Nick Mendoza

Nick is head of the onshore subgroup within the Private Client team.

His practice encompasses working with high net worth clients to advise them on their estate and succession planning strategies. He advises on tax efficient lifetime giving, the use of trusts as a vehicle for long-term succession planning and the preparation of tax-efficient wills.

He assists clients with creating bespoke wills to cater for wealth protection and succession planning aims, Inheritance Tax planning, issues relating to blended families, complex financial or business arrangements and helping to avoid disputes.

Nick’s practice also focuses on the administration of complex high-value estates, often covering multiple jurisdictions. He is frequently appointed as the lead lawyer, coordinating the administration of the estate across the various jurisdictions. This area of his work includes advising families on post-death tax planning options, maximising tax reliefs where available and implementing post-death planning aims.

A trustee for several large family trusts, Nick assists with the management of family trusts, providing advice to trustees on a range of issues, including the simplification of complex trust structures and tax mitigation opportunities.

Nick has developed a niche in advising clients on planning around education trusts for children and speaks regularly on the topic. He is frequently instructed to advise clients on the creation and management of education trusts.

Nick’s client base is diverse and includes entrepreneurs, individuals from the sports and entertainment industries, individuals from the finance industry, including private equity CEOs and private bankers, and individuals with landed estates.

• Acting as the lead lawyer on the administration of high-value multi-jurisdictional estates, which included negotiating with HMRC on the claim of valuable Inheritance Tax reliefs and exemptions, coordinating advice on international succession issues and advising executors regarding the impact of long-term residency on tax and estate succession.
• Advising families on post-death estate variations in order to mitigate Inheritance Tax, Capital Gains Tax and Stamp Duty Land Tax. This includes advice to families on restructuring family company shareholdings to capture Business Asset Disposal Relief (formerly Entrepreneurs’ Relief) and Inheritance Tax Business Relief.
• Advising the owners of a family-run hotel business on plans to restructure the business ownership.
• Acting for a high net worth client with a young family to assist with his long-term succession planning, which included the creation of a series of trust structures to mitigate Inheritance Tax, preparing tax-efficient wills and advising on the creation of education trusts to take advantage of specific tax exemptions available under the Inheritance Tax Act 1984.
• Advising on and assisting with the creation of disabled persons trusts.

Nick is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP).

Awards
Silver – Senior Associate category at the 2021 Citywealth Future Leaders Award
Bronze – Wealth Professional Awards category at the 2022 Citywealth Magic Circle Awards.