Private Wealth Lawyers
Legal advice on private wealth matters for individuals, families and businesses across the UK and internationally.
At JMW, our private wealth lawyers advise individuals, families, trustees and business owners on the legal issues that shape personal wealth, family security and long-term planning. We understand that private wealth often sits at the intersection of family, business, property and tax - and that effective legal advice must take account of all of these factors together.
Our private wealth team provides specialist legal guidance across succession and tax planning, trusts and estate administration, trusts and estates disputes, family law, real estate and business structuring. We act for clients in the UK and internationally, including those with assets or interests across multiple jurisdictions, and work closely with other advisers such as accountants, wealth managers, fiduciaries and private banks to deliver coordinated, practical solutions.
Drawing on the approach developed through JMW Signature, our private wealth lawyers support clients with complex personal and business arrangements, whether planning for the future, protecting assets, managing change or resolving disputes. This includes advising on wills, trusts, inheritance tax, family investment companies, property holdings, business succession and asset protection, as well as issues arising from marriage, divorce or family breakdown.
Whether your circumstances are straightforward or highly complex, our private wealth lawyers provide clear, strategic advice designed to protect what matters to you - now and in the future.
To speak to a member of our private wealth team, call 0345 872 6666 or complete our online enquiry form.
Our Private Wealth Legal Services
Our private wealth lawyers advise on a wide range of legal matters that affect personal wealth, family arrangements and business interests. Our expertise spans the following core areas:
Commercial Real Estate and Residential Real Estate
Advising on the acquisition, disposal and management of residential and commercial property, including high-value portfolios and investment assets.
Planning, Development and Construction Law
Providing legal advice on planning, development and construction matters, including complex projects involving family-owned land and property interests.
Supporting clients with financing arrangements, restructures and investment matters connected to private wealth and family businesses.
Advising on relationship breakdown, nuptial agreements and asset protection strategies where personal wealth and business interests are closely connected.
Drafting wills, advising on estate planning and inheritance tax, and supporting clients with estate administration in the UK and internationally.
Trust Creation and Administration
Establishing and advising on trusts, including ongoing administration and governance, for family and wealth structuring purposes.
Providing strategic advice on structuring personal and family wealth to support long-term planning and risk management.
Acting in disputes involving family businesses, partnerships and shareholders, where private wealth is at stake.
Advising on employment-related issues connected to family businesses, senior appointments and disputes involving key individuals.
Supporting private clients and family-owned businesses with private equity investments and related transactions.
Advising on the creation and operation of family investment companies as part of wider tax and succession planning.
Acting in contentious probate, estates and trust disputes and other disputes affecting personal and family wealth.
Media and Reputation Management
Advising on reputation, privacy and media issues that may impact individuals, families or family-owned businesses.
Supporting private clients and business owners through acquisitions, disposals and corporate restructures.
Advising on immigration matters connected to residence, relocation and international family arrangements.
Providing legal guidance on residence and domicile status and the implications for UK tax and succession planning.
Our private wealth team is known for its discretion, technical expertise and longstanding relationships with clients and their advisers. We aim to provide specialist advice that protects wealth, supports family continuity and delivers lasting results.
Why Choose JMW?
At JMW, we advise individuals, families, trustees and business owners on the legal issues that affect their personal wealth, family arrangements and long-term plans. We understand that private wealth matters are rarely confined to a single legal discipline. They often involve overlapping personal, commercial and international considerations, requiring joined-up legal advice that reflects how people live, invest and do business.
The strength and depth of our expertise spans succession and tax planning, trusts and estate structures, corporate and partnership arrangements, real estate and family law matters. Alongside this, we advise on related disciplines such as immigration, employment and contentious estates, allowing us to support clients across the full range of legal issues connected to private wealth.
We work closely with accountants, asset managers, private banks, fiduciaries and other professional advisers to provide advice that is practical, informed and aligned with wider financial and personal objectives. This collaborative approach allows us to respond effectively to the multiple legal challenges clients may face at any stage of life or business ownership.
Many of the clients we advise hold business and property interests across multiple sectors and jurisdictions. Some are UK residents, others have international connections or assets held overseas. We support clients not only in protecting and structuring their wealth, but also in achieving wider business and personal goals.
Where matters extend beyond the UK, we work with trusted international legal advisers who bring jurisdiction-specific expertise, ensuring advice is appropriately tailored to each client’s circumstances.
Clients come to us for advice on preserving wealth, planning for succession, protecting assets in the context of marriage or divorce, or structuring business interests for growth, sale or reorganisation. Others require support with complex real estate transactions, corporate restructures or disputes involving family or business assets.
Whatever the issue, our private wealth lawyers take the time to understand what you are trying to achieve and provide clear, strategic advice that supports both immediate decisions and long-term planning.
