Private Wealth group strengthens reputation with Spear's 500 listing

The Spear’s 500 guide provides an independent view on the market’s best private client advisers. The guide covers a wide range of services high net worth clients might need. The annual report is based on peer nominations of the UK's leading private client lawyers.

The recognised four include:

• Partner and Head of Private Wealth Liz Palmer, Recommended Tax & Trusts Lawyer Partner
• Head of Business Crime Ian Ryan, Top Recommended Criminal Lawyer
• Partner Elizabeth Morley, Recommended Legal Directory & Hommes d'Affaires
• Partner Mark Stephens CBE, Top Ten Reputation & Privacy Lawyer and Top Recommended Art lawyer.

Liz specialises in advising wealthy families, entrepreneurs, and property investors on inheritance tax mitigation and the effective devolution of family wealth.  She has particular expertise acting for non-UK resident/domiciled individuals and specialises in the creation of off shore trusts and complex asset structuring for high-net-worth individuals. Ian specialises in serious fraud and acting in serious and high-profile matters both domestically and internationally.

Ian heads the firm's well regarded Business Crime team. He has over 25 years' experience dealing with a full range of business crime and serious fraud investigations. This includes investigations by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the Competition Markets Authority (CMA), the National Crime Agency (NCA) and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).  He advises on investigations from the early stages through to and including contested jury trials.

Elizabeth specialises in advising clients across a wide range of commercial litigation and cross-border disputes, with a particular focus on the media sector. She regularly acts for clients on all aspects of media law, including high profile defamation and privacy actions. Her practice also covers reputation and brand-related issues, including contentious intellectual property matters, as well as data protection and regulatory matters.  Elizabeth often takes on complex matters for clients, which include freedom of expression and human rights issues.

Mark specialises in international, appellate and complex litigation,  he has undertaken some of the highest profile cases in the country and abroad. Mark is a solicitor with an expertise in constitutional, human rights, IP, media and regulatory work, defamation, privacy, media, art and cultural property, data protection and freedom of information, trusts litigation, intellectual property and international arbitration disputes. He has created a niche in international comparative media law and regulation. He acts in judicial reviews, Privy Council cases- Ultimate Appeal Court for parts of the Commonwealth, as well as, regulatory cases and inquiries.