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Charlie Sonsa

Charlie Sosna

Partner, Head of Private Wealth and Tax

Personal Profile

Charlie is a Partner in Mishcon Private and heads up the Private Wealth and Tax group. Charlie's main practice areas are: UK and international tax, including UK-US tax planning; trusts; asset protection structuring; and lifetime planning for high-net and ultra-high net worth individuals, families and their trustees. Charlie frequently advises clients on their residence and domicile status, and advises on effective tax planning – with a particular focus on acting for clients with connections in Asia.

He has been described as someone who offers 'high quality reliable advice, excellent client manner - a joy to work with', and who 'is technically superb; [and] one of the best technicians that I know [who] has broad and deep experience in the private client world. He is a standout in his field'.  He has further been described and as 'one of the most technically capable lawyers I have worked with [who] provides fantastic service to his clients in a seamless way.'

He was named in eprivateclient's list of the Top 35 private client practitioners under 35, is Spear's 500 Recommended,  ranked as part of the ‘Ones to Watch’ list by Private Client Global Elite, and is ranked in the leading Legal Directories.

Key Experience

  • Providing ongoing support and advice to the family office of a multi-national ultra-high net worth family on their UK tax and structuring.  The family are based across four jurisdictions (including the UK) with assets and businesses across eleven jurisdictions.
  • Advising a Chinese billionaire property developer on his UK tax and estate planning including how to structure the purchase and ownership of a very high value UK residential property. 
  • Advising the trustee of an offshore "excluded property" trust, with a very substantial UK property portfolio, in relation to trust restructuring.  The restructuring is a consequence of a breakdown in relations between the two principal beneficiaries, requiring the segregation of their respective interests. 
  • Detailed tax and structuring advice to an ultra-high net worth non-UK resident and domiciled family, their family office and companies covering the UK, Monaco, Switzerland, France, Cyprus, Luxembourg and Bermuda.
  • Advising a non-UK resident and non-UK domiciled CIS family, their trust companies and family office on the creation of offshore asset protection structures.
  • Relocation advice to an ultra-high net worth family covering over fifteen jurisdictions.
  • Advising an ultra-high net worth family on the separation of their family assets including cross-family loans and minority shareholding in companies in numerous jurisdictions held by offshore trusts.
  • Advising a Middle Eastern ultra-high net worth individual on offshore structuring for the purchase and development of land in the Middle East.
  • Advising individuals on their residence and domicile status and how relocating would affect their exposure to UK tax.

Career History

Partner, Mishcon de Reya LLP
Managing Associate, Mishcon de Reya LLP
Associate, Mishcon de Reya LLP
Solicitor, Mishcon de Reya
Solicitor, Berkeley Law Ltd
Solicitor, Lawrence Graham LLP
Trainee Solicitor, Lawrence Graham LLP
King's College London, Law LLB

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