Expertise

Victoria’s practice includes all aspects of private client work. She has expertise in Court of Protection and elderly client work to include advising on applications to the Court regarding deputyship appointments, mental capacity issues, powers of attorney and protection of assets for vulnerable beneficiaries.

She advises individuals on methods of mitigating inheritance tax and capital gains tax through lifetime gifts, trusts and tax-efficient wills, together with advising on the administering of estates and trusts.

Victoria also advises on the establishment of new charitable structures, charity mergers / variations and matters relating to the administration of charities.

Victoria is named in the Citywealth Top 100 Private Client Lawyers list 2021 (particularly due to her work in the philanthropy sector) and was awarded Silver in Citywealth’s Lawyer of the Year, Senior/Managing Associate in 2020. She was previously named one of the country’s “Top 35 Under 35” private client advisers in eprivateclient magazine for 3 years.

Recent Experience

• Applying to the Court of Protection for authority for gifts to be made on behalf of incapacitated individuals.
• Setting up and advising on trusts for disabled persons.
• Advising on the re-structuring of charities to include the conversion of charitable trusts to charitable incorporated organisations (CIOs).
• Advising mixed US/UK citizen couples on their UK tax and estate planning.
• Advising on Wills for testators with European assets.

Career History

Victoria qualified into the Private Client team in September 2006 after completing her training contract with Wedlake Bell.

Victoria is a member of the Society of Trusts and Estates Practitioners (STEP) as well as the STEP Mental Capacity Special Interest Group and the STEP Cross Border Estates Special Interest Group.

Publications

Victoria is a contributing author to Lexis Nexis PSL’s practice notes on Lasting Powers of Attorney and issues relating to elderly clients. Victoria’s most recent articles have been in Charities Management magazine and eprivateclient magazine on trustee loans to charities.

Victoria has also contributed to the Law Society’s PS Magazine regarding legal tests to assess mental capacity and Rothschild’s Trust Review as well as being quoted in numerous articles in the press, such as the Financial Times and the Telegraph, regarding probate matters and asset protection. Victoria was also the author of the introductory chapter to ARK’s Private Client: An Expert Guide book.