James Gribbin

James Gribbin is a dual qualified solicitor (England & Wales / New Zealand) working on international tax and private client matters. James advises non-UK and UK resident individuals and families in a variety of areas, including tax residence, domicile, estate and inheritance tax planning, and trust law.

Before joining Winckworth Sherwood James practised as a solicitor at New Zealand private client law firm, Cone Marshall Limited, in Auckland. In particular, James has experience in advising on complex international tax and estate planning issues, advising on matters of trust law, and reviewing and drafting wills and trust documents.

James also has a passion for pro-bono legal services and spent 3 months volunteering with Lawyers Without Borders in Kenya on projects covering counter-human trafficking and wildlife crimes. He continues to have a relationship with the organisation.

Recent Experience

• Legal opinion advising on the tax implications arising from the migration of a New Zealand testamentary trust, with assets in excess of US$10m, from New Zealand to the USA.
• Restructuring of a HNW client’s structure from Europe to the USA with assets in several jurisdictions and valued in excess of US$400m.
• Prepared submissions of New Zealand’s Trusts Bill; Remedial Tax Matters Bill; and Beneficial Ownership Register Discussion Paper.
• Updated the New Zealand chapter of the sixth and seventh editions of the Private Wealth and Private Client Law Review.
• Co-authored an article on the Trusts Bill featured in STEP’s international news digest and an article on the Honoris judgment published in STEP’s July 2019 journal.
• Carried out investigative meetings with Kenyan government departments, INTERPOL, and international government aid programmes concerning gaps in the nation’s prosecution of human trafficking offences.

Professional Memberships

• Law Society of England and Wales
• New Zealand Law Society