Family Office case studies

In these examples, you will see how we have assisted a family navigating succession issues in a major IT business, advised on wealth protection strategies for a property group, and supported high-net-worth families in structuring investment portfolios and estate planning. These situations often involve balancing personal priorities with complex regulatory or commercial considerations. Our Family Office services offer solutions that address immediate challenges while safeguarding wealth for the future.

We have acted for a family whose assets derive primarily from their ownership and operation of a large international retail operation. We try and maintain a separation between our role in acting for the family, and so not advising on the business’ trading operations which is handled by other firms. 

We are still involved on the commercial side, both for relatively standard advice such as assistance with refinancing of third-party debt, as well as more specialist advice including liaising with major online marketplaces to address regulatory issues, or liaising with sporting regulators in relation to appointments of family members as Directors. 

In terms of personal advice to the family, we have prepared wills for all adult family members, as well as advised on estate administration for deceased family members. This has included obtaining emergency grants of probate to protect significant family investments. 

We acted for the wife of a deceased individual who was the majority shareholder in a large IT business and died very suddenly (and intestate).

The interaction between the corporate and private client elements of this instruction was challenging as the deceased was the driving force behind the business, and there were there were no formal business succession or continuity planning in place. Here all relevant parties were comfortable that existing senior management could be allowed to run the business for the time being, rather than us, for example, making an application to court on behalf of our client to obtain control of the shareholding.

At a personal level, because the deceased had died intestate his (teenage, minor) daughters stood to inherit a very considerable amount of wealth at 18 necessitating discussions regarding an application under the Variation of Trusts Act 1958 to vary the position and postpone the inheritance, as well as potential concerns regarding privacy

We acted for a Senior Partner at a large private equity house. Initially this involved preparing wills [and trusts] for family members, but we were also instructed on the creation of a family investment LLP which was used to house assets of various classes, including fund interests. 

The Family Office is instructed by a family who’s source of wealth is from a self-made property group, with net assets estimated at c.£300m-£400m. We prepared Wills and Lasting Powers of Attorney for ten family members. As the children of the family entered into new stages of their lives, we assisted five of the children in drafting Nuptial Agreements such as to protect the family’s wealth in so far as possible. We worked alongside each other such as to ensure that Wills are updated once a Nuptial Agreement is created to ensure that all aspects of the family’s planning remains up to date and cohesive across all areas.