Payne Hicks Beach LLP

Payne Hicks Beach is a full-service law firm with offices in Lincoln’s Inn, where it has been based since its establishment in the 1730s. The firm provides specialist legal services to domestic and international high-net-worth individuals and families, family offices, and commercial clients. It is widely recognised for building long-term relationships that often span generations, while maintaining a modern, solution-focused approach.

The firm has a strong reputation in family and private client law, complemented by expertise in commercial, privacy and media, citizenship and immigration, dispute resolution, sport, white collar crime and regulatory matters, and surrogacy, fertility, adoption and modern family law. Its teams are known for handling complex and sensitive issues with discretion, working under pressure to safeguard clients’ interests. Much of its work is international, with clients from the US, Scandinavia, the Middle East, Far East, Russia, Africa, Switzerland and other European countries, including ultra-high-net-worth and high-net-worth individuals, landed estate owners, entrepreneurs, trustees, fiduciaries, family businesses, companies, charities, schools, financial institutions and professional practices.

Key practice areas include private client, family, corporate, employment, dispute resolution, privacy and media law, sports law, property, property litigation, landed estates and agriculture, citizenship and immigration, surrogacy, fertility and modern family matters, education and advising vulnerable clients. The private client department is regarded as one of the best in the UK, advising on domestic and international tax, trusts, estate planning, family offices, heritage property, agricultural matters, property development, taxation, probate and trust administration.

The family department has extensive expertise in matrimonial and modern family law, including Part III claims, pre- and post-nuptial agreements, financial treatment of inherited wealth, international child removal, civil partnerships and surrogacy, fertility and adoption. Members are accredited by Resolution, the SRA’s Family Law Accreditation Scheme and The International Academy of Family Lawyers. The corporate team advises on acquisitions and mergers, management buy-outs, banking, competition law, intellectual property, governance, sponsorship, marketing, sale of goods and partnership issues, acting for high-net-worth individuals, companies, family offices and private equity and sovereign wealth funds.

The employment team represents employers and senior employees in contentious and non-contentious matters, including whistleblowing, discrimination and high-value tribunal cases. The dispute resolution practice covers domestic and international contentious trusts and estates, Inheritance Act claims, finance and banking disputes, shareholder and insolvency matters, commercial and motor industry disputes, professional negligence, IP, landlord and tenant, property disputes, partnership disputes and judicial reviews. The privacy and media department is known for reputation management, advising on libel, privacy, harassment, data protection, phone hacking, online publication issues, cyberstalking and breach of confidence.

The firm is also recognised for its sports law practice, particularly in sailing, marine sports and equine matters, alongside sponsorship, marketing, contract and dispute issues. The property department advises on transactions, leases, lending, development, environmental issues, planning agreements and prime residential property, with expertise in working with international investors. The citizenship and immigration team advises on applications from initial entry through to citizenship, particularly for high-net-worth individuals, overseas companies and complex EEA matters, and handles appeals and judicial reviews.

The landed estates and agriculture team provides comprehensive advice on tax, finance, investment, succession and property structuring, as well as farmland transactions, mineral rights, energy diversification, succession planning and agricultural relief. The property litigation team combines property sector expertise with dispute resolution to advise on lease renewals, service charge and dilapidation disputes, boundaries, covenants, planning issues and construction adjudication.

Languages
English
French
Danish
German
Arabic
Italian
Greek
Spanish
Russian

Staffing Figures
47 UK partners
138 other UK fee-earners