Penningtons Manches Cooper advises high net worth individuals and families on cross-border succession planning and wealth structuring.
Penningtons Manches Cooper is an acclaimed private wealth team. The team advises on private client planning and disputes matters and is particularly praised for its depths and breadth of knowledge.
Strengths: ‘The Penningtons team was able to demonstrate out-of-the-box thinking and provide innovative advice to help us achieve specific aims and goals.’
‘The team at Penningtons has extensive experience in both UK and international tax and can handle complex succession planning matters.’
‘Each member of the team we have met has been professional, knowledgeable and customer-centric.’
‘I was very impressed by the Penningtons team, who were able to reassure people … that everything would be okay and that they could make things better. That reassurance and comfort is a real strength for them … The firm is really good at both the law and handling clients.’
‘They have consistently demonstrated exemplary technical knowledge and they excel at explaining the issues in a clear and concise manner.’
‘Penningtons is very knowledgeable and professional, and gives the best possible advice.’
Notable practitioners
Clare Archer: ‘Clare is always very practical and supportive.’
James D’Aquino: ‘James is really good on international cases with structuring and trust issues. He gives real-world advice to clients.’
Laura Dadswell: ‘Laura is an absolute pleasure to work with. She is exceptional at her job.’
Lucy Edwards advises on wills, estate planning and tax matters.
Hannah Gearey: ‘Hannah offers excellent advice. She is knowledgeable about the subject, very experienced, and a great mentor to junior associates.’
Ryan Myint: ‘Ryan has strong technical grounding and excellent client skills. He is able to think creatively and synthesise innovative structuring solutions to achieve clients' goals.’
Elizabeth Nicholas: ‘Elizabeth's client service level is very high. She always responds in a timely manner and very quickly if the matter is urgent. I continue to be impressed by the depth and breadth of her knowledge.’
Tristan Smale: ‘Tristan is very good. He is very amenable, quick to respond and provides information in a well-documented way and easy-to-understand manner.’
Chambers High Net Worth - 2023 edition
‘A very strong team who work well together, exude confidence, charm clients and are a pleasure to work with. I never hesitate to recommend them.’
‘Responsive and savvy team, very competent and creative which is important for cross-border tax structuring work. Would highly recommend.’
‘A very experienced team, very knowledgeable in areas of inheritance tax and probate. They operated within a structured methodology and took a detailed and logical approach to the task, which was exactly what was needed.’
‘Clare Archer. Meticulous. Has a high profile.’
‘James d’Aquino – a charming and technically excellent private client partner who is rightly recognised as a market leader.’
‘Lucy Edwards has been exceptional with clients – delivering an excellent service, on a variety of different legal matters, within tight timeframes and always within budget.’
‘Hannah Gearey has expertise in complex probate issues, substantial philanthropy matters, and vulnerable beneficiaries and those in receipt of personal injury awards.’
‘Ryan Myint is an excellent tax and trusts advisor, very sound in law and able to work out solutions that are commercially sensible across complicated structures.’
'Elizabeth Nicholas – an absolutely first-rate lawyer who has deservedly been promoted to partnership and will doubtless continue to apply her excellent technical skills and charm for the benefit of clients with the most complex and interesting circumstances.’
‘James Sedgley. Good at detail. A good point man accessing other disciplines.’
‘I have always found Cecilia Ward to be technically strong…She has very strong people skills and communicates well. The ability to relate to people and inspire confidence is a reason I have returned back to Cecilia and also referred others to her.’
The Legal 500 - 2023 edition
Strengths: The firm has ‘strong technical ability, a responsive team and offers creative solutions’, states a source.
Penningtons Manches Cooper ‘have a great reputation with quality staff’, says a source. The team advises on private client planning and disputes matters.
Notable practitioners
Clare Archer is described as ‘one of the most brilliant lawyers, she is intelligent, hard-working and creative’ by a source. Archer focuses her practice on matters relating to trusts and structuring. She has particular expertise in landed estates.
Michael Cash is ‘an exceptional lawyer at the top of his game’, enthuses a source. Cash represents high net worth clients in complex trust and estate disputes. A market commentator notes: ‘He is a master of strategy.’
James D'Aquino is described as ‘a very good technical tax lawyer’ by a source. Another adds: ‘I have been very pleased with the service provided by James. He has been a great sounding board on a particular matter and I would not hesitate engaging with him again on private client matters.’
