Lodders appoints new head of contentious probate

Midlands law firm Lodders has strengthened its private wealth and litigation offering with the appointment of Martin Oliver as partner and head of its contentious trusts and probate team.

Martin joins from Wright Hassall, where he spent twenty years building a leading contentious probate practice. 

A Legal 500 Hall of Fame practitioner, he is recognised for his expertise in inheritance disputes, mental capacity issues, undue influence claims, executor removals, proprietary estoppel and professional negligence related to estates. 

He has also acted in several high-profile cases, including in the Supreme Court.

At Lodders, Martin will work across the firm’s offices alongside private client head Louise Igoe and dispute resolution partner Andrew Wylde to drive the strategic growth of the contentious probate practice.

Martin said: “I am delighted to be joining Lodders, a firm which is recognised in the legal directories as being one of the best for private wealth advice. 

“For 20 years, I have grown one of the largest contentious trusts and probate teams outside of London, which was also recognised as being one of the best. 

“Combining both our skillsets will only enhance the legal advice that Lodders is able to offer to its clients. 

“It is my intention in the coming years to build a new team and attract the best contentious trusts and probate lawyers in the Midlands.”

Louise added: “We are delighted to welcome Martin to the firm. 

“He has an outstanding national reputation and a proven track record of advising clients on all aspects of inheritance disputes, bringing a breadth of specialist knowledge to the team. 

“Demand for bespoke private client advice continues to grow, particularly as the government moves forward with its proposed inheritance tax reforms. 

“Martin’s expertise and experience will be invaluable as we enhance our service offering and support an increasing number of clients across our regions.”

Paul Mourton, Lodders’ managing partner, added: “Martin’s appointment is a strategic hire that further strengthens our position as the region’s premier private wealth firm and rounds off a strong year which has seen us appoint four new partners across the firm. 

“A great cultural fit, Martin will be instrumental in driving further growth, enabling us to build on our reputation for providing trusted contentious trusts and probate expertise and legal clarity.”

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