Jonathan Conder Partner

Partner
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Jonathan advises UK and international private clients, trustees, foundations, family offices and private banks on all aspects of tax, trust, estate and succession planning, regulatory, immigration and philanthropic issues. Jonathan also has significant experience in assisting families and trustees in resolving disputes.

Typical clients include high-net-worth entrepreneurs and their families who are non-UK resident or UK resident but non-UK domiciled, taking into account their trusts, foundations and family investment companies and partnerships, funds and other structures and financial instruments such clients use to hold their business interests or manage their wealth.

Having spent four years as an in-house counsel in Bermuda and many years as a partner at Macfarlanes, he has particular expertise in advising private banks and family offices on private client matters. He is also very experienced in complex cross-border estate planning, co-ordinating matters for clients with assets in several different legal and tax systems.

A significant number of his international clients have connections to the US and Europe, although in recent years he has spent increasing amounts of time working with families and trustees from the Middle East, South East Asia (especially India, Singapore and Malaysia) and Latin America.

He is well known throughout the industry, lectures widely in the UK and overseas, publishes journal articles on topical issues and is frequently quoted in the national and industry press.

The previous head of the multiple award-winning private client group for 12 years until May 2017, he is now focusing solely on client work.

Jonathan is a member of the firm's probate group and has many years' experience advising on all probate related matters.

Professional memberships
• ACTAPS (Association of Contentious Trust and Probate Solicitors)
• APP (Association of Partnership Practitioners)
• ITPA (International Tax Planning Association)
• STEP (Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners)
• The Bermuda Society
• The International Academy of Estate and Trust Lawyers

Expertise

Recent work

Independent Channel Islands trustees

Advising independent Channel Islands trustees on a proposal to terminate a significant trust with UK and US beneficiaries. The matter involved trust and tax advice and included advising on the laws of numerous jurisdictions to ensure the trustees exercised their power properly.

Independent South-East Asian trustees

Advising independent South-East Asian trustees with non-UK beneficiaries owning a very valuable mix of quoted and private companies to develop a strategy to help navigate a complex intra-family dispute and bring it to a successful conclusion.

Non-resident UK domiciled individual

Advising on succession planning for a non-resident UK domiciled individual in connection with some extremely valuable multiple trusts and personal assets located in a number of jurisdictions, including a one-third holding in a family business.

UK resident and domiciled owner

Advising a UK resident and domiciled owner of a hugely successful UK business on multiple succession planning issues including the obtaining of an EU passport, a strategy for the potential relocation of his family and his business overseas and the administration of his own charitable vehicle.

Latin American resident owners

Advising Latin American resident owners of companies based in the region on the relocation of their families to the UK and the establishment of a UK holding company to hold their businesses.

Various individuals

Advising various individuals on the nature of their interests under a Foundation including developing a strategy to work with the Foundation in the provision of information to HMRC in the light of developing regulatory requirements.

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What people are saying

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"An ultra-safe pair of hands he is one of the standout individuals in this field."

Chambers HNW 2020

"Working with him, you clearly see and notice his experience. He is very experienced and can really bring his full expertise to cases. He has a very easy way about him which gives clients the comfort they need in difficult situations."

Chambers HNW 2020

"He is one of the standout individuals in this field. Described as a "very seasoned practitioner.""

Chambers HNW 2019

"An "ultra-safe pair of hands.""

Chambers HNW 2019

"He is fantastic. He's very, very clever, with great judgement, and is a very good adviser."

Chambers Global 2018

"He gives good advice and has great knowledge and experience He's willing to advise, not just talk about the law."

Chambers Global 2018

Quick reads

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In depth

International Comparative Legal Guide: Private Client 2020

Jonathan Conder, Robin Vos, Clare Wilson 28 Jan 2020
This guide covers common issues in private client laws - including pre-entry tax planning, connection factors, taxation issues on inward investment, succession planning, trusts and...
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Zhang v DBS: A better night's sleep for trustees?

Jonathan Conder, Elizabeth Doherty, Ross Pizzuti-Davidson 16 Jan 2020
When faced with difficult situations, trustees frequently ask themselves (and their lawyers): “What is the scope of our duty?”
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Charity and philanthropy update – November 2019

Jonathan Conder, Nicholas Harries 18 Nov 2019
Welcome to our charity and philanthropy update, in which we discuss issues affecting charities and philanthropy and highlight some of the recent developments which impact the third...
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Charity and Philanthropy Update - January 2019

Jonathan Conder, Nicholas Harries 24 Jan 2019
Welcome to our Charity and Philanthropy Update, in which we discuss issues affecting charities and philanthropy and highlight some of the recent developments which impact the third...
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The UK statutory residence test

Jonathan Conder, Robin Vos, Oliver Court 01 Aug 2018
The UK has a statutory test for tax residence. Details of the test are set out in this note.
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Non-domiciliaries: Trust Protections

Jonathan Conder, Jennifer Smithson, Robin Vos 01 Jul 2018
The government recognises that limiting tax benefits for non-domiciliaries to 15 years could result in many of those affected by the deemed domicile provisions leaving the UK if...
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