Lauren Mackenzie

Lauren is an experienced commercial and civil litigator, having trained in the City and having established her career in London.  She is also an accredited mediator, with strong expertise in resolving legal disputes outside of a courtroom.

Lauren moved to Longmores in 2016, where she specialises in contested probate and trust disputes.  In essence, she helps individuals and families to resolve disputes about wills, estates or trusts.  Her expertise in this area is built on a background of handling business and personal disputes for clients of all sizes, from multinational corporations to individuals.  She has previous experience across many different areas of law, including financial services disputes.

Lauren enjoys building relationships with her clients, so that she is able to assist them to resolve disputes in a way that best suits them.  She often finds herself acting as a sounding board for her clients, offering sensible, pragmatic solutions that work.

Career

Having studied English and French at the University of Leeds, Lauren completed a Post-Graduate Diploma in Law and the Legal Practice Course at the University of Law.  She began her training contract with a leading global law firm in 2006.

Lauren qualified as a solicitor in 2008 and has worked at a range of UK firms and organisations since, including the Royal Bank of Scotland Group. She has also spent time working in commercial litigation in Brussels and has worked as a volunteer at the Human Rights Law Network in Delhi.

Expertise

Lauren is an experienced commercial and civil litigator. She moved to Longmores in March 2016, having built her expertise in the City and the West End of London.

Lauren’s specialism is in contentious probate and trust disputes. Matters on which Lauren has recently worked include:

• Advising beneficiaries on a claim to challenge the validity of their grandmother’s will, on the basis of lack of testamentary capacity, a claim against the executor in undue influence and a claim in professional negligence against the solicitor that drafted the will.
• Bringing a claim by the trustee and beneficiary of a trust against her co-trustee, seeking removal of the trustee or a partition of the trust, among other things. In tandem, advising in regard to negligent tax and trust advice received by the client.
• Advising the executors of an estate in a dispute against a former carer of the deceased regarding unauthorised and fraudulent transactions made from the deceased’s bank accounts before and after his death. Further advising the executors in a claim against the bank that breached its own terms by allowing the former carer to empty an estate bank account without the consent of the joint account holders, including the deceased.
• Assisting a minor beneficiary in state care, who is without parental or other family support, regarding an Inheritance Act claim against the estate of his adoptive late father.
• Settling an Inheritance Act claim by an elderly widow suffering from dementia, whose late husband left her only one-fifth of their marital home and no funds to enable her to support herself for the remainder of her life

Lauren is also an accredited mediator and accepts mediations involving probate disputes and general commercial disputes.

Clients talk about a “very impressive” and “highly recommended” dispute resolution specialist, who is “pragmatic” yet “robust” around key issues.

Recognition

Lauren is an Accredited mediator with CEDR and a Member of ThoughtLeaders4 Private Client.

Professional feedback

“Lauren Mackenzie has been a marvellous help. She has guided us through a very difficult time and process with kindness and compassion whilst being super efficient, knowledgeable and professional. We are very grateful.”  The Legal 500 2024

“Lauren Mackenzie was calm and un-phased when a crisis, challenge or fork in the road descended. She consistently responded with clear-minded advice that helped me keep my composure. She is incredibly down to earth, has excellent judgment and total integrity in all she does. She is a highly strategic and tactical advocate. I could not have asked for somebody better to fight my corner.” The Legal 500 2023

“Her approach was empathetic to all parties, pragmatic around the key issues and robust around keeping discussions to a mutually agreed framework. Very impressive and highly recommended!”  Client, mediation

Personal interests

Lauren has two young children, who tend to take up most of her free time. She is a trained dancer and choreographer, as well as being a keen snowboarder (when she gets the chance!).

Nowadays, relaxation often looks more like reading a book or playing sports and going for walks with her family.

Lauren is fluent in French.