Amber Coteman is an Associate in Birketts’ private client team with a practice focused on bespoke succession planning for individuals and families with complex financial and personal circumstances.
She advises on the full range of estate‑planning tools, including wills, trusts and lifetime structuring, ensuring clients’ long‑term objectives are protected. She has recently completed the full STEP diploma (widely recognised as the leading qualification for private client practitioners).
She has strong experience administering complex estates, particularly those with multi‑jurisdictional assets, intricate ownership structures and varied tax considerations. Her estate administration work frequently involves identifying and securing available reliefs, such as those applicable to business and agricultural assets, ensuring estates are managed efficiently and in a way that preserves value.
Amber‘s focus is to simplify complex legal issues for clients managing substantial or multi-jurisdictional estates. She focuses on delivering efficient estate processes, reducing administrative risk and ensuring that planning and administration work cohesively. Her expertise positions her as a trusted adviser for clients seeking tailored succession planning and seamless management of sophisticated, high‑value estates.
Amber provides document certification and witnessing services from the Cambridge office.
Recent work highlights
Current complex estate
Amber is involved in administering a £35m international estate comprising investments, business interests and offshore structures across multiple jurisdictions. She coordinates overseas advisers, reviews historic offshore trust documentation and prepares material for UK tax disclosures. Amber supports cross‑border reporting requirements and ensures efficient information flow between advisers, assisting senior colleagues with technical analysis and the preparation of complex estate documentation to progress the administration in line with UK and international obligations.
Current farming estates
Amber is assisting on estates involving farming partnerships and family‑run farming companies, reviewing partnership agreements and company records, coordinating valuations of land, stock and shares, and supporting assessments of agricultural and business reliefs. This involves preparing inheritance tax documentation, liaised with accountants and land agents, and helped manage complex ownership structures. Her work ensures accurate reporting, smooth administration and effective progression of each estate from valuation through to distribution.
Experience & education
2021 Qualified as a Solicitor at Birketts
2019 Joined Birketts as a Trainee Solicitor
2018 – 2019 Studied the Legal Practice Course at BBP Law School
2017 – 2018 Studied the Graduate Diploma in Law at BPP Law School
2014 – 2017 Studied BA (Hons) in Criminology at Anglia Ruskin University
Areas of Expertise
Accreditations
Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP)
Member
Insights
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Beware intestacy – why is it important to have a Will?legal updateBeware intestacy – why is it important to have a Will?
Amber Coteman, Janki Patel28 Sep 2023
