Reading: Pitmans team boosted by leading wills, trusts and tax planning specialist

Published author and specialist private tax & family business lawyer David Ainslie has joined Pitmans’ expert private client team from May 1, 2013. 

Ainslie has a particularly broad range of skills, developed from experience of traditional landed estates, UK and international entrepreneurs, professional families, care of the elderly, UK and international wills, probate and estate management, personal trusteeships, charities and philanthropy. His knowledge of inheritance tax underpins his advice relating to succession planning, a specialism much in demand from clients with complex family and business circumstances.

Unusually for a solicitor, Ainslie has strong experience of insurance, pensions and investment business, as well as trust company management, and FSA regulatory and compliance disciplines from his years in the financial sector.

Ainslie trained with a Lincoln’s Inn practice in the 1970s and moved to international City firm, Lovell White & King, becoming a private client partner in the early 1980s, before moving to the financial sector, Towry Law Group, in 1983. After 19 years' rising to the main board of that stock market-listed business, he returned to private practice with Pitmans in 2003 as director, tax & succession planning for three years. After a period as partner in Horsey Lightly Fynn, Newbury, he returned to the City as partner in Stone King LLP, and has now returned to Pitmans to work alongside former colleagues.

Christopher Avery, Pitmans’ managing partner, said: “David’s return is excellent news. He will help enhance our already-strong private client team with a wide range of specialisms and a passion for public speaking that complements our existing team.”