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Emma Gillies

Partner, Private Client

Emma is a Partner in Forsters’ Private Client team. She advises on a broad range of personal taxation and wealth planning matters and has extensive experience of advising high net worth families on complex cross-border estate planning. She leads a specialist team of lawyers, who focus on advising individuals and families with US connections.

She also advises on the creation and use of trusts as a means of succession planning and preserving family wealth, including advising non-UK domiciled clients on the creation of excluded property trusts to shelter assets from UK inheritance tax.

Her work for international clients includes providing advice in relation to the UK rules on residence and domicile, and the remittance basis of taxation. This advice is often given in the context of advising those who are moving to the UK for the first time. She also advises on the tax implications of acquiring UK property and the structuring options available.

Emma has vast experience in tax and estate planning for individuals and families with US connections, and is widely recognised as a specialist in this field. Her familiarity with US personal taxation and wealth planning strategies enables her to assist her US-connected clients in navigating the interaction between the US and UK regimes. She is also a frequent speaker on matters of Transatlantic tax and estate planning, both in the UK and overseas.

Emma is recognised as a 'Rising Star' in the Spear's 500 2022 directory and she is ranked in the latest edition of The Legal 500 and Chambers HNW guides.


Moving to the UK - Everything you need to know

Moving to the UK is an exciting life event whether it be a short-term move for work to explore business prospects or a more permanent relocation with the whole family; the UK offers an eclectic range of options to live, work and learn, from the cityscapes of London to vineyards in the English countryside and historic university towns in-between. Setting up life in a new country can feel daunting too and it can be difficult to know where to start.

Moving to the UK


A Guide for US Purchasers of UK Residential Property

When acquiring UK property, US purchasers should seek advice on the broader tax and legal implications. In this report, Forsters’ partners along with specialists in the industry, share their insights on the current UK market for US buyers and how best to navigate the specific risks for US-connected clients.

US and UK flags


The Life Cycle of Family Wealth

From growing a business to starting a family or handing over control of that business to the next generation, every individual has their own goals to aspire to. Our Private Wealth lawyers advise our clients throughout this family life cycle, providing the legal advice required for specific transactions such as purchasing a home or selling a business, whilst also advising on the long-term opportunities for succession and estate planning.

Forsters' Private Wealth - The Life Cycle of Family Wealth logo


Awards and recognitions

Contact

T: +44 207 863 8585
M: +44 7887 419 618

“Emma is both exceptionally knowledgeable and extremely likeable.” Chambers HNW Guide, 2023
"An excellent lawyer with a great depth of knowledge when it comes to cross-border matters." Chambers HNW Guide, 2022
"Real depth of experience in art and cultural sector particularly in the context of country house collections and heritage assets."
The Legal 500 UK, 2022
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