Spear’s Review

Emma Harris, formerly a partner at Payne Hicks Beach, made the move to Ashfords in March 2026, drawn by the ‘opportunity to build something’, she tells Spear’s.

Spearheading the firm’s non-contentious private client team in London, and the trust team more widely, Harris describes her work as ‘doing a little bit of everything’.

Her remit encompasses a wide range of tax advisory work, although she continues to focus on the ‘thorny issues’, from probate and estate administration to lifetime tax planning, international jurisdictions and other matters involving ‘technical complexity’.

Harris takes a long-term approach with her clients, particularly when it comes to succession planning. She wants the next generation to be ‘on board’, and encourages families to think ahead about how wealth and responsibilities will be passed on. Her forward-looking approach also extends to planning for unexpected events, including loss of capacity, ensuring that the necessary arrangements are in place to avoid disruption or financial loss.