various claims arising in respect of their entitlement to their late mother’s estate which include a number of residential properties and a freehold public house.

Career History

Andrew joined Wedlake Bell LLP in November 2015 from Wilson Solicitors LLP where he was a partner. He is a full member of the Association of Contentious Trust and Probate Specialists (ACTAPS) and has been since 2006. He is listed in the Legal 500 (2015) where he is described as “thorough and commercial”. He is also recognised as a Prominent Figure in the field of contentious trusts in the Citywealth Leaders List for 2015.

Andrew has been widely quoted in national and regional newspapers on subjects such as the recent landmark ruling that DNA evidence should be used to settle disputes of hereditary titles in The Telegraph and The National.

Andrew qualified as a solicitor in 1992 and has a degree in Social Sciences from Hatfield Polytechnic.

I think he is very good - a sensible and pragmatic lawyer.

Chambers High Net Worth 2023

I think Andrew is good with clients and very commercial. He is very experienced and understands the detail and issues but equally he is very commercial and pragmatic.

Chambers High Net Worth 2023

The contentious partner with whom I have worked recently is Andrew O’Keefe, who is extremely steady and whose low key approach belies the effectiveness of the way in which he runs matters.

Legal 500, 2023

This team has good experience and provides a consistently good service. Andrew O’Keefe works diligently for his clients, and is a formidable litigator.

Legal 500, 2023

Andrew O’Keeffe is experienced and dependable, and has deadly dangerous negotiation skills. Tom Klemme is his reliable and switched-on right-hand man.

Legal 500, 2023

This firm handles some very large trusts and this feeds into a strong and successful contentious team. Andrew O’Keefe and Caroline Miller are both great to work with.

Legal 500, 2023

Andrew O'Keeffe's contentious trust and probate practice includes acting for various parties in disputed inheritance cases regarding sizeable family estates. The breadth of his expertise is commended by a source: "Andrew covers a lot of bases, he is excellent with clients and provides a very good tactical overview." A barrister also remarks that a "particular strength of his is in keeping an eye on the commercial view of litigation.

Chambers High Net Worth 2022

Andrew O’Keeffe – an excellent litigator and tactician. Very personable and a great communicator with clients, calm under pressure, persistent and achieves great results for clients.

Legal 500, 2022

Andrew O’Keeffe is an experienced partner with a well-tuned sense of judgement on the merits of cases and how to handle clients and opponents; definitely one to have on your side.

Legal 500, 2022

Andrew O’Keefe is a highly experienced litigator and is not phased by anything.

Legal 500, 2022

A strong private client firm with a number of high-value disputes. Andrew O’ Keeffe – very knowledgeable and solidly practicable.

Legal 500, 2022

Andrew O’Keeffe is very experienced, well respected and a brilliant tactician

Legal 500, 2021

Andrew O’Keeffe is an able and tough litigator. He obtains great results for clients and is a master of strategy

Legal 500, 2021

Andrew O'Keeffe of Wedlake Bell LLP leads the private client team at the firm. He advises on probate and trusts disputes and Court of Protection matters. A fellow solicitor enthuses: 'He is a very knowledgeable and experienced litigator' and another peer says he is 'really good on domestic probate work and Inheritance Act claims,' A barrister adds that 'he's excellent and has oodles of experence.'

HNW Chambers 2019

"He has a very good client manner and brings a very traditional and fair approach to this sort of work. He is a very practical adviser who is both persistent and tenacious."

Chambers HNW 2018

"He is always very measured and very calm in his approach to things. He provides a steady hand for clients."

Chambers HNW 2018

News

Managing a beneficiary: steps to take

Andrew O’Keeffe, Partner and Sarah Turner, Solicitor at Wedlake Bell talk about the steps to follow when there are concerns about how a trust is being managed. The primary fiduciaryRead more

Bulletins

In Trust Summer 2019

WELCOME FROM THE EDITOR Welcome to the Summer 2019 edition of In Trust. In this issue, we bring together a range of articles to provide you with a general “wealthRead more

Bulletins

In Trust Winter 2018/2019

Welcome from the editor A warm welcome to the Winter 2018/19 edition of In Trust. In this issue we bring together a range of articles to highlight how we canRead more

Bulletins

Why make a will?

A Will is a legal document in which a person declares their intention as to what should happen to their assets after their death. You are not legally obliged toRead more

News

Can my half-sister challenge our father’s will? – Financial Times

The article was originally posted by the Financial Times on 7/11/2018. Can my half-sister challenge our father’s will? My elderly father has died and left most of his assets toRead more

News

Private: “How a common law partner can go against your will” – Andrew O’Keeffe and Jemma Goddard write for Spear’s Magazine

The recent case of Thompson v Ragget and others [2018] offers a stark reminder that a ‘common law’ husband or wife may be entitled to receive a substantial proportion ofRead more

News

“Was my father ‘coerced’ into rewriting his will?” – Andrew O’Keeffe responds to a reader’s question for The FT

Andrew O’Keeffe, Head of our Private Client Team, has had his responds to a reader’s question on inheritance for The FT. On the issue of contesting a re-written Will, AndrewRead more

News

Private: Ministry of Justice Power of Attorney Fee Refund Scheme

If you applied to register a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) or Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA) during the period 1 April 2013 and 31 March 2017, you could beRead more

News

“Where there’s a Will, there’s a way” Partner, Andrew O’Keeffe, writes for Spear’s Magazine

Partner and Head of Private Client Team, Andrew O’Keeffe, has written a new article on the importance of planning ahead for Wills for Spear’s Magazine. The article, published on 22Read more

Bulletins

In Trust Summer 2018

Welcome From the Editor A warm welcome to the Summer 2018 edition of In Trust. Through increasing globalisation, we are seeing an ever growing number of our clients with internationalRead more

Bulletins

Ilott v The Blue Cross: a victory for testamentary freedom

On 15 March the Supreme Court ruled on the landmark case of Ilott v The Blue Cross (previously Ilott v Mitson), a claim originally brought by a daughter excluded fromRead more

Bulletins

Succession rights and estate planning for unmarried cohabitants

Many assume that couples who are neither married nor in a civil partnership but who live together (“cohabitants” for the purposes of this article) have a “common law marriage” entitlingRead more