Alexandra Sarkis
Alexandra Sarkis is a graduate of Durham University, where she read French. She qualified as a solicitor with May, May & Merrimans in 1984, becoming a partner in 1989, and was made joint head of department when the firm merged with Hunters in 2015.
Alexandra’s entire career as a qualified solicitor has been devoted to private clients, and she has found the experience of acting for different generations of the same families extremely rewarding. She is known for her expertise in the field of estate planning, trusts and Wills, and her clients include a number of important landed estates, with associated heritage property. She has substantial experience in probate and estate administration, including matters involving issues of considerable complexity.
Alexandra supervises other members of the department in relation to the full range of private client services, including probate.
Department
Awards
Spear’s Tax & Trust Advisers Index 2022
‘Top Recommended’ in the Tax Lawyers Index
The Legal 500 UK 2023
Recognised as a Leading Individual in the Personal Tax, Trusts and Probate category
“Alexandra Sarkis and Mary Elliott are consistently excellent – completely fluent in the application of the relevant tax and trust laws involved in sensible trust and estate tax planning, highly practical and efficient, and wearing their brilliance lightly.”
Spear's 500 2022
Top Recommended Tax Lawyer
Spear’s 2021 Tax & Trust Advisors Index
‘Top Recommended’ for Estate Planning
The Legal 500 UK 2022
Recognised as a Leading Individual in the Personal Tax, Trusts and Probate category
“Alexandra Sarkis is a highly competent and thorough lawyer with many years’ experience – which shows. I have worked with her in regards to a highly complex estate where she balances the interests of the trust, the recipient charity, as well as the professionals involved, in processing the estate administration (foreign lawyers, accountants and bankers). What’s more, she is directional, by which I mean she knows her field of practice and the laws involved in that well enough to cut through distracting information/opinions and to go straight to the key points that need addressing.”
The Legal 500 UK 2021
Recommended for ‘Agriculture and estates’
The Legal 500 UK 2021
Leading Individual in ‘Personal tax, trusts and probate’
“Alexandra Sarkis is an outstanding lawyer. We say this having regard to her profound knowledge of her specialty, her presentation and clarity of mind, and the clarity of her explanations of legal issues”
“Alex Sarkis inspires absolute confidence and displays great efficiency, patience, understanding, attention to detail and a wealth of knowledge, coupled with a sound and carefully considered judgement – all qualities one would hope and expect to see in an ideal lawyer and adviser. In summary, we hugely appreciate Alex, her advice and her guidance”
Chambers HNW 2020
Ranked Band 5 for Private Wealth Law
“Alexandra “is very diligent, very professional and sharp.” Another commentator notes she “displays attention to detail and a wealth of knowledge coupled with sound and carefully considered judgement.”
The Legal 500 UK 2020
Leading Individual in ‘Personal tax, trusts and probate’
“Alexandra Sarkis - absolutely first-rate.”
“'Alexandra knows her clients really well and understands complex trust issues and family dynamics.'”
The Legal 500 UK 2020
Recommended for ‘Agriculture and estates’
Chambers HNW 2019
Recognised as a leading individual in Private Wealth Law
“She is a remarkable lawyer and does a really excellent job”
“She is completely superb”
“She has got a massive attention to detail, is highly intelligent, and really understands how families work and their issues”
Spear's 500 2019
Listed as Outstanding in Field in the Tax & Trust Lawyers section
The Legal 500 2019
Leading Individual – Personal Trusts, Tax and Probate
“handles what can be delicate family issues arising out of a trust and its complexity with great skill and tact”
Chambers HNW 2018
Recognised as a leading individual in Private Wealth Law
“very, very impressive, she holds her place as a top lawyer”
MEMBERSHIPS
Alexandra is a member of the Society of Estate Practitioners (STEP).
Department
Awards
Spear’s Tax & Trust Advisers Index 2022
‘Top Recommended’ in the Tax Lawyers Index
The Legal 500 UK 2023
Recognised as a Leading Individual in the Personal Tax, Trusts and Probate category
“Alexandra Sarkis and Mary Elliott are consistently excellent – completely fluent in the application of the relevant tax and trust laws involved in sensible trust and estate tax planning, highly practical and efficient, and wearing their brilliance lightly.”
Spear's 500 2022
Top Recommended Tax Lawyer
Spear’s 2021 Tax & Trust Advisors Index
‘Top Recommended’ for Estate Planning
The Legal 500 UK 2022
Recognised as a Leading Individual in the Personal Tax, Trusts and Probate category
“Alexandra Sarkis is a highly competent and thorough lawyer with many years’ experience – which shows. I have worked with her in regards to a highly complex estate where she balances the interests of the trust, the recipient charity, as well as the professionals involved, in processing the estate administration (foreign lawyers, accountants and bankers). What’s more, she is directional, by which I mean she knows her field of practice and the laws involved in that well enough to cut through distracting information/opinions and to go straight to the key points that need addressing.”
The Legal 500 UK 2021
Recommended for ‘Agriculture and estates’
The Legal 500 UK 2021
Leading Individual in ‘Personal tax, trusts and probate’
“Alexandra Sarkis is an outstanding lawyer. We say this having regard to her profound knowledge of her specialty, her presentation and clarity of mind, and the clarity of her explanations of legal issues”
“Alex Sarkis inspires absolute confidence and displays great efficiency, patience, understanding, attention to detail and a wealth of knowledge, coupled with a sound and carefully considered judgement – all qualities one would hope and expect to see in an ideal lawyer and adviser. In summary, we hugely appreciate Alex, her advice and her guidance”
Chambers HNW 2020
Ranked Band 5 for Private Wealth Law
“Alexandra “is very diligent, very professional and sharp.” Another commentator notes she “displays attention to detail and a wealth of knowledge coupled with sound and carefully considered judgement.”
The Legal 500 UK 2020
Leading Individual in ‘Personal tax, trusts and probate’
“Alexandra Sarkis - absolutely first-rate.”
“'Alexandra knows her clients really well and understands complex trust issues and family dynamics.'”
The Legal 500 UK 2020
Recommended for ‘Agriculture and estates’
Chambers HNW 2019
Recognised as a leading individual in Private Wealth Law
“She is a remarkable lawyer and does a really excellent job”
“She is completely superb”
“She has got a massive attention to detail, is highly intelligent, and really understands how families work and their issues”
Spear's 500 2019
Listed as Outstanding in Field in the Tax & Trust Lawyers section
The Legal 500 2019
Leading Individual – Personal Trusts, Tax and Probate
“handles what can be delicate family issues arising out of a trust and its complexity with great skill and tact”
Chambers HNW 2018
Recognised as a leading individual in Private Wealth Law
“very, very impressive, she holds her place as a top lawyer”
MEMBERSHIPS
Alexandra is a member of the Society of Estate Practitioners (STEP).
