Collas Crill advocate Ben Havard has qualified as a Trust and Estates Practitioner and is now a full member of professional body STEP.
Ben, a senior associate who practices in Collas Crill's dispute resolution team, undertook the Qualified Practitioner route – a research and thesis-based route to membership for experienced trust and estate practitioners who have established themselves in their field.
He specialises in contentious and semi-contentious trust disputes and applications. Ben regularly advises on a broad spectrum of contentious trust issues and breach of trust claims, including the removal of trustees or protectors, requests for information and seeking directions on behalf of trustees.
Ben said: "The Qualified Practitioner route was a great opportunity to add depth to my existing understanding and practice. The TEP designation is a widely regarded global mark for those working in the field, and STEP membership provides access to a global network of highly respected professionals with whom to share knowledge and information."
STEP is a professional body that provides education, training, representation and networking for its members who are professionals specialising in trusts and/or estates, executorships, will writing, administration and related taxation issues.
Full members of STEP are often the most experienced and senior practitioners in the field of trusts and estates, in particular in relation to domestic and offshore trusts, trust and estate litigation, estates and succession and tax planning.
The firm also saw marketing & digital manager Jessica Bichard obtain her Level 4 Certificate in Professional Marketing.
The course is run through the Professional Academy in conjunction with the Chartered Institute of Marketing. Accredited by the European Marketing Confederation, it is made up of two compulsory modules and one optional module designed to help marketers meet the increasing demands of them at every stage in their career.
Jessica said: "The course looked at the marketing function in depth, from internal and external communication methods to understanding the client experience in order to deliver a consistent message.
"At Collas Crill, our brand and the delivery of our key messages plays a huge role in our overall strategy. The course reiterated the practical ways in which we should be listening to our clients to make sure our core values are consistent with what they say about us."
