He has developed a niche specialism in advising and acting for high-net-worth individuals based both in the UK and from all over the world who are looking to buy homes in London for their own use and/or for investment purposes. He is also well connected to specialist funders and the leading London estate agents and buying agents who deal in this type of work. He is a member of the firm’s private wealth sector group.

Duncan was the co-author of the first and second editions of The Allied Dunbar Business Tax and Law Handbook and was previously a board member of the North London Chamber of Commerce. He is currently a non-executive director of a central London enterprise agency. He joined Penningtons Manches Cooper in 2011 (after 30 years with his family’s firm Wedlake Saint) and was a partner until 2021.

His experience includes corporate, constitutional and governance matters for housing associations. This leads him to work across group structures, reorganisations, mergers and demergers, transfers of engagement and amalgamations. Hugo has also advised on the formation of new housing associations, both not-for-profit and for-profit, and their registration with the Regulator of Social Housing, and subsequent relationship and working arrangements with this body. He also provides training for boards and staff on a wide range of issues, from board members’ duties and liabilities to anti-money laundering regulations.

In terms of finance work, Hugo covers capital markets financings, including public bond issues and private placements, bilateral and syndicated loan debt facilities, development funding, intragroup loans, structured finance and derivatives. He works on the creation of security trusts and the amendment of existing security trust arrangements to reflect new borrowing requirements.

Over the years, Hugo has led teams on a range of major projects including joint ventures, large scale voluntary transfers, arms-length management organisations, private finance initiative project restructures, group structures and mergers and demergers.

She has particular expertise in matters with an international element, and in handling cases where coercive, controlling or abusive behaviour is involved. Jane also regularly advises on prenuptial and postnuptial agreements. As a trained collaborative lawyer, she is a long-standing member of Resolution, an association of family lawyers committed to a constructive approach to resolving family law issues.

Her outstanding reputation is reflected by the fact that she has been top ranked in both Chambers UK and the Legal 500 for over 20 years, while her decades as a leading lawyer of her generation have been recognised by her membership of the Legal 500’s coveted Hall of Fame.

The nature of those problems changes through the economic cycle, and he covers the full range of problems that one encounters, from enforcement of rent and other obligations to contract termination and insolvency. With a background in commercial dispute resolution, Donald is familiar with all forms of dispute resolution, including litigation in the courts, both in England and abroad, arbitration, expert determination and mediation. He has litigated cases up to Supreme Court level.

His current focus includes issues arising out of building safety failures relating to residential towers, hotels and student accommodation. This is coupled with disputes arising out of forward funding agreements, conditional sale/purchase agreements and conditional agreements for lease. Donald regularly advises landlords on all aspects of tenant insolvency including CVA, part 26A schemes and liquidation. He also has specialist experience in dealing with rights to light, oversailing and boundary issues, rent review arbitrations and expert determinations. His clients include insurers, pension funds and investment funds as well as developers, occupiers and large social housing providers/developers.

In addition to her reputation as a sought-after mediator, collaborative family lawyer and arbitrator, Suzanne remains well able to use her unique skillset in difficult litigation and has extensive experience of working with family law colleagues around multiple jurisdictions. She advises and supports clients on a wide range of issues, including complex financial matters, child arrangements and marital agreements. She has extensive experience of mediating and advising on cohabitation disputes.

Suzanne has a large international practice and is a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers. She is top ranked in Chambers UK for ‘Family/Matrimonial Finance: Ultra High Net Worth’ and is spotlighted by the directory for mediation. She is also admitted to the Legal 500 ‘Hall of Fame’. She has received a plethora of accolades throughout her career, including being named ‘Family Lawyer of the Year’ by both Citywealth and Spear’s Magazine.

Suzanne has provided arbitration training for judges and family lawyers in England and in jurisdictions as far apart as South Africa and Hong Kong. Outside of work, Suzanne chairs the London fundraising board for the cancer care charity, Maggie’s. She also serves on the council and executive committee of Durham Law School Alumni Association. She has a diploma in mentoring and family law supervision and is very involved in Women in Family Law (WiFL).