John Tunnard

Spear’s Review

John Tunnard of Shakespeare Martinreau is based in the south-west but works with clients across the UK, regularly advising HNW families and charities on wills, trusts and inheritance disputes. 

‘I originally did a couple of years in private client work, then transitioned over to litigating,’ he tells Spear’s. ‘I think it’s important to have that background when it comes to looking through a client’s records and fully understanding their situation.’

His clients are typically agricultural and business-focused, often with complex estate structures that have been developed over several generations. Notably, he was involved in the Earl of Yarmouth’s legal battle over the £85 million Ragley estate. 

Tunnard has also built a specialism in working alongside the non-contentious trusts team to ‘stress-test’ clients’ existing structures and identify issues that may arise in the future. ‘It could be the preparation of certain agreements like postnuptial agreements, prenups or any sort of agreement where we can foresee there is likely to be a dispute,’ he explains.