Laura Dadswell is ‘extremely good, a safe pair of hands, and has a good bedside manner’, states a source. A commentator adds, Dadswell has a ‘good balance of technical excellence and client-facing skills’. She focuses her practice on matters relating to tax, estates and structuring.
Lucy Edwards: An interviewee says: ‘She is very knowledgeable with creative solutions’
Hannah Gearey: An impressed client says: ‘Hannah was professional, considerate, responsive, knowledgeable, empathetic and willing to answer questions and explain elements I didn't understand.’
Ryan Myint is highlighted for his particular expertise in Singaporean private wealth matters, as well as those with a connection to the Singapore market. He advises high net worth clients on a broad range of matters.
Elizabeth Nicholas: A source says: ‘She has enormous technical expertise and a very good strategic approach.’ Another interviewee notes: ‘Elizabeth is responsive, practical and client-friendly.’
Tristan Smale ‘has been very good’, says a market commentator; ‘his advice is very joined up, it covers all aspects of the transaction; he not only provides it in a manner that senior staff can understand but also juniors. He is so practical, which is what we look for.’
Caroline van Zyl advises on probate, lasting powers of attorney and estate administration. She also advises on wills and trusts.
Chambers High Net Worth – 2022 edition
‘This firm has a strong private client presence. The lawyers are commercial and pragmatic and they have a good depth to be able to provide a full service offering.’
‘The firm has an exceptionally strong tax advisory practice. The lawyers simply do not get things wrong. They bring their own technical expertise, thoughtful approach and diligence to bear to great effect. The team’s clients – an international and diverse mix – respect them and take the advice.’
‘Their compassion and empathy is incredible and a rarity within their profession. They bring an immense amount of expertise, patience and professionalism to each interaction with the client, whether that’s on the phone, in person or in writing.’
‘Clare Archer provides an excellent personalised service to clients. She is extremely dedicated, with an excellent eye for detail and a firm focus on client needs. Clare is always on top of all the details of her cases. She thinks through each step carefully and is always a step ahead.’
‘James d’Aquino is a stellar partner with everything that the role requires. He is astute, calm under pressure, responsive and a pleasure to work with. His clients trust him.’
‘Laura Dadswell is a gem. She is personable and intelligent and is able to relate to her clients in a way that puts them at ease and gives them the confidence that she will find the right outcome.’
‘Lucy Edwards leads the team [in Guildford] and is a top-class private client lawyer.’
Elizabeth Nicholas: ‘She is always pragmatic, determined and persuasive. She achieves solutions for clients that others could not through a combination of strategic thinking and technical expertise.’
‘Vanessa Riley is superb at explaining extremely complex areas of law which enabled me to keep fully across what we were doing and why.’
The Legal 500 - 2022 edition
The 'excellent' Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP has strong international capabilities and routinely advises UK resident and non-resident, non-domiciled individuals, international families, trustees, private banks, family offices and business owners around the world. Team head Clare Archer has a focus on advising landed and business families, and assists clients with generational planning and governance matters. Ryan Myint is adept at advising on multi-jurisdictional planning issues such as cross-border tax reporting, disclosure and transparency matters. Senior associate Tristan Smale joined in June 2020.
James d’Aquino is an excellent lawyer with a sharp commercial edge. He is a mine of information and practical experience in international tax planning.
Lucy Edwards is an outstanding solicitor who has worked closely with a number of my UHNW and HNW clients and has received stellar feedback on a consistent basis.
Laura Dadswell is the shining star. She is responsive and communicates in a clear and decisive way.
Liz Garvey is particularly skilled in the challenging areas of family conflicts and cases involving the Court of Protection and vulnerable beneficiaries. The firm [in Guildford] has a strong team of associates including Cecelia Ward, Hannah Gearey and Elizabeth Nicholas.
Elizabeth Nicholas is one of the most adept and accomplished private client practitioners I work with.
Hannah Gearey and Liz Garvey have a very effective approach to their work which makes a difference to our client group.
'Exceptionally professional' Caroline Van Zyl leads the practice [in Oxford] and advises on all aspects of personal wealth planning. An increasing number of her clients have interests overseas or foreign domicile considerations.
Michael Cash is a giant of the contentious private client world. His experience and calm approach are deeply impressive, the service he offers clients is superb and he is a delight to work with.
