International tax & wealth structuring

Speechly Bircham's international Private Client practice is ranked by the 2009 Global Chambers Guide as one of the ten leading firms in the world for this work. We assist trust companies, private banks, family offices and individuals with connections in many different jurisdictions, including the UK, the USA, Canada, continental Europe, South Africa, Australia, Latin America, India and Asia.

Our advice to them includes:

  • the creation, restructuring and termination of offshore and onshore trusts, companies and offshore funds
  • using offshore and onshore trusts and other investment vehicles to preserve family wealth and legitimately minimise taxes and other claims, eg forced heirship
  • pre-immigration planning for non-UK residents moving to or investing in the UK and emigration planning for UK residents
  • structuring the tax-efficient acquisition, retention and sale of real estate, portfolio investments and trading businesses for international clients
  • multi-jurisdictional tax planning for international families
  • will and estate planning for cross-border estates/families.

 

Experience

International entrepreneur
Advising a high profile international businesswoman on the sale of a shareholding in international trading group for €140m and the restructuring of US property interests.

International families
Advising various Middle Eastern billionaires on prime residential and commercial properties purchased in London, some with Sharia compliant financing.

Dispute resolution
Advising trustees in relation to the sale of artwork worth over $80m and on a subsequent dispute over provenance in the US and English courts.

Anglo/US estate planning
Advising a wealthy American on the reorganisation of US estate planning before becoming UK tax resident and providing financial services regulatory advice.

Tax
Advising trustees of numerous multi-million pound trusts (both UK and offshore) for a wealthy family (worth £850m) on a spectrum of issues in response to the Finance Act 2006.

Pre-UK immigration planning
Advising a billionaire heiress on pre-immigration structuring and a £16m residential property purchase.