Muckle strengthens Cumbrian presence to meet growing client demand

In the last 12 months, Muckle reported an impressive 72% growth in its agriculture, estates and private client practice. As one of the largest specialist legal teams in the North of England – with a combined 143 years of experience – it’s developed longstanding relationships with prestigious clients across Cumbria, Yorkshire, the North East and beyond.

The firm has now appointed three additional private client experts to bolster the team’s offering in Cumbria. Rachael Stephenson and Tim Boardman join the team as partners and Winter Addis joins as an associate, taking the number of legal specialists to 12. All three have previous experience working together on behalf of farmers, landed estates, trusts, charities and private clients in Cumbria, and their knowledge of the county is second to none.

David Towns, head of Muckle’s agriculture, estates and private client team said: “These strategic, senior hires demonstrate our increasing commitment to Cumbria as we further strengthen our agriculture and private client team while dealing with some of the most complex estates and succession planning legal work.

The firm has appointed three additional private client experts to bolster the team’s offering in Cumbria (Image: Mike Smith Photography)

“Rachael, Tim and Winter are well-known, highly respected lawyers committed to providing an exceptional client experience. I’m hugely confident that our business plans will deliver continued success over the next few years, especially in Cumbria.”

Rachael Stephenson, 13 years qualified, has a strong background in all non-contentious tax, trust and higher-level estate planning. She acts for clients with complex family arrangements, such as cases of vulnerable beneficiaries, second marriages, High and Ultra-High Net Worth clients, business owners and those with cross-jurisdictional estates. Experienced in advising on charitable and private trust matters, Rachael regularly acts as a professional trustee of will trusts, lifetime settlements and personal injury award trusts. She also acts as an attorney for incapacitated clients.

Tim Boardman, 19 years qualified, advises clients on estates and succession planning, including individuals and trustees on managing landed estates and agricultural holdings. Tim has worked with landed estates and families with significant agricultural business assets, a specialist in succession planning for families with private business interests. His expertise includes wills and trusts, estates, Power of Attorney and Court of Protection Deputyship Applications.

Rachael said: “I’m delighted to join such a well-respected and nationally prominent legal firm. The growth and success of the agriculture and private client team are down to the team’s specialist expertise, in-depth knowledge, and understanding of rural clients and communities.”

Tim added: “Being part of such a skilled, growing, forward-looking team is exciting and I’m looking forward to helping the team grow the business in Cumbria and beyond.”

David Towns further commented: “Cumbria is a thriving region, and we’re proud of our strong relationships with its rural and business communities. Welcoming Tim, Rachael and Winter to our team will allow us to serve our existing clients better while developing new relationships with individuals, businesses, and organisations in the area.

“As we continue our investment in Cumbria, Rachael, Tim and Winter will be joining the rest of the team, servicing clients from our newly opened Cumbria Hub, at Edenhall near Penrith.

“We already have many longstanding, high-profile clients across Cumbria and across the UK and we’re ready to capitalise further on our impressive client portfolio.”

To find out more about Muckle LLP and its private client specialisms, visit muckle-llp.com