Trusts, Probate & Estates

Described by the latest Chambers and Partners as “top of the class” and with “fantastic depth across the whole range of Chancery work”, the barristers at XXIV Old Buildings specialise in advocacy and advice across the full spectrum of trust, probate and other private client disputes.

Members have been instructed in much of the leading trust litigation of recent years, including the high-profile cases of Akers & ors v Samba Financial Group [2017] UKSC 6, Investec v Glenalla (ongoing), Labrouche v Frey & ors [2016] EWHC 268, Viscount Weymouth v Parry & ors (concerning the famous Longleat estate), Crociani & ors v Crociani [2017] JRC 146 & (2015) 17 ITELR 624.

The commercial chancery experience of many of the barristers at XXIV Old Buildings is a particular asset when trust disputes engage other areas of law including, in particular, issues relating to companies, insolvency, real estate and fraud.

Our experience covers a broad range of contentious, and some non-contentious, trust litigation including:

Claims against trustees for breach of trust
Hostile trust litigation by trustees against third parties and/or beneficiaries
Trustees’ directions hearings including Beddoe applications
Contentious probate and succession disputes
Issues arising out of questionable testamentary capacity
Inheritance Act claims
Constructive trusts claims

In addition XXIV Old Buildings holds an annual international trust litigation conference in Geneva and has recently taken over editorship of Jordan’s “International Trust Laws”. David Brownbill QC and Andrew Holden have also produced “Trusts Protectors” (Jordans).