Yorke Eaton

Spear’s Review

With a steadily growing base of UHNW family office clients at Addleshaw Goddard, Yorke Eaton acts as a trusted adviser, and says his role is to ‘understand clients’ objectives, strategy, asset structures, family dynamics and concerns’.

A third-generation private client lawyer, Eaton’s particular specialism lies in providing capital tax planning advice to entrepreneurs and business owners, UHNWs and their families, in particular on succession planning, family governance protocols, will drafting, powers of attorney and trust formation and restructuring. ‘When acting for a client, my role is to find the most appropriate solutions for the issue in hand, introducing other skill sets, expertise or personalities when needed,’ he says.

Adviser Profile

Yorke Eaton and his team specialise in dealing with complex trust issues and advising trustees on their duties and liabilities. This includes advising institutional clients in respect of trust and estate administration, the practicalities of dealing with commercial trusts and the creation and use of trusts in commercial and corporate transactions. 

Yorke has been providing capital tax planning advice to high-net-worth individuals for almost 20 years, regularly advising on succession planning, family governance protocols, complex will drafting, powers of attorney and on trust formation and restructuring, in particular acting on behalf of trusts where the only or main asset consists of shareholdings in private family companies. In addition to the above, Yorke acts as an executor for clients dealing with all aspects of estate administration and acts as a trustee of several trusts and charities. 

Yorke likes to work closely with existing trusted advisers, including wealth managers, accountants and property and land managers, to ensure the optimal outcome for his clients. He considers a collaborative approach to be critical to providing successful, holistic and practical advice to his clients. 

Often the first port of call for client queries, Yorke brings commercial insight and practical solutions to the matters which cross his desk. Yorke works particularly closely with his corporate colleagues, with a focus on owner-managed and family owned businesses, entrepreneurs and family offices. 

Backed by the bench strength of a full-service commercial firm with many complementary specialisms, and with its international offices in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, the team is able to handle large, complex and cross-border issues.