Tristan Smale

Partner

Tristan Smale

Partner

Email Tristan

+44 (0)20 7457 3209

London

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Services

Sectors

Tristan is a partner in the private client team in London. He acts for individuals, families, trustees and financial institutions in relation to a broad spectrum of private wealth matters.

Specialising in wealth- and succession-planning structures such as trusts and companies that are designed to protect family assets and mitigate exposure to UK taxation, Tristan also advises on residence, domicile and pre-immigration planning as well as on lifetime giving, complex wills and mental capacity issues. His clients are typically internationally mobile individuals and families who either live in the UK or have assets or other interests in this country. He is increasingly involved in the firm’s sports and media and creative industries groups and advises clients from those sectors.

I am an experienced legal and tax adviser in the firm’s private client department. I enjoy working with individuals, families and their advisers and am recommended for my interpersonal skills, my ability to tackle problems from all angles and my desire to find practical, commercially viable solutions wherever possible.

Tristan Smale, Partner

Tristan joined Penningtons Manches Cooper in 2020. He is a full member of STEP, the world’s leading organization for private wealth professionals, and obtained the STEP Advanced Certification in UK Tax Planning for International Clients, with merit. He has been named as a ‘rising star’ for several years in the Legal 500, is ranked in the Chambers High Net Worth Guide and is listed as ‘One to Watch’ by Best Lawyers.

Recent work highlights

HMRC enquiry

Advising a UK-resident client in respect of an HMRC enquiry in relation to her UK tax compliance and alleged failure to report income arising outside the UK.

Property restructuring

Advising a non-resident family in relation to the restructuring, through various share-for-share exchanges, of seven flats in a prominent building in London.

Financial settlement on divorce

Working with the family team to advise a divorcing spouse in relation to the UK tax implications for her and her husband of the proposed financial settlement, to be funded from the husband’s unremitted foreign income and gains.

Isle of Man trust advice

Advising the trustees of a £30 million Isle of Man discretionary trust on the UK tax impact of the 2024 October Budget.

Complex ‘de-enveloping’ of Park Lane property

Advising and implementing the ‘de-enveloping’ of a Park Lane property in favour of a UK-resident and a non-UK resident shareholder while simultaneously extending the property’s lease.

Acquisition of classic Ferrari

Advising the non-UK trustees on the acquisition of a classic, single-seater Ferrari racing car worth £6 million.

Tax compliance and trust winding

Advising the trustees of a non-UK trust on their UK tax compliance obligations, inheritance tax reporting, Trust Registration Service obligations and the winding up of the trust.

Anglo-Australian family property advice

Advising the members of an Ango-Australian family on the UK tax position in respect of a valuable Australian property and the options to restructure its ownership in light of the Budget changes.

Tax compliance and trust winding

Advising the trustees of a non-UK trust on their UK tax compliance obligations, inheritance tax reporting, Trust Registration Service obligations and the winding up of the trust.

Anglo-Australian family property advice

Advising the members of an Ango-Australian family on the UK tax position in respect of a valuable Australian property and the options to restructure its ownership in light of the Budget changes.

External recognition
Rankings from respected legal directories reflect the reputation our lawyers have earned across their key sectors and areas of practice.

What people are saying

They have strong expertise with regard to international matters via…Tristan Smale, who I find very capable and personable in terms of domestic matters.

Legal 500

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