A qualified Guernsey Advocate, Ben's practice is focused on contentious and semi-contentious trust work, advising both trustees and beneficiaries and appearing in the Royal Court in Guernsey on those matters.
He has a particular interest in the issues around the succession to wealth by the next generation.
Experience
- Acting for the beneficiary of a trust in a proposed restructuring of an UHNW family's wealth following a dispute with their trustee. Planning for the splintering-off of our client's interests, and negotiating the necessary protections.
- Acting for the corporate trustee of a discretionary trust settled for the benefit of the Settlor's children. The Settlor was domiciled in a jurisdiction in which Sharia law would have applied on succession. The trust imported aspects of Sharia law, while also providing for the settlor's daughters. A family dispute resulted in various challenges relating to the trust.
- Acting for the corporate trustee of a trust during the course of a significant family dispute. The aim was to divide the assets of the trust against a lack of any agreement between the beneficiaries as to how that should be done.
- Acting for two beneficiaries of a Guernsey trust in an application seeking disclosure of information from the trustees (who were family members) – Patel v Patel (Judgment 36/2016)
Background
Ben read Psychology at undergraduate level at the University of Sheffield, specialising in workplace psychology, and subsequently undertook an MSc in Human Resource Management.
As a first career, Ben worked at a large public sector organisation in the UK, planning and managing significant projects of change and restructuring. This drew on both his academic studies, but also required co-ordinating legal input, and engaging in negotiation with trade union representatives.
In 2007 Ben made the change to law, studying in Manchester, and receiving the Law Society Bursary for his LPC studies. He joined Collas Crill in 2009, qualifying as an English solicitor in 2011 after a secondment to Olswang LLP, and as a Guernsey Advocate in 2015. He was made a partner of the firm on 1 January 2019.
Ben was appointed Chair of STEP's Contentious Trusts and Estates special interest group in December 2023. He also holds an apprenticeship board position with Starwood European Real Estate Finance Limited – an investment company listed on the main market of the London Stock Exchange with a diversified portfolio of commercial real estate debt investments in liquid markets (office, retail, logistics, light industrial, hospitality and residential) in the UK and Continental Europe. The apprenticeship is part of a development programme run by partner boards in conjunction with the Guernsey Training Agency.
Awards
- Listed by eprivateclient in the 2024 Crown Dependencies NextGen Leaders list
- Ranked in Band 3 by Chambers and Partners UK 2025
- Listed as a Leading Partner in Legal 500 2026
- Features in the Global Elite Directory, which is a list of the world's most respected lawyers advising UHNW clients as nominated by peers within the private wealth industry.
- Winner of lawyer of the year in category at the Citywealth Future Leaders Awards (2018), also featuring on the Citywealth Leaderslist.
Memberships
- STEP - full qualification as Trust and Estates Practitioner (TEP)
- Chair of the STEP Contentious Trusts & Estates Global SIG Steering Committee
- CIPD
- Chancery Bar
- ACTAPS
- ConTra
- IOD
"I enjoy getting to the bottom of difficult commercial issues and looking beyond the legal analysis to help clients find the best way forward for them."
