Katherine Pymont

Katherine joined Kingsley Napley’s Dispute Resolution team in September 2012. She has a broad spectrum of litigation experience with particular expertise in Wills, Trusts and Inheritance Disputes. Katherine had a previous career in the media. She trained at Kingsley Napley LLP. 

Katherine’s experience in the field of Wills, Trusts and Inheritance Disputes includes challenging the validity of wills (including claims for lack of testamentary capacity, want of knowledge and approval, fraud, forgery and undue influence), claims under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975, removal of executors and trustees, breach of trust claims, fraud cases involving trust structures and professional negligence claims relating to wills and trusts. She also works in Court of Protection matters including the appointment and removal of deputies and acting on behalf of deputies in seeking to recover misappropriated assets.

Katherine’s broader litigation experience encompasses contractual disputes, professional negligence claims, civil fraud cases, harassment and reputation management. She also frequently acts for claimants in obtaining injunctive relief and for defendants in opposing or discharging injunctions. Notably, Katherine acted for Genting Casinos in the landmark Supreme Court win against Phil Ivey in which the longstanding criminal legal test for dishonesty was overturned and for the Financial Conduct Authority in successfully defending proceedings challenging the interpretation of Russian sanctions  in both the Administrative Court and the European Court of Justice.

Katherine is a regular contributor of written content to both mainstream and specialist publications, particularly in the field of Wills, Trusts and Inheritance Disputes including Today’s Wills and Probate (monthly contributor), Spears Magazine, The Trusts and Estates Law and Tax Journal, the ACTAPS Newsletter, Charity Times and Wealthbriefing, She is the author of the Westlaw guidance on removal of trustees.

Katherine is an  affiliate member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP). She obtained a distinction in the STEP Advanced Certificate in Trust Disputes and is recommended in the Legal 500 in the field of Contentious Trusts and Probate.

Areas of Experience

• Wills, Trusts and Inheritance Disputes;
• Court of Protection;
• Civil fraud;
• Commercial and Contract Disputes;
• Corporate & Internal Investigations;
• Professional Negligence;
• Harassment; and
• Injunctions.

Recent experience

• Acting for beneficiaries, executors and personal representatives in a wide range of inheritance and probate claims, including cases where wills have been challenged on the grounds of forgery, incapacity or undue influence or because they have not been validly executed and claims for reasonable provision under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975;
• Acting for trustees, beneficiaries, protectors and others in connection with disputes over trusts including those with multi-jurisdictional issues.
• Advising in relation to contentious matters arising in the Court of Protection;
• Acting in professional negligence claims relating to wills, trusts and inheritance;
• Advising charities in relation to fraud exposure and legacy disputes
• Advising in relation to challenging trustees’ discretion in respect of the distribution of death benefits and associated complaint to The Pensions Ombudsman.
• Acting for Genting Casinos in successfully defending a claim by international poker player Phil Ivey, recently decided in the Casino’s favour by the Supreme Court (Ivey v Genting Casinos [2017] UKSC 67);
• Acting for a Channel Islands corporate trustee in a case involving allegations of dishonesty, conspiracy, fraudulent misrepresentation and dishonest assistance in breaches of fiduciary duty.
• Acting for an art dealer alleged to have converted art in his possession to his own use to raise large sums of money, as well as allegations of failures to account for the proceeds of sale of various pieces of artwork.  Multiple freezing injunctions were obtained against the client.
• Acting on behalf of the Solicitors Regulation Authority in relation to various proceedings pursued by the Claimants to challenge the Law Society’s intervention into their practices;
• Acting for Rangers Football Club in various proceedings and contractual disputes with Sports Direct;
• Acting for a number of high profile clients in the media, sport and entertainment industry, including advising on defamation, harassment and privacy law.

Press and articles

• How wills can be challenged and how charities can manage legacy disputes   |  UK Fundraising, September 2019 

• The Inheritance (Provision For Family And Dependants) Act 1975  |  Today's Wills and Probate, January 2019

• Britain’s secret charity cheats: the questions your charity should be asking  |  charitytimes, June 2018

• 1975 Act Claims: Dead end  |  Law Journals

Professional societies and memberships

• Completed the Association of Contentious Trust and Probate Specialists (ACTAPS) qualification
• AIJA
• London Solicitors Litigation Association
• Junior London Solicitors Litigation Association
• Law Society
• Young Fraud Lawyers Association (YFLA)
• The Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) 

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