Stuart is a Partner in Mishcon Private. He helps clients to preserve, grow and pass on their wealth and provides UK and international tax advice. As acknowledged by Chambers High Net Worth: "Stuart is astute and technical. He is precise, has a clear mind, and is extremely personable."
A large part of Stuart's practice is advising non-UK domiciled clients who are considering a move to the UK, providing them (and the other advisors supporting them) with pre-arrival tax advice as well as advice on residence, their domicile status, trusts, and other asset holding structures. Conversely, he advises non-doms who have been living in the UK for several years and those considering leaving the UK. He also advises international families who often have little or no connection to the UK and who are looking for effective governance structures through which to organise the long-term transition of wealth. In that regard, Stuart is an expert in the creation of international Wills and asset holding structures such as trusts, foundations, companies, and partnerships.
Stuart is the co-lead of Mishcon de Reya's Latin America & Iberia group, and has a particular interest in advising clients with connections to those regions, in particular Brazil.
As a member of Mishcon de Reya's Blockchain group, Stuart can provide comprehensive tax and structuring advice to individuals and business who trade or invest in cryptocurrency and other cryptoassets.
He is often involved in matters where there is active litigation, or the prospect of it, working closely with the firm's Private Wealth Disputes and Family specialists.
A full member of STEP, the world's leading organisation for private wealth professionals, the Association of Contentious Trust, and Probate Specialists (ACTAPS) and The Law Society's Private Client Section, Stuart regularly gives seminars on private client law and practice and has published articles in many of the leading professional publications as well as editing and writing for key texts.
Stuart is the recipient of multiple industry awards and is consistently ranked as a leading individual for his technical specialisms.
Key Experience
- Acting for the widow and executrix of an ultra-high net worth British-born entrepreneur in respect of notices of determination pertaining to inheritance tax arising from a number of substantial lifetime transfers which constituted several offshore settlements. The inheritance tax issues are linked to the longest tax dispute in UK history which is currently before the First-tier tax tribunal and which is handled by our Tax Litigation team.
- Structuring an ultra high net worth Russian client's worldwide assets in order to minimise death duties and to provide the orderly transfer of those assets to his chosen heirs. This work involved co-ordinating advice from practitioners in multiple jurisdictions.
- Advising a Venezuelan entrepreneur on his family's relocation to the UK and helping them to navigate through the complexities of the UK tax system in order to mitigate their exposure to UK taxes. Advice also focused on the structuring of the family's acquisition of a £25million residential property in central London.
- Advising British aristocrat and businessman whose family own a substantial UK landed estate on his personal tax and succession planning.
- Advising several members of the Saudi Royal family on tax-efficient structures for holding UK real estate and to ensure a smooth succession to the next generation.
- Advising a wealthy Russian client on his personal tax and succession planning to include the tax efficient funding of UK charitable projects from non-UK funds.
Career History
Partner, Mishcon de Reya LLP
Legal Director, Mishcon de Reya LLP
Managing Associate, Mishcon de Reya LLP
Associate, Mishcon de Reya LLP
Senior Associate, Penningtons Manches LLP
Associate, Penningtons Manches LLP
Associate, Clifton Ingram LLP
Solicitor, Clifton Ingram LLP
Trainee, Clifton Ingram LLP
University of Law (Guildford), GDL, LPC & LLB
University of Surrey, BA (Hons) Accounting
Articles and Publications
- Various private client briefings – Tax Journal
- Contentious Probate Handbook by Carl Islam: a book review – PS Magazine
- On the up – PS Magazine
- Rectification: keeping up with the Vaughan-Jones – Trust and Estates Law & Tax Journal
- Private Client Global Guide (England and Wales) – Practical Law (Thomson Reuters)
- Wills: lost and found – Trust and Estates Law & Tax Journal
- Insurance monies and CGT – Pall Mall Art Advisors' magazine