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The Law Firm of the Year category, newly introduced this year, recognises law firms that have demonstrated outstanding legal expertise and service to UHNWs and family offices by handling a range of complex, high-value and high-profile matters, showing innovation in the way they serve their clients, and exhibiting a genuinely distinctive offering from their competitors.
This recognition reflects the firm’s unique position at the intersection of private wealth and the creative economy; its practice spanning from traditional private client work including estate planning, tax structuring, succession and trust advice, to advising talent, artists, influencers and entrepreneurs whose wealth is tied to IP, digital assets and creative rights on the commercial exploitation of their assets.
The Woman of the Year category, for which senior partner Catherine Bedford is shortlisted, focuses on female leaders in UK private wealth who have been instrumental in shaping the direction of their firm and/or the wider industry.
Lawyer of the Year – Family, for which Mark Irving is a finalist, recognises the leading family lawyers providing an excellent service to their clients on the most complex, sensitive and precedent-setting cases.
The Spear’s Awards bring together all sections of the private wealth ecosystem to celebrate excellence and the most significant achievements over the previous year. These awards recognise the individuals and firms who lead the way through the service they provide to family offices and UHNW individuals.
The awards ceremony will take place on 3 November 2026 at Raffles London at The OWO. See the full shortlist here.
Catherine has established her reputation at the pinnacle of family law. Her practice encompasses the full spectrum of family law in instances of relationship breakdown, and she advises on the highest profile, highest value and most complex cases in the family courts.
Her clients typically face significant public and media scrutiny; Catherine resolves their most personal issues with empathy, sensitivity, determination and discretion. She’s described as having an “incredibly impressive strategic approach” and “unparalleled” client care skills. In April 2024 she was elected as the firm’s first female senior partner.
Depending on each client’s needs, Catherine’s approach is tailor made; whether that be successful negotiating outside of the court process or tough litigating within it. Her work frequently involves high net worth individuals, ranging from successful CEOs and investment bankers, to sports stars and entertainers. Catherine specialises in complex financial matters, frequently advising her clients with regard to assets and trust structures, including locating hidden assets.
Catherine is also highly experienced in all private law children matters including residence and contact, leave to remove children from the jurisdiction (both achieving and preventing), specific issue applications and prohibited steps orders.
Catherine is particularly concerned with mental health issues for children and adolescents; she has for some time been involved with the Anna Freud Centre and is a trustee. She is also a trustee of the National Gallery Foundation Trust.
Reported cases
Mark’s expertise include negotiating financial settlements on divorce and separation, as well as nuptial agreements. He regularly advises on arrangements for children following relationship breakdown and the international relocation of children. Mark has dealt with numerous jurisdiction disputes where there are contested proceedings in multiple countries.
Mark is known for his “pitch-perfect” and strategic approach to cases. His clients appreciate his down to earth manner and his ability to simplify complex matters. He has been described by a leading KC as having “calm, grace and a great determination to achieve his clients’ objectives”.
Mark represents clients from all walks of life, including those in the public eye. Often his clients have significant family assets, business interests, offshore assets, or complex asset-holding structures such as Trusts. Mark advises trustees in the context of matrimonial proceedings. He also regularly represents clients seeking to uncover hidden wealth.
Mark is experienced in a number of sectors where the valuation of business interests, international property, as well as music, literary and other intellectual property rights is required. He regularly advises entrepreneurs and those working in the private equity, sport and technology sectors.
Mark is recognised as a leading lawyer in The Legal 500 and Chambers, and is a "Top Recommended" family lawyer in Spear’s 500, having won a number of industry awards. He has been a partner since 2016 and holds a number of management roles in the firm.
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