Polly Coram and Katherine Wainman Join The Firm

Leading national law firm Irwin Mitchell’s Leeds Private Wealth team continues to grow with two new legal experts for the firm’s Private Wealth division.

Senior associate Katherine Wainman joins the Leeds Tax, Trusts and Estates team from Wrigleys. Katherine handles a full range of work including complex Wills for high-value estates, succession planning and capital tax planning. Her client base includes high-net-worth individuals and trustees among others.

Katherine has specialist experience in advising family trusts on their tax positions, dealing with large landed estates in particular. Katherine is also well-versed in capacity matters and is a Dementia Friend, an Alzheimer’s Society initiative, giving her important training on how best to deal with elderly and vulnerable matters.

Katherine is also experienced in handling cross-border estates, and advises clients on UK tax and trusts issues as well as succession planning for both UK domiciled and non-domiciled individuals. As a testament to her expertise, Katherine has the STEP Advanced Certificate in Cross-Border Estates.

Appointed to the Leeds Will, Trust and Estate Disputes team is associate Polly Coram from Jones Myers. Polly is highly experienced in professional negligence and personal litigation disputes, having represented individuals, charities and insurance companies among others during proceedings.

Polly is an expert in a wide range of disputes including high-value and complex estate claims, Will validity disputes, the management of trusts and dealing with claims by disappointed beneficiaries either seeking greater provision from a deceased's estate or responding to such claims made by others.

Irwin Mitchell’s Private Wealth division has seen a recent spate of new hires, including senior associate Fiona Farrell and associate Marie Kilgannen in the Birmingham Family Law team; partner Nicola Bushby in the London Will, Trust and Estate Disputes team; and the launch of its Tax, Trusts and Estates team in the Manchester office with the arrival of senior associate Berin Jones and associate Elizabeth Byrne.

The Leeds Tax, Trusts and Estates team’s leadership falls to partner Andrea Jones, who also oversees the newly launched Manchester team. National head of Tax, Trusts and Estates and Will, Trust and Estate Disputes, Paula Myers, is also based in Leeds.

Expert Opinion

“Andrea and I are delighted to have recruited so many talented solicitors to our ranks in Leeds. Katherine and Polly’s experience in different areas will be brilliant to have on board and give us more expertise to help our clients.

“Their arrival significantly strengthens our private client offering in the north of the country, which will be further supported by the newly established Manchester team. We’ve spent some time building the foundations of a strong team and now look forward to seeing how we can expand on our existing presence.

“Katherine and Polly will also be a part of the national team, which is one of the largest private client practices in the country and which also continues to grow so that we can continue to achieve the best results possible for our client base.

“Andrea and I both look forward to seeing Katherine and Polly and to introduce them to the rest of the wider teams.” Paula Myers - Partner