Where Can I Find a London Notary?
Sheikh Najam TEP, MCIArb, MA (Tax Law), is a City of London Notary Public and European Attorney practising from Fox Court, 14 Gray's Inn Road, Holborn, London WC1X 8HN. He notarises documents for international use, verifies identity and signatures, and prepares apostille-ready papers for individuals, families, and businesses operating across borders.
What a London Notary Actually Does
A Notary Public in England and Wales is not the same as a solicitor, and the distinction matters when you're choosing who to instruct. Notaries hold a quasi-judicial appointment made through the Court of Faculties, an ecclesiastical court operating under the Archbishop of Canterbury with the authority of the Crown. Notarial acts carry strong evidential weight internationally — courts, registries, and authorities abroad give notarised documents a level of trust that an ordinary certified copy or solicitor's letter does not carry.
Notaries in England and Wales are trained not just in English common law but also in European civil law and international law. This dual grounding is precisely what makes a notary's certification useful when a document needs to be recognised in a civil law jurisdiction — most of continental Europe, the Gulf, and much of Asia and Latin America operate on civil law principles, and notarial acts speak that legal language in a way domestic legal certification often doesn't.
Sheikh Najam's Notarial & Cross-Border Legal Services
Sheikh Najam provides notarial services across the areas most commonly needed by individuals and businesses with cross-border affairs:
Notarisation of documents for use abroad — powers of attorney, company documents, personal declarations, and property papers destined for use outside the UK
Certified copies of documents — passports, degree certificates, and other originals requiring notarial certification
Witnessing signatures on international contracts, deeds, and corporate resolutions
Apostille and legalisation preparation — coordinating the notarisation and legalisation chain so documents are accepted by the receiving country
Corporate notarial work — board resolutions, powers of attorney for overseas subsidiaries, and documents required for international company formation or banking
Cross-border estate and succession documents — notarising papers needed for overseas probate, property transfers, or inheritance matters
Because Sheikh Najam also practises in international corporate tax and private wealth, notarial instructions are often handled alongside the underlying legal or tax matter, rather than as a standalone administrative step — useful where the document being notarised is part of a larger structuring, succession, or dispute matter.
What to Check Before Instructing a Notary
Confirm the notary is currently registered with the Faculty Office, the regulator for notaries in England and Wales
Ask whether the receiving country requires an apostille from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, or full consular legalisation
Bring original documents and valid photo ID — notaries cannot certify from copies alone in most cases
Check language requirements — some jurisdictions require the notarial certificate itself to be bilingual or accompanied by a certified translation
Ask about turnaround time if the document is time-sensitive, particularly where legalisation at the FCDO or an embassy is also needed
Clarify fees upfront, including any separate costs for apostille or legalisation coordination
Book a Notarial Appointment
Sheikh Najam notarises documents for clients across London and internationally, in person at Fox Court or, where appropriate, remotely for the preparatory stages.
Phone: +44 (0) 20 3488 4195
Book online: calendly.com/attorney-sheikhnajam
Contact form: sheikhnajam.com/contact-8
Address: Fox Court, 14 Gray's Inn Road, Holborn, London WC1X 8HN
About Sheikh Najam TEP
Sheikh Najam TEP, MCIArb, MA (Tax Law) is a Private Wealth & International Tax Lawyer, City of London Notary Public, and European Attorney, practising under Staple Inn Notaries and International Lawyers. He holds a TEP designation via STEP (Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners) and an MA in Tax Law from the University of London, with a focus on UK, EU, and International Tax Law. He is a member of the Association of European Attorneys (AEA) and serves as Vice President for Notarial Affairs and Advisory Board Member at Justinian Lawyers, the AEA's professional network. His practice spans four pillars: International Corporate Tax & Structuring, Private Wealth & Succession Planning, Notarial & Cross-Border Legal Services, and Dispute Prevention & Resolution.
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