Matthew Braithwaite
Partner
Private Client



Expertise
Matt advises a wide range of 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 also on the succession of family trusts and businesses and governance issues.
He also advises on Wills and wider estate and succession planning issues.
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 Bath-based Stone King and upon qualifying as a solicitor in 2005 he practised as a solicitor in Bath before moving to London with Stone King in 2008 to develop the firm’s private client services.
In 2011 Matt joined BDO in London as a Senior Tax Manager in their Private Client Services department before moving back into the legal world in 2013 to take up role in the Private Wealth at another London based law firm. He joined Wedlake Bell as a Partner in 2018.
Matt is Co-Chair of the firm’s Social Mobility Network and responsible for coordinating initiatives to give career opportunities to prospective lawyers from less well represented social and ethnic backgrounds.
Matt is a full-time member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) and Co-Chair of STEP’s Business Families Special Interest Group Steering Committee.
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.
"The team is known for its straightforward answers and expertise in helping international clients navigating through complex UK tax issues. I work with Matt Braithwaite. Approachable, no nonsense and always helpful!"
— Legal 500, 2023
"Matthew Braithwaite advises wealthy clients on cross-border succession and estate planning, as well as taxation matters. "He is my go-to private wealth lawyer in London. He is very patient and has a lot of experience in advising high net worth families on tax-related issues," states a source."
— Chambers, High Net Worth 2022
"Matthew Braithwaite is very responsive and easy to work with."
— Legal 500, 2022
"Matthew Braithwaite, Camilla Wallace and Jenny Cutts – each with their own style; all three are technically excellent and provide solution driven advice."
— Legal 500, 2022
"He is very collaborative, he is very responsive and very knowledgeable," and another comments: "He is someone I'd highly recommend. I like him a lot. He is really bright, responsive and easy to deal with."
— Chambers, High Net Worth Guide 2021
"Matt is brilliant. Matt is first of all a very approachable and very down-to-earth individual, the other thing that stands out about him is that he has a very good grasp of matters and can explain things to clients in an understandable manner."
— Chambers, High Net Worth Guide 2021
Insights
eprivateclient: What might 2023 have in store for the private wealth sector?
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International family businesses remain agile during the Covid-19 pandemic
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Edward Fennell’s Legal Diary: News that family offices managing vast fortunes for wealthy individuals have increased their allocation to private equity from about 15 per cent in 2019 to a fifth last year.
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Family offices in a post-pandemic world
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A Nudge In The Wrong Direction From The UK’s Tax Collector?
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The non-resident stamp duty land tax surcharge
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THE RISING IMPORTANCE OF SOCIAL CAPITAL FOR FAMILY OFFICES
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Why performance needs to be more than just about financial return for family office investors- Wealth Adviser
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Home And Away: Working From Home, Abroad – Tax, Legal Implications- WealthBriefing
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Tax and estate planning when moving to the UK
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Tax Changes for Purchasers of UK Property
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Immigration to the UK from Hong Kong: Preparatory Legal and Tax Steps
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6 APRIL IS THE BEGINNING OF THE PERSONAL TAX YEAR
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Wealth briefing have covered Matthew Braithwaite joining Wedlake Bell
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Wedlake Bell further bolsters the firm’s Private Client Group with new Partner
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