Spear’s Review

Many of Charles Russell Speechlys’ top-tier clients seek Bart Peerless’s advice on succession and estate planning.

Peerless, named senior partner at the firm in 2021, has more than 25 years of experience advising HNWs, trustees and beneficiaries as well as ‘some of the world’s wealthiest’ and most complex families.

These clients are experiencing anxiety as a result of recent tax changes in the UK. ‘Tax is one of the many risks that bear down on those clients,’ Peerless tells Spear’s. ‘It just so happens that there’s a huge focus on tax at the moment because of those changing reliefs.’ 

Peerless adds that tax issues can often be concealing wider apprehensions. ‘What this is always about is: “How do I ensure succession of assets that I own, that I’ve created through a business during my lifetime?” Or, “If I’m from a long-established family where I’ve inherited, how to ensure succession of those assets?’”