Harbottle & Lewis LLP

Co-managing partners: Charlie Leveque and Tony Littner

Senior partner: Catherine Bedford

Number of partners: 48

Number of lawyers (non-partner): 76

Firm overview:

Harbottle & Lewis is a leading London-based law firm. For over 60 years, it has acted for some of the most creative, talented and successful people, businesses and corporates across all of their legal needs. The firm's clients range from multinational companies to start-up businesses; early stage entrepreneurs to established industry leaders; and household names to private individuals and their family offices.

The firm is well known for its market-leading knowledge and understanding of the technology, media and entertainment sectors. This sector knowledge is very much in its DNA. But its capabilities spread far wider than that. The firm has built a strong reputation advising clients in the traditional practice areas, such as property, litigation, corporate, tax, IP, reputation management and employment, and also more specialist and complex fields such as data, privacy and innovative and disruptive technologies. Whether we are talking about wealth, relationships or information, the firm's private capital expertise enables it to support its clients, as well as to help them successfully develop, grow and protect their assets.

Its advice is industry-specific, commercial and strategic. Whilst it consistently provides advice that is of the highest quality, the firm takes pride in its ability to make even the most complex of matters appear simple. Every lawyer at the firm takes the time to understand their clients and their businesses to ensure the advice they provide is effective and business ready. As a result, they enjoy a culture of long-standing client relationships, built on trust and anchored in the quality of their service.

UK-based, international advice:

The majority of clients require advice that has an international dimension. Whether it is wealth structuring, immigration advice, business advice or advice on arriving, leaving or investing in the UK, the firm makes sure that clients' UK interests are aligned with their international affairs.

Main areas of practice:

Family:

The firm has a proven track record of handling complex family law issues with sensitivity and compassion, quietly and efficiently. It fights its clients’ corner – but it does so with respect and consideration for their family. The firm is respected within the profession for resolving matters quickly and discreetly.

Personal Tax & Wealth-Structuring:

The firm provides comprehensive wealth-structuring advice. It has a diverse client base, which means that it often comes across problems requiring innovative solutions.

The firm's clients benefit from its expertise in creating the most efficient structure to serve their personal circumstances.

Philanthropy & Charity:

By sharing a genuine understanding of what its clients want to achieve (gained from advising HNW and high-profile individuals and families, together with wide contacts in the philanthropic sector), Harbottle & Lewis can provide clear, transparent advice on structuring arrangements in the most tax efficient way.

Probate & Trust Management:

The firm believes that, during a time of bereavement, its clients need clear advice, provided with compassion and sensitivity. The firm can act in an administrative capacity for trustees and executors, while advising beneficiaries on the ways in which they might be able to mitigate inheritance tax through the use of past death variations of wills.

Reputation Protection:

Reputation is built over time but can be destroyed in minutes. The speed with which material, true or false, can spread on a global basis means it is essential that steps are taken to protect personal information and respond quickly and decisively when it is under threat. The firm acts for individuals, corporates and well-known brands to protect reputation and privacy, and to safeguard sensitive information. It has an unrivalled history in reputation protection.

Residential Property:

The firm deals with all aspects of high-value residential property, from sales and purchases to lettings, re-developments and disputes. It is experienced at structuring acquisitions efficiently, and works with experts in its property litigation and tax teams in order to provide a comprehensive service to its clients.

Wills & Estate Planning:

The firm provides a personalised, compassionate, and discreet service. Its clients benefit from its extensive experience dealing with UHNW families and individuals, as well as estates containing image rights, royalties and other such assets and income streams.