Jonathan Conder 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 focussing solely on client work.

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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"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

"Jon has 'outstanding knowledge that is blended with the ability to communicate well the most complex matters in a way that is easily understood by all'."

The UK Legal 500 2017

"'He is unbelievably easy to work with. He is just very good at explaining some very complicated subjects to clients,' says a source."

Chambers HNW 2017

"Jonathan Conder 'is unbelievably easy to work with. He is just very good at explaining some very complicated subjects to clients,' says one market source."

Chambers UK 2016

"Head of the private client practice Jonathan Conder has an esteemed profile for his work in this sphere. Interviewees say he is 'exceptional', and single him out as 'very strategic' and 'a top-rated lawyer'."

Chambers Global 2016

Latest insights

2017 changes to the taxation of non-domiciliaries

22 September 2017 Jonathan Conder, Jennifer Smithson, Robin Vos
An overview of deemed domicile status, rebasing, cleansing mixed funds and business investment relief.
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2017 changes to the taxation of non-domiciliaries

22 September 2017 Jonathan Conder, Jennifer Smithson, Robin Vos
Deemed domiciliaries - an overview of changes in relation to trust protections.
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A guide to tax efficient giving in the UK

01 May 2017 Nicholas Harries, Jonathan Conder, Clarissa Lyons
This guide runs through the most tax-efficient ways for companies or individuals to give to charities in the UK and abroad. It outlines how to give, what to give and what to watch out for.
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