New hires boost Penningtons Manches’ private wealth team

Posted: 17/07/2017

The private client team at leading law firm Penningtons Manches has expanded its award-winning private wealth team with three appointments.

Senior associate Louise Lewis joins the firm’s Oxford office and was previously with Blake Morgan.

She handles the full range of succession and tax work and has significant expertise in trusts and intestate estates, with a particular focus on setting up trusts for high net worth clients and administering intestate estates tax and cost efficiently. She is a key member of STEP’s (the world’s leading organisation for private wealth professionals) digital assets working group, which looks at what happens to email and social media accounts, digital music collections, websites, domain names, and other digital effects on death/incapacity. She has provided comment to a number of media outlets including The Times on this increasingly important topic.

Louise also has a keen interest in corporate responsibility and charity work more generally. As well as chairing her previous firm’s CSR team she set up the Thames Valley group of Oxfam's Lawyers Against Poverty initiative, which holds seminars and organised events across the region. She is also a trustee of local mental health charity Restore.

Senior associate James Lewis (not related to Louise) joins the Penningtons Manches London office from Howard Kennedy. He undertakes a broad range of work including estate planning, wills, trust advice, trust creation and termination, tax advice, issues of domicile, residence, and probate administration.

He brings a wide range of experience, having worked with high net worth clients that include individuals on The Sunday Times Rich List, senior politicians, European royals and members of leading Middle Eastern families.

He also advises high net worth individuals including senior executives, professionals and entrepreneurs. James is STEP qualified, including the Advanced Certificate in UK Tax Planning for International Clients.

Kate Caldwell has joined the firm’s London office as an associate. Kate is New Zealand qualified and advises on a range of private client matters including wills, trusts, succession planning, tax, the administration of estates and powers of attorney.

Prior to joining Penningtons Manches Kate practised in one of New Zealand’s leading private client firms, with a particular focus on advising high net worth individuals and families. Whilst practising in Auckland, she also gained experience in contentious trusts and estates and the formation, registration and administration of charities.

Partner Clare Archer, head of Penningtons Manches’ private client team, said: “Louise, James and Kate are fantastic additions to the team and we are delighted to have them on board. They bring a wealth of experience and an exceptional level of client service. I know our clients will greatly value from their input.”

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