Hugh James has become the first law firm in Wales to be appointed as a corporate partner to the Institute of Legacy Management – the membership body for people working in legacies within the charity and not-for-profit sector.
The firm, joins an exclusive panel of firms from England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Spain – all chosen for their commitment and credentials in being able to serve the needs of ILM’s 500-plus members.
Hugh James’s significant work with the third sector in Wales – including through the medium of Welsh – as well as its unique position in the UK wills, trusts and estates administration market and offshore and cross-border expertise were key to its appointment to ILM.
Matthew Lagden, Chief Executive of the Institute of Legacy Management, said today:
Hugh James is a great addition to ILM’s corporate partner programme. They have an in-depth understanding of charities and not-for-profit organisations and I have no doubt that they will offer wide-ranging support and expertise to our members. We look forward to working with the charities team and are thrilled to have them on board.”
Over the last 10 years, Hugh James has become one of the largest companies undertaking will writing and trust and estate administration work in the UK and boasts one of the biggest legacy, will and estate disputes teams.
Working internationally in places like the Cayman Islands, Bermuda and the British Virgin Islands, the team has built up a strong track record in offshore and cross-border estate planning and legacy administration and, uniquely, in the field of high value and complex legacy and trust disputes internationally.
And, closer to home, the team works with a large network of charities across England and Wales, including through its partnership with the Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA) – the umbrella body for the third sector in Wales – and on the panel of specialist advisors to the Wales Cooperative Centre, to support the social enterprises they fund. The department is well-known for its legal advice, training and support for charities – including through its schemes in funding the salaries of clinical outreach workers and specialist training for nurses.
Responding to news of the appointment, Partner and Head of Private Wealth at Hugh James, Matthew Evans, said:
We’re looking forward to working with ILM and its members and continuing to build on the work we’ve been doing to support charities for many years. These are tough times and we’re committed to doing all we can to help, not just through our legal advice, but also in providing lobbying support, research and data insights, education and training – all of which are essential in helping to bolster the sector.”
Partner and Head of the Legacy Protection Services team at Hugh James, Roman Kubiak, added:
We’re delighted and very proud to be an ILM corporate partner and through which we’ll be able to gain a deeper and broader understanding of the needs and challenges of the charity and not-for-profit sector. This will undoubtedly enhance the support we can provide to charities who increasingly rely on legacies to support the vital work they do and ensure we are a firm they can rely on and trust to help them through the challenges in the sector.”