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Matthew is the national head of the disputed wills, trusts and estates team. He covers the Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester and Newcastle offices. He is a full member of the Association of Contentious Trust and Probate Specialists. He is recognised by Legal 500 and is ranked in the top 10 practitioners in Yorkshire and the North East by Chambers and Partners as a leading individual in this area of law.

Matthew is experienced in disputes involving the administration of estates, will validity claims, proprietary estoppel, Inheritance Act claims and also disputes involving trustees, executors and beneficiaries.

Matthew is regularly instructed by a number of well-known charities for his specialist knowledge in contentious trust and estate disputes and also receives instructions from solicitors, barristers and accountants. Matthew is regularly the lead solicitor on high profile cases that are reported in the High Court and the Court of Appeal.

Matthew is the co-author of the chapter on Inheritance Act claims in the 2020 Edition of the Resolution Family Law Handbook

Reported cases

Singh v Kaur and Others [2011] EWCA Civ 1554
Nahajec v Fowle [2017] 

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We offer a free 30 minute consultation on all matters relating to disputed wills, trusts and estates.

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David is a member of the firm’s litigation department and has specialist expertise in disputed wills, trusts and estates, including will validity claims and challenges, claims involving the administration of estates, proprietary estoppel, Inheritance Act claims and disputes involving trustees, executors and beneficiaries.

David was named Private Client 'Rising Star of the Year' at the Legal 500 Northern Powerhouse Awards 2024, awarded to him following a comprehensive research programme based on feedback from David's clients and external contacts. He was was also awarded Young Practitioner of the Year at the industry leading British Wills and Probate Awards 2022 for delivering “exceptional levels of client care”, “demonstrating high levels of skill and technical ability”, showing “a flair for innovation and championing best practice” and finding “solutions in challenging situations”. He is recommended as a ‘Rising Star’ in the legal 500 for contentious trusts and probate, alongside our recommended North West contentious probate team. He was also recognised as a ‘Rising Star’ of the legal sector by the North West Business Insider 2023,  and is part of the winning team at the Manchester Legal Awards 2022 for Litigation Team of the Year.

He is a member of the contentious trusts association (ConTrA), the Northern Contentious Probate Group and the STEP Contentious Probate Special Interest Group.

David also deals with a wide range of complex corporate and commercial disputes, including claims for breach of contract and professional negligence claims. He has extensive court and ADR experience, particularly mediation, and is regularly instructed by a variety of clients including high net worth individuals, corporates, insurers and owner managed businesses.