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The 2025 Legal 500 has been published and once again, each of the three complementary practice areas of the firm have been ranked highly by their clients, legal colleagues, and peers.

“Sinclair Gibson is outstanding. The professional service you receive allows you to feel confident in areas you may not have knowledge in. The level of support is excellent, the knowledge is extensive and you feel a sense of calm and reassurance as a client.”

The Private Client Department has been ranked Tier 2 for Personal Tax, Trusts, and Probate. Legal 500 describes the team as follows: “Under the joint leadership of Keith Bruce-Smith and Lucy Gibson, it is well-placed to handle many complex issues, such as lifetime tax and succession planning. It is also vastly experienced in advising on the establishment and management of onshore, offshore, and charitable trusts. In addition, the team has been busy providing family office services to its clients, as well as probate and estate administration. Another key area of focus is providing UK tax planning advice for non-residents and domiciliaries, which includes providing pre-immigration planning advice. The versatile team also deftly handles the tax efficient restructuring of estates post-death.”

Testimonials described the team as “very much at the cutting edge of complex law with a capacity for driving excellent client strategies and leading other advisers with them to achieve effective solutions” and “courageous advisers prepared to take a view and lead on difficult and complex situations.” Keith Bruce-Smith who is described as “high calibre” and a “master strategist” and Lucy Gibson, described as “exceptional”, both continue to hold their spots in Legal500’s Hall of Fame. They work alongside partners, Eleanor Walsh, Angela White, Oliver Bishop, and Hazel Power in the private client department.

The Litigation Department is ranked Tier 3 and is described as a “strong private client litigation team” which works closely with the private client department. Henry Hickman (who is described as “one of the best of his vintage. Straight talking, commercial, and excellent on tactics”) leads the offering, which acts for clients ranging from successful professionals and landed estates, to entrepreneurs and ultra-high-net-worth individuals. It is best known for its work on onshore and offshore trust and probate disputes for private clients and professional trustees and covers a myriad of other complicated matters spanning professional negligence claims to Court of Protection proceedings.

The team is described as having “excellent judgement and huge expertise in their field, with a great reputation for both offshore trusts work and high-value UK inheritance disputes” with the “dedication of the partners and the associates [being] very impressive. Their attention to detail, speed of response and care in dealing with complex and sensitive matters is exemplary”. Clients and peers again praise Lucy Gibson as a key figure and a “delight to work with,” alongside Amy Williams who was promoted to the partnership in July 2023. Amy is praised as a “a brilliant litigator who fights hard for her clients and gets great results. She is also a calm and reassuring presence for clients even in the stormiest litigation.”

The Family Department, is ranked Tier 4 and combines the “advantages of a specialist boutique firm” with “the advantage of being part of a larger firm offering useful, cross-over expertise.” Kathryn Peat heads the team and stands out for her “experience and judgment” practicing across children and finance matters as both a lawyer and arbitrator.

Testimonials, which are collated independently by the Legal 500 research team describe the team as “extremely polite, efficient, prompt and knowledgeable in their individual field.” Kathryn Peat is highlighted as “a consummate and very experienced professional who I would describe as a ‘legal family law rock’ perfect for clients wanting a kind, firm and wise family lawyer.” In additional several clients have provided personal testimonials about Kathryn and her team praising her “robust counsel on both legal and strategic matters” and combining their “utmost professionalism” with “support, kindness and empathy.” Xanthy Papageorgiou is described as “an excellent technical lawyer. Superb on the detail, she identifies issues swiftly and comes up with creative solutions. She is a great team player.” As a team they are described as offering “many of the advantages of a specialist boutique firm, in terms of personal client care and availability, with the advantage of being part of a larger firm offering useful, cross-over expertise.”

You can review the firm’s profile here: https://www.legal500.com/firms/241-sinclair-gibson-llp/c-london/about