Withers

Key contact

Paul Hewitt – Partner

Paul, having started his career as a private client practitioner, is a partner in the Contentious Trust and Succession group and also heads the firm’s work for charities and not for profit organisations on legacy income.

He specialises in all types of trust and probate disputes including claims relating to the validity, construction and rectification of wills and trusts, Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 claims, removal of executors and trustees, and contentious estate and trust administrations.  He is the Court appointed administrator in a number of contentious estates.

Paul also advises on contentious Court of Protection matters, both financial, and health and welfare, involving the interests of those unable to manage their own affairs. These include statutory will applications, disputes over the appointment or conduct of attorneys and deputies, and applications for gifts and other transactions.  Occasionally he acts as ‘litigation friend’.

He also advises on professional negligence claims arising out of trust and estate administration, and failed estate and tax planning.

Paul is listed as a leading practitioner and described as an ‘impressive and proactive tactician’ in Chambers 2011, as ‘highly commercial and straight-talking‘ in Chambers 2012, and as noted for his ‘in-depth knowledge and sensitive handling of the issues’ in Legal 500 2011.

Phone: 020 7597 6197
Email: paul.hewitt@withersworldwide.com
Website: www.withersworldwide.com
Location: London

About Withers

Advice to Non-Profit Organizations and charities is and always has been core to our business. We have gained extensive and wide-ranging experience of dispute resolution. We advise both in internal disputes involving trustees or employees, and in external disputes where the not-for-profit organization (Nfp) is at odds with regulators or other third parties.

Legacy administration is one key area where we are recognized as a leading firm: our lawyers work with a broad spectrum of Nfp clients, either defending claims or bringing (or threatening to bring) proceedings against executors or trustees. In the context of legacy disputes, we make regular appearances in the Court of Protection to defend the interests of charity clients who stand to benefit from a will, in the face of statutory will applications that seek to redirect the residual assets of the estate from the charity to the deceased person’s family or friends.