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> Experience > Families and their advisors > Families and family offices

Lawyers for families and family offices

Families call on us when they want a firm that understands their needs – whether they are looking to pass down wealth, set up a family office, or make their mark through philanthropy. We have acted for many notable families down the generations.

The total wealth held by family offices is unknown, due to the private approach taken to invest and manage their capital, but it is estimated to be in the tens of trillions of US$.  The scale of activities undertaken by family offices is also very broad, from single family offices focused on the needs of one family's wealth to multi-family offices providing a range of professional services.

Guiding you through the issues

We have been helping successful families since Withers was founded in 1896, and excel in advising on the numerous legal and emotional issues associated with managing, protecting and passing on your wealth.  Our extensive experience in working with family offices means we can advise on not just how best to establish and manage your family office, but also where best to geographically situate its operations. The question of location is often a difficult and strategic decision, carrying with it various tax implications.  With offices across the US, Asia and Europe, we are here to help you navigate these concerns.
 

Investment perspectives

We have a dedicated funds, investment and tax team, including lawyers with corporate, tax and trust experience, enabling us to provide targeted investment structuring advice.  We work with our clients on the establishment, operation and tax treatment of the full range of investments and collective investment schemes; we can advise clients from the perspective of fund principal and/or manager, as well as that of fund investor.

You may be considering the most appropriate tax efficient structures to hold your assets, such as domestic and international trusts and foundations, private trust companies, or in offshore jurisdictions around the world.  We are well placed to point out the potential issues and solutions in each instance and to guide you through the decision-making process.
 

Assembling the right team

An essential part of running an effective family office is finding people with the right skills.  We frequently work with family offices on the recruitment of key personnel, including the negotiation of employment agreements, and the development of deferred compensation structures designed to align the interests of the employee with those of the family.
 

Mitigating risk

Family offices face numerous sources of risk, including investment loss or devaluation, compliance failure, tax investigations or changes of regulations and compliance failures.  When you find yourself under investigation from regulators, or needing to launch a law suit against another party, our international dispute resolution team is available to assist on litigation of all sizes.

And finally, we have extensive experience of advising successful international families on protecting their reputation.  The international media has never been more fascinated by, and suspicious of, the activities of the wealthy, and our media and reputation team has acted for many years both for and against the media, in cutting-edge cases involving reputation issues, including defamation, malicious falsehood, harassment, privacy and confidentiality.

How we can help

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Track record

family

Evolving families around the world

Ensuring family is protected and provided for motivates us all to prepare for the future. Each family has its own needs and in a fast-changing world, with many families based across several locations, it can be challenging to address all of the risks and complexities.

With the right guidance, planning for tomorrow can deliver long term protection.
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Our team

Christopher Groves

Christopher Groves

Partner | London

Christopher Groves

Partner | London

Private client and tax

Stacy Choong

Stacy Choong

Partner | Singapore

Stacy Choong

Partner | Singapore

Private client and tax

Katie Graves

Katie Graves

Partner | Hong Kong

Katie Graves

Partner | Hong Kong

Private client and tax

Claire Harris

Claire Harris

Partner | London

Claire Harris

Partner | London

Private client and tax

Ivan A. Sacks

Ivan A. Sacks

Partner | New York

Ivan A. Sacks

Partner | New York

Private client and tax

Roberta Crivellaro

Roberta Crivellaro

Partner | Milan

Roberta Crivellaro

Partner | Milan

Corporate

Dawn Goodman

Dawn Goodman

Senior counsel | London

Dawn Goodman

Senior counsel | London

Trust, estate and inheritance disputes

Randoll T. Akselrad

Randoll T. Akselrad

Associate | New York

Randoll T. Akselrad

Associate | New York

Trust, estates and charitable planning

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Typical clients and industries include

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Founders

From advising on tax or global expansion, helping company founders realise their vision is an important aspect of our work. Find Out More
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High net worth individuals

With complex interests that often span several jurisdictions, highly successful people need seamless advice. With a full-service offering across our offices around the world, we provide just that. Find Out More
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Professional advisors

We can help you to provide the robust and reliable service that your clients expect. We’ll also be in your corner for personal matters and protecting your interests if professional issues arise. Find Out More

Get in touch

Our website will give you a flavour of the advice we provide - if you would like to talk to us for more information, please contact our client services team who will be happy to assist.

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