As a full-service law firm with offices in Manchester, London and Liverpool, JMW can advise on all legal matters affecting you, your family, your business interests and your assets. You will deal with senior lawyers who take responsibility for coordinating advice across disciplines, working closely with colleagues to deliver a cohesive and considered service that reflects your needs.
Meet the Team
Alison Parry is a Partner and Head of Private Wealth Disputes at JMW. She leads the team ranked Band 1 in the Chambers High Net Worth Guide and Tier 1 in the Legal 500 for private wealth disputes. Alison advises high net worth individuals, trustees and beneficiaries on all contentious matters involving wills, estates and trusts.
Her expertise includes challenging the validity of wills, Inheritance Act claims, disputes over lifetime transactions and claims arising from complex trust structures. A full member of ACTAPS and STEP’s Contentious Trusts and Estates Group, Alison is recognised for her technical skill and her empathetic, client-focused approach during highly sensitive disputes.
Read more about Alison’s experiences and credentials.
Joe Cobb is a Partner and Head of Private Wealth (Wills, Trusts, Tax & Succession Planning) and advises high and ultra-high net worth individuals, family offices and entrepreneurs on private wealth, tax and succession planning. He specialises in estate structuring, trust formation and family investment companies, acting for clients in the UK and internationally.
Joe’s experience includes advising on complex cross-border estates, the restructure and sale of family-owned businesses, and the establishment of charitable and family trusts. A full member of STEP, Joe is ranked in the Chambers High Net Worth Guide and the Legal 500 for his technical expertise, clear communication and practical, client-focused approach to managing complex private wealth matters.
Read more about Joe’s experiences and credentials.
Thomas Pearson is a Partner, Head of Real Estate Commercial and a member of JMW’s Board. He advises on commercial and residential real estate matters, including acquisitions, disposals and development of luxury and mixed-use properties across the UK.
Thomas has acted on large-scale residential and healthcare developments, as well as the acquisition and management of investment portfolios for domestic and offshore clients. Ranked as a Leading Individual in Chambers and described by Legal 500 as “hardworking and approachable,” he combines commercial insight with technical expertise to deliver complex transactions efficiently and with a client-focused approach.
Read more about Thomas’s experiences and credentials.
Mark Heppell is a Partner in JMW’s Corporate team and advises on corporate structuring, acquisitions, disposals and investment matters. He specialises in business succession planning, shareholder agreements and governance issues, often working alongside the private wealth team to support clients with complex ownership structures.
Mark has acted on a wide range of transactions, from high-value business sales and management buyouts to the establishment of employee ownership trusts and joint ventures. Known for his pragmatic, commercially minded advice, he helps clients structure deals efficiently and protect family and business interests for the long term.
Read more about Mark’s experiences and credentials.
Ruben Sinha is a Partner in JMW’s Family team and head of JMW Signature, the firm’s cross-practice service for family offices and ultra-high net worth clients in the UK and internationally. He advises on divorce, financial settlements, and asset protection involving complex corporate, trust and family wealth structures.
Ruben has extensive experience in high-value cases, often involving assets exceeding £100 million, and regularly acts for entrepreneurs, Family Offices and trustees across multiple jurisdictions. Having practised in Hong Kong, he has significant expertise in international family law, cross-border trusts and nuptial agreements.
Read more about Ruben’s experiences and credentials.
Rebecca Young is a Partner and Head of JMW’s Media and Reputation Management team. She advises on all aspects of media law, privacy and reputation management, often working alongside PR teams and advisers to protect clients’ interests in sensitive and fast-moving situations.
Rebecca provides expert advice on defamation, misuse of private information, breach of confidence and crisis management. With extensive experience in urgent injunctive relief, she has acted in leading Court of Appeal cases and is known for delivering clear, commercially focused guidance under pressure. Rebecca regularly acts for public figures, entrepreneurs and family-owned businesses, helping them manage risk to reputation, privacy and brand.
Read more about Rebecca’s experiences and credentials.
Jamie Mathieson is a Partner in JMW’s Private Wealth (Wills, Trusts, Tax & Succession Planning) team. With more than 20 years’ experience in private client law, he advises on estate planning, succession and the long-term preservation of family wealth.
Jamie acts for UK-based and international families on wills, trusts, probate and tax matters, with particular expertise in business succession and family investment companies. A Fellow of CILEX and an associate member of STEP, he is known for building lasting relationships with clients, guiding families across generations to manage and protect their assets with continuity and care.
Read more about Jamie’s experiences and credentials.
Talk to Us
Whether you are planning for the future, managing family wealth, or dealing with complex international assets, our private client lawyers can provide expert advice and tailored support. We work closely with clients, trustees and advisers to deliver solutions that protect wealth and preserve family interests across generations.
For discreet, partner-led guidance on private wealth matters, call us on 0345 872 6666 or complete our online enquiry form, and a member of our private wealth team will be in touch.
