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Matthew is a partner in the private client and tax team and the joint head of the firm's Landed Estates group.
He advises individuals, families, entrepreneurs and business owners on tax, estate and succession planning, helping them structure, preserve and transfer wealth across generations.A key focus of Matthew's practice is advising clients on the long-term stewardship of family assets and businesses, including landed estates and owner-managed enterprises. He provides strategic advice on inheritance tax and capital gains tax planning, wills, trusts, family governance and succession structures, helping clients protect wealth and achieve an orderly transfer to future generations.
Known for his ability to understand the personal and commercial objectives of his clients, Matthew develops tailored and pragmatic solutions that reflect the unique needs of each family. His practice includes advising UK and international clients, particularly those with connections to the Middle East, the US and low-tax jurisdictions, on wealth-holding structures and succession arrangements designed to meet the challenges of multinational and multigenerational families.
Matthew is valued as a trusted adviser, guiding clients through complex personal, tax and succession matters with clarity, discretion and a highly practical approach.
Experience includes:
- Family investment companies and family limited partnerships
- Family business succession
- Long term tax planning and structuring
- Farming families
- International families and trustees
Recent recognition
Track record
Structuring holding for historic family estate
Advising a family on a structure to hold an estate that has been in the family for 32 generations. The family wanted the estate to be held by all of their children rather than one 'heir' but for the 'rules' of ownership and transfer to be clear and fair and ensure that the family asset is retained.
Ownership of UK property
Advising on the ownership of UK property, whether for personal use or for investment or trading purposes and in respect of both residential and commercial property. Clients include investors from the Middle East, Europe and Asia. This advice is often coupled with wider lifetime planning for non domiciled individuals, including setting up private trust company structures to manage succession on death.
Indian and Pakistan clients' wills
Advising a number of clients who are domiciled in India and Pakistan on the structure of their wills to maximise the possibility of tax treaties with the UK applying on death. This can protect UK assets from charges to UK inheritance tax notwithstanding the clients being UK deemed domiciled through long term residence.
Post death tax planning
Following the unexpected death of the principal of a large trading business, post death tax planning to maximise inheritance tax reliefs, both on death and on the death of the surviving spouse in due course. This has involved complicated tax, trust and corporate issues to avoid significant tax charges on the restructure and a number of clearance applications with HMRC.
Talks
Tax Planning and the Family Company - 29 February 2016
IBC Landed Estates Conference - 21 September 2016
Protecting and Attacking Wealth on Divorce seminar - 27 September 2016
Insight
External publications
'Governance and Management for the Business Families and Family Business', STEP
'Practical Trust Precedents, Practical Will Precedents and International Trust Precedents', Sweet & Maxwell's
Admissions
England and Wales, 2001
Education
University College London, LL.B Laws
Languages
- English
Memberships
Society for Trust and Estate Practitioners
STEP Business Families Steering Committee
Country, Land and Business Association
Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust
Historic Houses Association
Key dates
- Year joined: 1999
- Year became partner: 2007