Claire-Marie Cornford

Spear’s Review

Claire-Marie Cornford joined Irwin Mitchell in November 2017, having been headhunted from her previous role at Mishcon de Reya, to join the firm’s newly formed private wealth division. As head of will, trust and estate disputes in London, she leads a dedicated team of lawyers, including a second partner who specialises in Court of Protection cases.

Cornford regularly acts in high-value and complex private wealth disputes for a broad range of clients, including successful entrepreneurs and business leaders, landed gentry, farmers, charities, trustees and individuals. 

In addition to this, she leads Irwin Mitchell’s global UK group, a multidisciplinary and multi-office group of practitioners who focus on international private wealth work and sits on the firm’s international strategy group.

Adviser Profile

Claire-Marie Cornford is the lead partner for the Will, Trust and Estate Disputes team in Irwin Mitchell’s London office. She specialises in private client disputes, specifically trust, estate and succession disputes in the UK and internationally, and claims under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975. She regularly acts in high-value and complex disputes for a broad range of clients.   

Claire-Marie is recommended in The Legal 500 and in Chambers & Partners High Net Worth Guide 2021; she is in Citywealth’s list of Top 10 Powerwomen Trust Litigators 2020 and Citywealth’s Top 100 Private Client Lawyers 2023 and she is ranked in Legal Week’s Private Client Global Elite Directory.