Jessica Henson
Jessica is a private client partner specialising in risk and disputes in relation to trusts and estates.
Jessica has accrued extensive trust litigation experience both in England and offshore. Her cases have included both seeking and defending the removal of trustees, protectors and executors; rectification and variation of trusts; setting aside and defending trusts on the basis of sham allegations; challenging trustees’ decisions and advising trustees on making decisions in contentious circumstances; challenging trustees’ fees; claims for breach of fiduciary duty; and associated professional negligence proceedings against tax and legal advisors.
Equally, Jessica frequently advises on probate and estate disputes, including invalidity claims, capacity and construction issues, as well as claims under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependents) Act 1975.
Jessica has also built up particular expertise in advising trustees and beneficiaries on issues of trust law in the context of divorce proceedings – both in relation to proceedings in the Family Division and in the corresponding offshore trust jurisdictions.
Jessica draws on her wealth of litigation experience to inform asset protection and estate planning strategies designed to avoid disputes in the future. For this reason, Jessica is frequently asked to advise on the establishment of trusts, pre and post nuptial agreements and Wills where there are particular risks or asset protection concerns.
In 2015, Jessica co-founded ConTrA (the Contentious Trusts Association) which runs informative seminars and conferences for over 500 members both in the UK and offshore. Jessica is a member of STEP (the Society of Trusts & Estates Practitioners) and also sits on the ACTAPS (Association for Contentious Trusts and Probate Practitioners) committee. She is a regular speaker at industry conferences and has a particular interest in the psychology of litigation and family disputes.
Having studied Classics at Cambridge University, Jessica trained at Herbert Smith and worked at Berwin Leighton Paisner before joining Payne Hicks Beach as a partner in 2020.
Chambers UK Guide 2025 ranks Jessica Henson for ‘Private Wealth Disputes (London Firms)’.
The Legal 500 UK 2025 ranks Jessica Henson as a ‘Next Generation Partner’ for the ‘Private Client: Contentious Trusts and Probate’ category.
Ranked as Band 2 in Chambers HNW 2023
Comments in Chambers include:
“Jessica is really good and very commercial. Clients are in safe hands with her.”
“She is taking the private client world by storm and is a real breath of fresh air in any case or environment. She is sensible, commercially astute and very bright.”
“Jess is excellent. She is sensible, inspires confidence and is really a great lawyer.”
Ranked as Band 2 in Chambers HNW 2022 and as a Next Generation Partner in The Legal 500 UK 2024 in the category of Contentious Trusts & Probate.
Comments in Chambers include:
Jessica Henson is “multi-talented in handling contentious, non-contentious work, as well as crossover between divorce and trusts work,” Chambers HNW 2022
“always adding strings to her bow,” contributes heavily to industry events and associations and is regarded as “one of the best private client partners in London” Chambers HNW 2022
“Jess has everything – tactical vision, client skills and is all over the detail.” Chambers HNW 2022
Comments in The Legal 500 UK include:
“all round superstar” Legal 500 UK 2023
“Jessica Henson is an excellent addition to the team. A real expert with great experience, she provides pragmatic and sensible advice to clients.” Legal 500 UK 2023
“knowledgeable and incisive” Legal 500 UK 2023
Also ranked as a “Top Recommended Contentious Tax & Trust Lawyer” in Spear’s 500 2024.
Jessica Henson is listed in the Spear’s Tax & Trust Adviser’s Index 2024 as a “Top Recommended ” Contentious Trust Lawyer.
Legal Week’s Private Client Global Elite 2024 named Jessica in Tier 1 as one of the world’s elite private client lawyers with market-leading private wealth disputes law expertise advising ultra high net worth clients.