Michael Furness QC

Private Client CV

Michael began his career at the bar as a private client trust lawyer, and this work still forms an important part of his practice.

He advises on and conducts international succession and trust disputes. Cases he is working on at present include three sets of litigation concerning the running or distribution of large family trusts in Bermuda.

In the Cayman Islands he appeared in 2008 on behalf of the Registrar of Trusts in first case concerning the enforcement of exempt trusts (HSBC International v Registrar of Trusts).  

He has appeared in overseas courts as an expert witness on English trust law issues, most recently in the Beaverbrook Art Gallery Arbitration in New Brunswick, Canada [2006].

Michael also undertakes tax litigation on behalf of both HMRC and taxpayers. Recent cases include (for HMRC) DCC Ltd v HMRC [2010] (SC) Harding v IRC [2008] (CA) HMRC v Bank of Ireland [2008] (CA) and (for the taxpayer) Mayes v HMRC [2010] (CA). He also advises, and appears for the Hong Kong Commissioner of Inland Revenue, in the Court of Final Appeal in Shui On Credit Co Ltd v CIR and most recently in Aviation Fuel Supply Co Ltd v CIR.

Before taking silk Michael appeared regularly for the Attorney-General in charity matters, and since then he has continued to advise charities on trusts and tax issues, and to undertake charity litigation (in the HSBC case referred to above he appeared for the Attorney-General of the Cayman Islands on charity aspects of the litigation - and see also Bayoumi v Womens Total Abstinence (2003) (CA)). In the last year he has advised major UK charities in connection with investment issues, and in response to a charity commission inquiry.