One of the outstanding juniors. He makes the most difficult problems very clear. He's very clear on the steps that need to be taken to achieve an objective.

Leon has been recommended as a Leading Junior for Tax: Private Client in Chambers UK (since 2011) and has maintained his place as a Leading Junior for Chancery: Traditional for the last eight years. He is also named as a Leading Junior by the Legal 500 and Legal Experts for his Private Client: Personal Tax, Trust and Probate work.

“Very good on extremely complex and very technical tax and trust issues. He works through a vast volume of complex documents and comes up with a valuable opinion for clients.”

“Judges listen to him.”

Chambers and Partners UK Bar 2019

“Clear, unfussy and incredibly clever. He is very accessible, responsive and extremely nice to deal with.”

Chambers 2018 – Juniors

“Really excellent when there are complex tax issues to be dealt with.”

Chambers 2018 – Juniors

“He is a safe pair of hands who handles cases very well.”

Chambers 2018 – Juniors Star Individual

“I think he is very good and well researched. He’s very authoritative and constructive as well. His manner is very good, I think he will become a very strong player in the private client tax world. He’s got a very good trusts background, does a lot of Court of Protection, so his knowledge on trusts and the courts is very good and clear.”

Chambers 2018 – Tax Private Client

“Calm, authoritative and a safe pair of hands.”

Chambers 2018 – Tax Private Client

‘Meticulous in his analysis and very sound on issues of trust law.’

Legal 500 2017 – Private Client: Trusts and Probate

‘Incisive and always a pleasure to deal with, he impresses beyond his relatively modest years of experience.’

Legal 500 2017 – Court of Protection and Community Care

‘He delivers clear and pragmatic advice that one can completely trust.’

Legal 500 2017 – Private Client: Personal Tax

“One of the outstanding juniors. He makes the most difficult problems very clear. He’s very clear on the steps that need to be taken to achieve an objective.”

Chambers 2017 – Chancery Traditional

“He always takes a pragmatic approach to things.”

Chambers 2017 – Court of Protection Property & Affairs

 “His analysis is extremely good, he’s practical and his application is even better. He gets down to what things really mean in practice, and doesn’t leave you with just one page of theory.” “He is calm and has a nice amount of gravity, people listen to him.”

Chambers 2017 – Tax Private Client

“He is an intellectual tour de force” and “possesses a deep knowledge of trusts law”

Chambers UK 2016 – Chancery (Band 1)

“We use him a lot … he is very professional.  We also use him on litigation and he is a good advocate”

Chamber UK 2016 – Tax Private Client

“the main man when it comes to dealing with tricky, knotty estate matters”

Legal 500 2016 – Trusts and Probate 

“vastly experienced”

Legal 500 2015 – Private Client: Trusts and Probate

“An excellent private client practitioner whose advice is clear, concise, thorough and well researched”

Legal 500 2015 – Private Client: Personal Tax

“He is absolutely brilliant – he’s totally on the ball and always gives lucid answers to questions.”

“He is utterly reliable, and has a considerable depth of knowledge.”

Leon’s reported cases include:

• Gorbunova v Estate of Boris Berezovsky & ors [2016] EWHC 1829 (Ch) (application for summary judgment of proprietary claims made by the long-term partner of the deceased against his insolvency estate led by Henry Legge QC)
• Hughes & ors v Bourne & ors [2012] EWHC 2232 (Ch) (a power of appropriation had been validly exercised with the consequence that beneficiaries were entitled, under the rule in Saunders v Vautier, to direct the trustees how to deal with the trust’s shareholding)
• Lilleyman v Lilleyman [2012] EWHC 821 (Ch) [2012] 2 FCR 171:  [2012] WTLR 1007 (“big money-short marriage” Inheritance Act claim), [2012] EWHC 1056 (Ch) (costs) [2012] WTLR 1033
• In the matter of the Wedgwood Museum Trust Ltd (in administration), Young & ors v Attorney-General & ors [2011] EWHC 3782 (Ch) [2012] Pens LR 175, [2012] WTLR 913 (ownership dispute over museum collection)
• Fine v Fine, 21/5/12 (rectification of deed of appointment)
• Maskell v Denham & UBS Pension Trustees [2010] LTL AC9200991 (spousal by-pass trust set aside on grounds of mistake)
• Franks v Sinclair [2007] WTLR 439) (probate action in which plea of want of knowledge and approval was successfully raised)
• Clarke v Brothwood [2006]All ER (D) 207; EWHC (Ch) 2939 (rectification of will)
• Mausner v Mincher [2006] EWHC (Ch) 1283 (costs of probate action)
• Re F [2004] 3 All ER 277 (registration of enduring power of attorney)
• Elvidge v Coulson, The Times, 27 August 2003 (distribution of assets of friendly society)

Leon is a member of the Society of Trusts and Estates Practitioners (STEP) and the STEP UK Technical Committee, the Association of Contentious Trusts and Probate Specialists (ACTAPS), and the Chancery Bar Association.

Leon is co-author with James Kessler QC of the 11th edition of Drafting Trusts and Will Trusts. He lectures regularly on tax, trusts, wills and probate.

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