The bare facts are I am a Private Client Lawyer with 20 years experience advising a wide range of private individuals and business owners on all aspects of “wealth preservation” through Inheritance Tax and Capital Gains Tax planning, Wills, Trusts, business restructure and Lasting Powers of Attorney.
When my children were much younger they asked me what I did for a living and I described it as “keeping rich people rich by stopping them paying too much tax” (cue an age appropriate conversation about what constitutes “tax” for a 4 year old) but in my 20 years with Buckles this has evolved into “helping individuals protect assets from all threats, not just the tax man". Whilst this inevitably still involves a significant amount of Inheritance Tax and Capital Gains Tax planning for my clients as life and societies become more complicated it also increasingly involves :
I am fortunate to work with an exceptional team of 21 other lawyers in the Private Team Department at Buckles. The philosophy of the whole team is that we are “people first and lawyers second” since for many individuals engaging with the legal profession can be a difficult and stressful experience, often at a time in their lives that is already traumatic. Treating them in an empathetic manner, not just focusing on the black letter legal solution, often leads to better solutions on the basis that working out what is really important to my clients enables me to achieve the best bespoke solution for them. What lawyers think is a good result is not always what clients want. People and their history interest me and I have been fortunate enough to act for a paratrooper who fought at the Battle of Arnhem, a Jewish Concentration Camp survivor, a journalist who covered the Vietnam war and several prog rockers from the 1970s.
Although I do not practice I am a qualified Independent Financial Advisor. This enables me to look beyond the narrow legal focus when assisting clients and put their affairs into a wider financial context.
Although the Private Client Team at Buckles is large I work closely with Rose Welch, a Solicitor who assists me on all aspects of Inheritance and Capital Gains Tax planning, Alex Burch a qualified Solicitor specialising in all aspects of Will Disputes and Nichola Stephens a Paralegal. If you can’t get hold of me one of them will always be available to help.
Assistant Solicitor
Trainee Solicitor
University
1994 - 1995
Legal Practice Course
University
1994 - 1995
LLB LAW 1st Class
"explains complex issues simply"
“He is ferociously intelligent and has a great understanding of tax law and planning”
“Has a high degree of technical knowledge, and communicates in plain English”
"The team provides a friendly and personal service."
"Very commercially minded and technically sound."
"He offers excellent client engagement and professionalism."
“He offers a practical approach with good technical advice, communicating well with ourselves and our clients.”
“His explanations are very simple yet detailed enough that nothing is missed out; they are not so technical that clients are bemused. He’s a very reassuring character.”
“I appreciate his ethos; the client comes above all else. They don’t sell any services for the sake of it.”
"He is very intelligent and has an immense grasp of tax planning scenarios"
"He knows his stuff and can convey it clearly"
"Duncan Jackson at Buckles is innovative and also very professional as well"
Shortly before Mr P died, he instructed the department to prepare a Will. Advising that he ought to add some of his existing assets that were subject to Inheritance Tax in the event of his death to the capital account of his partnership business as an addition to an existing holding he would not have to survive for two years for the addition to be eligible for Business Property Relief. Successfully arguing the availability of the Business Property Relief with HMRC after Mr P’s death saving £800,000 tax
Mr and Mrs B own a villa in Spain worth approximately €1.5 million. Other members of the family also own a private limited trading company that is eligible for Business Property Relief, advising on the creation of a holding company to won the Spanish villa. Dealing with the sale of the holding company to the family trading company to ensure that the villa is in effect eligible for Business Property Relief within two years, this saving the clients 40% Inheritance Tax on the value of the villa.
Advising Mr and Mrs W following the sale of their business. They have converted assets worth approximately £75 millions that were eligible for Business Property Relief to assets that were no longer eligible for Business Property Relief. Advising on the restructure of their existing life insurance Trust arrangements to ensure Inheritance Tax efficiency. Advising on the creation of a family investment company to ensure they would continue to control their assets but enables them to dispose of a significant part of their assets for Inheritance Tax purposes.