Lara is special counsel in the private client and tax team.
She advises UK and international individuals, trustees and family offices on all aspects of tax and succession planning. She focuses on trust structuring for international families, often working alongside US qualified colleagues at Withers and lawyers around the world to provide integrated advice on the best approach from a practical, tax efficiency and family governance perspective.
Another focus is on advising high net worth individuals relocating to the UK on structuring their affairs in a tax efficient manner, including developing effective solutions where clients want to relocate aspects of their businesses to the UK.
Recent recognition
Track record
UK tax aspects
Advised on UK tax aspects and co-ordinated the structuring of the purchase and use of a plane and a New York apartment for a UK resident non-domiciled individual. Working with lawyers and trust professionals in many time zones and with different specialisms brings its own challenges.
Swiss family office investment in UK commercial property
Advised a Swiss family office on the structuring of an investment in UK commercial real estate - working within a multi-disciplinary team of colleagues with expertise in commercial real estate, corporate law and banking law to structure and document the funding arrangements to avoid triggering a taxable remittance to the UK by the principal.
Jersey trust
Advised the trustee of a Jersey trust, working alongside US colleagues, on the conversion of that trust to a grantor trust for US tax purposes while walking the fine-line to preserve the favourable tax regime of the trust for UK tax purposes and avoiding triggering UK tax issues on the conversion.
Trust structuring
In the context of a potential attack by Government officials in a country experiencing a period of political instability, carried out a review of every level of a trust structure to identify pressure points and implemented recommendations to address the risk areas.
Non-dom reforms
Advising many clients and trustees on the steps to take prior to the non-dom reforms, particularly in relation to trusts established by individuals who became deemed domiciled for all tax purposes on 6 April 2017.
Insight
External publications
- 'Sparing No One: Cross-Border Taxation of Globally Mobile Individuals - Part II,' (Tax) Matters of Life and Death Column, Tax Notes State - August 14, 2023, WealthBriefing - October 9, 2023, co-authored
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'Sparing No One: Cross-Border Taxation of Globally Mobile Individuals - Part I,' (Tax) Matters of Life and Death Column, Tax Notes State - June 19, 2023, WealthBriefing - October 6, 2023, co-authored
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'Tax relief for US PE Managers residing in UK,' Withers Insight - March 17, 2023, co-authored
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'Does a US revocable trust need to be registered under the UK's Trust Registration Service?' Withers Insight - August 16, 2022, authored
- 'Transatlantic thinking case study,' Withers Insight - October 28, 2021, co-authored
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'The UK Trust Register - do you need to register?' Withers Insight - July 30, 2019, authored
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'UK Budget analysis 2018,' Withers Insight - October 29, 2018, co-authored
- 'Withers partner promotions reflect international growth,' Withers Insight - July 17, 2018, featured
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'The UK is still a great place to live,' Withers Insight - March 6, 2018, authored
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'The cleansing opportunity,' Withers Insight - March 6, 2018, authored
- 'Stress-Testing' Trusts In An Unstable World, WealthBriefing - August 2016
Admissions
England and Wales, 2006
Education
Newnham College, Cambridge, MEng
BPP Law School, Postgraduate Diploma in Law
Languages
- English
Memberships
The Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP)
Yorkshire Law Society
Key dates
- Year joined: 2006