Expertise
Clare advises both UK based and international individuals, trustees, beneficiaries and their advisers on tax, trusts, estate planning and succession issues. She acts for ultra and high net worth individuals and families on the establishment and use of trusts and other structures for succession and estate planning purposes.
Clare advises on tax efficient UK Will planning as well as cross-border wills and succession planning and has a growing US/UK practice. Clare often works in conjunction with lawyers in other jurisdictions to provide her international clients with a comprehensive multi-jurisdictional estate plan. She also advises on a range of UK trust law matters and acts as a trustee of private family trusts and charities.
Clare has particular experience in advising Middle Eastern families on tax efficient structuring of their UK property and business interests (including Sharia compliant structures) and travels to the Middle East regularly. Clare also provides UK tax advice to private individuals and their families planning to invest, live, work or study in the UK.
Clare’s clients include entrepreneurs, business owners and private family offices for whom she provides advice on mitigating inheritance and capital gains tax and planning for future family/business life-cycle events.
Recent Experience
• Advising private individuals and trustees on the structuring of new and existing high value residential and mixed use real estate in the UK following changes in UK tax legislation.
• Advising on UK IHT planning and trusts for non-UK domiciliaries ahead of becoming UK deemed domiciled.
• Advising on a variety of complex trust law matters for a significant UK based private family office.
• Drafting and advising on Wills and asset protection structures for family with financial and matrimonial concerns for their children.
• Advising private family shareholders on tax planning and structuring options ahead of a planned sale of the business.
• Appointed as a trustee of a £20m+ private charitable trust.
Career History
Clare obtained a degree in LLB Law from the university of Southampton. She qualified as a solicitor in 2004 having trained at Speechly Bircham LLP. She was a Senior Associate in the Private Wealth department at international law firm Trowers & Hamlins LLP before joining Wedlake Bell in 2015.
She is a full member of STEP (The Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners), was named one of the UK’s “Top 35 Under 35 Private Client lawyers” by industry title eprivateclient and is listed in the Spears 500 Private Client directory for top private client advisers.