Friday 17th July 2020

Lawyers from Stone King have been recognised by the prestigious Chambers High Net Worth Guide.

The independent journal researches lawyers across the UK through client interviews and by examining work quality, and has ranked five partners in the firm’s Private Wealth Law Team.

It praised the client-focused work of Alison Allen, Dan Harris, Andrew Mortimer and Paul Sutton.

Chambers said:

Stone King is highly-regarded for its private wealth practice. It regularly assists clients with wills drafting, succession planning, inheritance tax planning and trust administration. The firm is described as "very good" by market insiders.

The guide spoke to a client who said: "I cannot find an occasion where I have been anything less than 100% happy from the service I got.

"They have attention to detail and are always keen to report back immediately. They always keep me in the loop, they are client-focused and customer care-focused."

“Our clients are at the heart of what we do and we strive to do our very best for them,” said Alison, who is Stone King’s Chairman and Head of its Private Client Sector.

“We are therefore delighted that our clients feel the same and have helped us gain these excellent rankings.

David is ranked as Band 1 for his work with probate, wills, inheritance tax planning and estate and trust administration.

Chambers spoke to a professional adviser, as part of their research, who said:

"I have not come across any lawyers with better knowledge than David in that field."

A client said he was: "excellent as a professional person, and his strength was explaining matters in a plain understandable English rather than just legal terms."

Partners Alison Allen, Dan Harris and Andrew Mortimer were all named Notable Practitioners by the well-regarded journal.

Of Alison the guide said: "has the most caring attitude, and that shows in the way she deals with clients.

“Allen has particular experience with care planning for elderly clients. Another source says she is "a fantastically client-focused private client lawyer."

Andrew Mortimer is recognised for expertise in wills, trusts and inheritance tax planning by market commentators.

"His strength is in his capacity to see the wood from the trees and to give advice which is based on broad experience as well as technical knowledge," said a client who was interviewed by the guide.

Another client said: “(He) wants to get the work done for you as easily and cost-effectively as possible and is always on hand to help in any way possible."

Dan Harris is recognised for his international estate and succession planning expertise and is head of Stone King’s International and Cross-border Team.

He was described by one client as "an oracle of knowledge," further adding: "It is amazing what he knows about each jurisdiction and he can piece it together." Another market insider says: "He combines his understanding with a down-to-earth style of authentic written and oral communication."

This specialist knowledge has also seen Dan named as a Foreign Expert for France by the guide.

The work of the firm’s Private Wealth Law team was also recognised, with Partner Paul Sutton ranked as Band 2 and described by Chambers as “absolutely excellent”.

Stone King also has offices in Bristol, Birmingham, Cambridge, Leeds and London.

Chambers speaks to referees privately and said of its guide:

This new edition of the guide is perfect for professional advisers to wealthy individuals and clients as it ranks not only the top lawyers and law firms for international private wealth but also recommends the leading accountancy firms, private banks, wealth managers and other professional advisers.