Arabella Murphy

With nearly 25 years’ experience as a highly-rated Private Client solicitor, Arabella brings a wealth of technical understanding of personal and commercial issues to her mediation practice. Arabella naturally has a particular interest in disputes relating to trusts, wills, family businesses and family relationships, and is interested in a wide variety of commercial and personal disputes.

Arabella began her career at Allen & Overy as an associate (later Partner) in the Private Client department, and was later a founding partner of Maurice Turnor Gardner. Throughout her legal career, she advised UK and international individuals, families, trustees, private banks and commercial parties on trusts, estate planning, taxation, personal assets (including art, jewellery, racehorses, yachts and planes) and family businesses, and was involved in a number of commercial transactions including securitisations and M&A. She is the author or co-author of a number of books on private wealth and trust litigation, and a regular speaker at conferences globally. She is also ranked in Chambers & Partners High Net Worth, 2024.

Arabella additionally specialised in private wealth disputes, including a broad variety of disputes relating to trusts, wills, family business, partnerships/funds, and tax and domicile matters. Arabella’s decision to pursue a career in mediation sprang from her experience as an adviser in mediations relating to inheritance (including mental capacity), family business and family trusts ranging in value from a few million to multiple billions.

Throughout her legal career, Arabella’s work gave her invaluable insight into the reasons why disputes can arise, how personal relationships can impact on legal/commercial disputes, and the advantages of seeking an early resolution between the parties. Her approach to mediation is therefore calm, knowledgeable and empathetic, and she is not afraid (where appropriate) to use her technical understanding and creativity to facilitate discussions. Arabella can adapt her style to assist parties where family/personal relationships are the key aspect, or where commercial or technical issues are at the heart of the dispute.

Arabella is also interested in pre-emptive mediation (or ‘in life’ mediation), which uses mediation skills at an earlier stage, when risks or potential difficulties are first identified, allowing relationships to be preserved without litigation.

• Trusts

• Wills, probate & inheritance

• Family business

• Company & Shareholder

• Breach of contract & commercial disputes

• Bondholder, commercial trusts

• Partnerships

• Charity

• Taxation

• Art & heritage, personal property

• Cross-border & international matters

The recent editions of the directories state:

Legal 500 2026:

Arabella Murphy is 'courteous, calm, and determined to help clients find a solution’. A former partner at legacy firm Allen & Overy, Murphy’s recent mediations include disputes over trusts, inheritance, family businesses and other private wealth-related conflicts. Highlights include mediating an asset division dispute between the members of a now-dissolved religious organisation; and acting as mediator for two of the heirs to a substantial family business that is held in trust.

Chambers High Net Worth, 2024, Band 2:

Arabella Murphy was previously a solicitor and has expertise mediating in trusts and inheritance disputes: “She is extremely clever, has a deep understanding of trusts and has good emotional intelligence.”

“She was really good at guiding the parties in a robust but gentle fashion towards the settlement.”

Chambers High Net Worth:

'Arabella is fantastic. She has got a deep knowledge and great understanding. She is very experienced. She has a lovely, charming, understated style...She is very impressive.'

2020 - present: Mediator and strategic advisor to families (through Propitious (London) Ltd)

2009 – 2020: Founding Partner (consultant from 2017) at Maurice Turnor Gardner

1996 - 2009: Associate (Partner from 2007) in Private Client Department at Allen & Overy

1996 - Qualified as a Solicitor in England & Wales

2003 - Member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitoners

2019 - Accredited Mediator (London School of Mediation)

Sits on the Trust Law Committee

Attends the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Inter-Generational Fairness

2020 - Member of the Civil Mediation Council

Arabella enjoys the theatre, skiing, gardening and travel. She also enjoys practising her mediation skills on her two young children.

"Excellent. Very proportionate and experienced response to the dispute." - Partner, City Law Firm