The Legal 500 - 2021 edition
Clare Archer heads the team at Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP that advises ultra-high-net-worth individuals, their families, family offices and private wealth firms on a wide range of complicated tax, family law and succession issues. Many of its clients have instructed the firm for generations to advise them on trust administration, succession planning and wills. The team is also skilled at advising on multi-jurisdictional matters and was pleased to recently add Ryan Myint to its ranks.
Liz Garvey is trusted for her handling of high-value estates which involve assets in both the UK and abroad and, with notable associate Hannah Gearey, also deals with complex probate cases and Court of Protection applications. Senior associate Cecelia Ward is dual qualified as a Chartered Tax Advisor. Elizabeth Nicholas is also recommended. Director Adrian Moss manages the accounting and tax compliance service.
Caroline Van Zyl heads up the private client practice at Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP Oxford office, where she primarily assists high-net-worth individuals and families with succession and tax planning, often with an international element.
The Legal 500 - 2020 edition
The practice offers comprehensive private wealth services for domestic and international clients, with a legal source noting: "They have got a really, really good team."
Sources praise the level of service provided by the team. "They are responsive and practical," says one interviewee, and another comments: "They are very easy to work with as an adviser of high net worth clients."
Penningtons Manches Cooper is impressively strong for private client work across the South. An interviewee notes: "They are professional, up to date with new laws and developments, friendly and easy to deal with. They are responsive and knowledgeable."
"The Penningtons Manches Cooper contentious trusts team is extremely strong in this area," enthuses a source, describing the team as: "Efficient, sensible and highly intelligent lawyers, and top-quality litigation strategists."
Notable practitioners
Clare Archer leads the London private client team and advises on estate planning and probate matters. Sources praise her client-handling skills. One says: "Her interaction with clients is excellent," and another interviewee reports: "She is very approachable, very client-friendly and very adaptable at dealing with complex clients."
Michael Cash is a long-standing private client lawyer in the Hampshire market. "He is very experienced and pragmatic - there isn't a lot he hasn't seen," says a source. "He is great. He comes across as very mild-mannered, quietly spoken and very thoughtful but he can be really tough and that is quite a good combo," states a market insider, who describes Cash as an "iron fist in a velvet glove."
Laura Dadswell has considerable expertise in international tax and trust matters. A source says: "She is very intelligent and a jewel of a private client lawyer," adding: "She has a very good grasp of her field and is a pleasure to work with." A peer highlights that "she has got a great reputation in the international space."
James D'Aquino advises domestic and international clients on estate and succession planning as well as trust and tax matters. A barrister enthuses: "He is an exemplary private client practitioner; he has massive technical expertise and is cool-headed." Another interviewee says: "He is precise, detail-oriented and has a strong knowledge of international advisory work."
Liz Garvey works in the firm's private client team in Guildford, assisting clients with inheritance tax planning, trust administration and Court of Protection applications. "I respect her greatly - I would have no problem in recommending Liz," says a peer, who explains: "She's a safe pair of hands. She's direct, and you have a straight conversation with her."
Hannah Gearey focuses her practice on private client and tax matters, assisting clients with the drafting of wills and tax planning. Sources say she is "friendly, knowledgeable and easy to deal with."
Sarah Lee is focused on advising affluent individuals and families on contentious and non-contentious private client matters. She is well versed in handling breach of trust claims and administration disputes.
Ryan Myint focuses his practice on estate and succession planning, and his clients include wealthy families, trust companies and financial institutions. He has particular experience advising high net worth clients with links to the Asian market.
Elizabeth Nicholas "has a calm, measured and reassuring air about her," says a source. Nicholas advises wealthy clients on inheritance and capital gains tax matters. One interviewee reports: "She is very, very good with clients. She was greatly analytical and incredibly knowledgeable."
Caroline van Zyl is a senior associate in the private client and tax team in Oxford. "Her communication is clear, concise and easy to digest for someone who is not an expert in the law," says an interviewee, adding: "She is quick to build rapport, which is crucial when dealing with private clients."
Cecelia Ward is a senior associate in the firm's Guildford private client team. She assists with a broad range of work including tax planning, drafting wills and probate. "She has always given wise counsel," says a client source.
Chambers High Net Worth - 2020 edition
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Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP is a limited liability partnership registered in England and Wales with registered number OC311575 and is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority under number 419867.
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