Court of Appeal decision in Howard v Howard-Lawson BT

The Court of Appeal has handed down its decision in Howard v Howard-Lawson BT [2012] EWCA Civ 6. The case concerned the construction of a ‘names and arms’ clause in a will, that is, a clause by which the testator declared that the heir to a specified estate devised by his will must use the testator’s name and bear his coat of arms (failure to do which might result in forfeiture of the heir’s inheritance).  Stephen Boyd appeared as junior counsel for the succesful respondent.