Charles Russell Speechlys Opens New York Office and Connecticut Practice

The Firm establishes its 16th global location bringing a team of internationally recognized private client lawyers

NEW YORK, July 8, 2026 – Charles Russell Speechlys, an international law firm with a focus on private capital, today announced the opening of its new office at 1 Rockefeller Plaza, New York City. The office — the Firm's 16th global location and its first in North America — establishes a permanent US presence for Charles Russell Speechlys' private capital practice, providing American and international clients with a unique combination of international expertise and local law capability. The Firm is simultaneously opening a practice in New Haven, Connecticut, deepening its private client footprint across the region.

For Charles Russell Speechlys, private capital means the complex, cross-border legal needs of families and individuals: their wealth structures, their estate planning, their business interests, their tax obligations across jurisdictions, and the full arc of their financial lives.  It does not mean proximity to private equity firms or institutional capital, which is how some firms use the term. Our clients are less often the funds; they are more often the people behind the funds, alongside entrepreneurs, family offices, and globally mobile individuals whose personal and professional lives don't fit neatly into one jurisdiction.

The United States represents the world’s largest private capital market, and the New York Metropolitan area offices position Charles Russell Speechlys to serve the growing number of globally mobile families, entrepreneurs and private capital owners. These clients have complex cross-border wealth, businesses and personal lives and require seamless legal advice across multiple jurisdictions. That distinction matters, because it shapes everything about the kind of lawyers we have and the offices we've built in New York and Connecticut.

The North American team will operate under the overall leadership of Simon Ridpath, Global Managing Partner. Kurt Rademacher, International Private Client Partner will be Head of New York Office and Shannon Smith, Partner and Head of Tax Controversy, will lead the Connecticut team. 

The New York team, led by Kurt, comprises of Phillip Colasanto, Partner, Private Client; Hugh Dixon, Advisor to the US Private Office; and Reaz Jafri, Senior Counsel, Private Client and Immigration. They will be joined by Global Head of Litigation, Stewart Hey, alongside International Private Client Partner and transatlantic specialist, Sangna Chauhan. Both Sangna and Stewart will relocate from London to help to integrate the offering with the wider Firm and as both have a strong nexus with the US market in their practices.

Simon Ridpath, Global Managing Partner of Charles Russell Speechlys, comments:

Opening our New York office is a defining moment for Charles Russell Speechlys, and it is the result of years of committed work by the team that has built our US practice. The United States is the world's most significant private capital market, and our global clients — families, entrepreneurs and private capital owners whose lives and assets span multiple jurisdictions — have long needed a trusted adviser based here. We are not arriving with ambitions; we are arriving with capability.

In a further strengthening of its North American capabilities, Charles Russell Speechlys has recruited a team of internationally recognized private client lawyers. The team will be led by Shannon Smith, Partner, out of the Connecticut practice and comprises Aaron Schumacher, Partner; Karen Yates, Partner; Wonchi Ju, Partner; Sandy Christopher, Partner and Michael Steffany, Partner.

The team’s combined expertise reflects many of the elements of Charles Russell Speechlys' private capital offering as they specialize in cross-border trusts and estates, US and international tax planning, tax controversy, IRS compliance, the structuring of global family wealth and the advisory needs of internationally mobile families and businesses.

The incoming team's practice mirrors the international client profile that has defined Charles Russell Speechlys' growth across its existing offices. Their work centers on US-originated families navigating global tax exposure, internationally mobile clients with US connections and cross-border wealth structures requiring coordination across multiple legal systems.

Shannon Smith, Partner and Head of Connecticut Office, Charles Russell Speechlys:

We joined Charles Russell Speechlys because of a shared, relentless focus on delivering what our clients actually need. For families whose lives span multiple countries, seamless international advice has always been the goal — and now, with the depth and reach of this global platform behind us, it is something we can truly deliver.

For all the latest updates from Charles Russell Speechlys, please visit Charles Russell Speechlys | International Law Firm.

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Notes to Editors:

About Charles Russell Speechlys

Charles Russell Speechlys is an international law firm with a focus on private capital, at the intersection of personal, family and business. We have a broad range of skills and collective legal expertise and experience with an international outlook across the full spectrum of business and personal needs. Our Firm is headquartered in London with offices across the UK, Europe, the US, Asia and the Middle East. Whether your business operates in a single country or across borders, we’ll put together your perfect team – pulling from our sector and geographical expertise and our partnerships with the best law firms across the world covering 200 legal jurisdictions.

Private capital for Charles Russell Speechlys:

For Charles Russell Speechlys, private capital means the complex, cross-border legal needs of families and individuals: their wealth structures, their estate planning, their business interests, their tax obligations across jurisdictions, and the full arc of their financial lives.  It does not mean proximity to private equity firms or institutional capital, which is how some firms use the term. Our clients are less often the funds; they are more often the people behind the funds, alongside entrepreneurs, family offices, and globally mobile individuals whose personal and professional lives don't fit neatly into one jurisdiction.

Media Contacts:

Charles Russell Speechlys PR team: crs_pr_team@crsblaw.com

Cognito: crs.us@cognitomedia.com