Graham Stott

Expertise

Graham is a barrister (Lincoln’s Inn), a solicitor and a Notary Public, having worked in high street, City, regional and national firms of solicitors. His practice includes advisory, drafting, advocacy as well as the conduct of litigation.

Graham is experienced in the drafting of wills, codicils, trust documents, powers of attorney and the administration of estates. He specialises in disputed wills, contentious probate, trust disputes, Inheritance Act claims, trusts of land claims under TLATA 1996 and equitable accounting, actions founded on proprietary estoppel and Court of Protection – predominantly property and financial affairs including the appointment and removal of deputies, the proper exercise of the powers of a deputy, authority to sell or purchase property, statutory wills, codicils and gifts, jurisdiction and the recognition of foreign mandates and protective measures as well as best interests decisions in relation to residence and contact.

Graham is a member of the Chancery Bar Association, Court of Protection Bar Association, Association of Contentious Trust and Probate Specialists, Solicitors for the Elderly, Court of Protection Practitioners Association and the Society of Trust & Estate Practitioners with the Advanced Certificate in Trust Disputes.

Graham Advises

• High net worth individuals
• Company directors
• Non-domiciled/non-resident individuals
• Private banks and private wealth divisions of high street banks
• Personal representatives
• Trustees
• Elderly or vulnerable clients

Experience Highlights

• Successful appeal following errors of law and procedure by the judge at first instance.
• Establishing a series of offshore trusts containing significant assets across several jurisdictions for non-domiciled and internationally mobile individuals.
• Litigation in the Chancery Division of the High Court to establish a beneficial interest in land and assets worth £5m+.
• Mitigating a claim under the I(PFD)A 1975 Act for an estate worth £47.5m.
• Obtaining orders on an emergency basis in the Court of Protection, freezing assets of £110m, appointing an interim deputy and authorising the recovery of £25m of assets misappropriated during a sustained period of financial abuse.

Publications

Graham is the author of several practice notes for LexisPSL Private Client, has hosted or participated in several webinars for LexisNexis and is the updating author for Tolley’s Administration of Estates, Part H: Contentious Probate and Part I: Claims under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975.

Career History

Previous Law Firms

• Owner and Managing Partner, Blackledge and Co.

Professional Memberships

• Chancery Bar Association
• Association of Contentious Trust and Probate Specialists
• Solicitors for the Elderly
• Court of Protection Practitioners Association
• Society of Trust Estate Practitioners
• Court of Protection Bar Association

Education

• LLB (Hons)
• Postgraduate diploma in Legal Practice
• Postgraduate diploma in Notarial Practice
• Higher Rights of Audience (Civil)