Service

Private client

Providing tailored advice to deliver the right outcome

Effective asset protection structures are key to successful private wealth management and intergenerational estate planning.

Our dedicated experts support New Zealand individuals and their families, returning expatriates and migrants to this country with their estate and succession planning needs.

When disputes arise in trusts, estates and relationship separations, we're experienced in guiding you through these difficult times and managing litigation where needed. Many of our clients have extensive business holdings, so we assist them with their corporate and general commercial needs too. Also known as New Zealand’s leading not-for-profit practice, we’re proud to advise a range of charities, societies, community trusts and social enterprises on all matters. We also help a number of clients in the fast changing area of impact investment authorisation and structuring.

Our specialist Private Client team provides tailored advice to deliver the right outcome including:

  • establishing bespoke trust and asset protection structures
  • resettlement and restructuring of existing asset planning structures
  • preparing wills and assisting executors on estate administration
  • advising on the need for and entry into relationship property agreements, and providing guidance through a divorce or relationship separation
  • assisting with a range of needs for immigrants to New Zealand
  • providing establishment and structuring, administration and governance, contractual matters and restructurings for non profit organisations
  • risk analysis, minimisation and commercial support for charities, societies, social enterprises and other not-for-profits.
  • Assisting a family with property and commercial assets on a two-year restructuring of their asset-owning structure. This included a number of trusts and corporate entities, and the trustee and directorate policies and structures which govern these assets.
  • Advising a property developer on the reorganisation of his family’s affairs and establishing a community and philanthropic charitable foundation. This substantial reorganisation required restructuring a number of asset owning trusts and advice on governance issues.
  • Representing a high net worth citizen on his relocation to New Zealand in respect of asset planning matters. This included a business reorganisation, variety of real estate matters associated with his New Zealand investments, establishing a trust for personal (non-business) asset ownership and other related personal asset planning matters.
  • Advising a significant iwi organisation with amendments to the deed of trust for the governing trust entity. The amendments required particular attention to the scheme and purpose of the iwi’s trust and the interests of the wide range of trust beneficiaries (iwi members), and to the technical requirements for amendments of a trust deed in the context of the Māori Fisheries Act 2004.
  • Representing a prominent philanthropist and an iwi grouping on the structuring of an impact investment model. This involved the design of a multi-limited partnership investment structure with a discretionary trust and subsidiaries.
  • Assisting on many families’ asset holding and governance arrangements, with a particular focus on intergenerational aspects and family succession, in the business as well as in respect of general asset holding arrangements.
Ranked Tier One for private client work.Chambers High Net Worth 2021