Paul Hardwick Partner

Partner

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Paul advises on matters of governance, succession planning, tax, trusts and trust litigation. He has a particular focus on matters involving complex, cross-border structures.

His clients include individuals, family offices, family-owned businesses, trustees and financial institutions, many of who do not have a significant connection with the UK.

Paul was named a Rising Star in The Legal 500 2024 directory for Private Client - Personal Tax, Trusts and Probate.

Governance

Paul advises trustees, protectors and other fiduciaries on good governance practices. He also advises directors of private and public companies on matters of corporate governance.

He has a particular focus on family-owned businesses and how to divide control between owners, officeholders and other fiduciaries.

Succession planning

Paul advises both UK and non-UK based clients on how to put in place successful succession plans. He assists trustees, directors and family offices in how to implement them.

Trust law and trust litigation

Paul has extensive experience in drafting and interpreting trust instruments and advising on trustee decision-making and matters of trust administration.

Paul has advised beneficiaries in relation to two of the leading contentious Public Trustee v Cooper trustee blessing applications in Bermuda over the last five years.

Tax

Paul advises on UK tax issues involving non-UK resident trusts and other structures. He assists taxpayers and fellow professionals with the conduct of HMRC investigations.

Expertise

Recent work

Trust dispute

Advising on the settlement of a long-running dispute between the trustees and beneficiaries of a complex non-UK trust structure concerning both the historic administration of the trusts and disputes between family members about their respective interests.

Trust partition and governance

Advising on the partitioning of a complex non-UK trust structure that owns a significant family business between three main family branches.

Family office

Advising a family office on the on-going administration of a complex family trust structure spanning seven jurisdictions.

Beneficiary challenge

Advising a non-UK charity in their capacity as the beneficiary of a trust about how to challenge the administration of the trust by the current trustees.

HMRC investigation

Advising on the conduct of HMRC investigations into the affairs of both UK resident and non-UK resident individuals.

See all