Dominic Lawrance

Since beginning his career in private client law in 2002, Dominic has become particularly recognised for advising successful internationally mobile individuals who are currently UK residents or are planning on moving to the UK. He also has extensive experience with the creation of structures and solutions for the holding and management of wealth. Dominic enjoys problem-solving for clients, and acting for clients has transformed many seemingly insoluble issues into manageable ones.

Together with his colleague Catrin Harrison, Dominic writes 'Clarke’s Offshore Tax Planning', a comprehensive guide to this area of UK tax law. Clarke’s is widely recognised as a key resource by other UK tax advisers, wealth managers and offshore trustees. The work is revised / rewritten annually to keep step with changes in tax legislation and new case law.

Dominic is also a contributor, together with colleagues from within the firm, to ‘Global Mobility of Ultra-High-Net-Worth Individuals’ – a review of tax, immigration and family laws in territories that tend to be of interest to wealthy, internationally mobile individuals.

Dominic is admitted to practise in England and Wales.

• Advised numerous non-UK domiciled individuals on the steps they need to take prior to becoming UK resident, and on their tax planning more generally. This includes identifying when they will become resident, possible steps to be taken to re-base assets before becoming resident, putting in place suitable arrangements to preserve clean capital, and identifying unsuitable investments or problematic structures.

   

• Advised many UK resident foreign domiciled clients on pre-deemed domicile planning. This includes assisting them with the creation of protected settlements and offshore life bond trust structures. In such cases, he has advised on the intricacies of the protected settlements rules, on how to ensure that such settlements are not “tainted”, and on how such structures may be wound up tax-efficiently if they cease to be useful.

   

• Advised on a significant number of divorce cases where wealthy UK resident foreign domiciled couples have wanted to ensure that the agreed financial arrangements would not give rise to unnecessary tax liabilities. Such cases frequently involve trusts or other entities.

   

• Advised on esoteric matters such as the UK tax treatment of usufructs, executive jet ownership arrangements, structures for the holding of film music royalty rights, and structures for the holding of cryptocurrencies.

   

• Advised on the application and interpretation of double taxation treaties, and planning based on treaty reliefs.

   

• Experience of contentious matters, including HMRC enquiries and applications to court to seek rescission of gifts and rectification of trusts.