Expertise
Matt advises UK and international clients, from individuals, families, trustees, beneficiaries, and family offices on a wide range of private client issues, including UK tax, estate and succession planning.
Matt acts for high-net-worth individuals and families including business owners, professional executives, and entrepreneurs. Matt advises on the establishment and use of trusts and other wealth holding structures, and on the succession of family wealth including family businesses and family governance.
Recent Experience
- Matt assisted UK resident and domiciled family business owners with their succession planning including gifting of shares in the business to the next generation, corporate advice to support the succession of the business and personal support concerning the preparation of Wills and Lasting Powers of Attorney.
- Matt has advised UK resident US persons and UK nationals resident in the US in connection with their succession and estate planning, working with US advisors to ensure a joined up approach with both tax advice and Will drafting.
- Matt has providing ‘pre-arrival’ UK tax planning to non-UK domiciled persons coming to the UK from, amongst other countries, Hong Kong.
- Matt regularly provides UK tax advice to both UK and international clients in connection with the purchase of high value UK residential property. He also regularly drafts Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorneys and lifetime trusts to mitigate tax or carry out estate or succession planning.
Career History
Matt trained at a national law firm based in Bath and, upon qualifying as a solicitor in 2005, he practised as a solicitor in Bath before moving to their London office in 2008 to develop the firm’s private client services.
In 2011, Matt joined BDO in London before moving back into the legal world in 2013 to take up a role in the Private Wealth team at another London based law firm. He joined Wedlake Bell as a Partner in 2018 and heads up the Offshore team.
Matt is a full-time member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) and a member of STEP’s Responsible Stewardship of Wealth Though Leadership Group.
Matt coordinates the firm’s involvement with an education and social mobility charity.
Publications
Matt has co-authored chapters for the International Comparative Legal Guide: Private Client, including a series chartering the reforms to the taxation of UK residential property and has written widely for industry publications and the national press. Matt also talks at industry conferences both in the UK and internationally.
Endorsements
Matt is listed in Citywealth’s Leaders List 2018 and was awarded silver for Partner of the Year at the Citywealth Future Leader Awards 2016.
Matt was listed in the eprivateclient “Top 35 Under 35” in 2014 and 2015.