Fiduciary

We help our clients to protect, maintain and enhance their wealth for the benefit of future generations.

Our offshore fiduciary teams have expertise in managing trusts, private trust companies, foundations, family offices and corporate structures to ensure that legacies are passed on, and values are preserved, whilst enabling the successor generation to forge their own destiny.

We have experience in providing trustee services to, and dealing with dynastic issues for, wealthy multi-generational families and their respective family assets. Our teams have specialist experience in dealing with Middle Eastern and Russian/CIS clients in relation to their respective succession planning and asset protection structuring.

We provide practical solutions to the challenges experienced by our clients who may live or trade in areas of political or economic instability. Through these structuring solutions, our clients can plan for succession and protect their assets from threats, including sovereign risk, repatriation or forced heirship in the most efficient manner possible.

Saffery Trustee Company (Cayman) Limited (“STCCL”) was launched in January 2020 and provides Cayman trust and corporate services as a registered controlled subsidiary of a licensed Cayman trust company. Such services are provided in conjunction with Saffery Champness fiduciary professionals in Geneva and Guernsey,

Through this offering we can provide clients:

• STCCL as a Cayman trustee with full administration undertaken in Cayman; or
• STCCL as a Cayman trustee with some or all of the administration undertaken in Geneva or Guernsey; and
• Company incorporation and registered office/agent services to Cayman companies with some or all administration undertaken in Geneva or Guernsey.

In all instances accounting services will be undertaken in Geneva or Guernsey.

For more information on our Cayman offering, please contact Lisa Vizia or Paul Tucknott.

One of the benefits of having an in-house accountancy business is we undertake the bookkeeping of the structures that we manage, ensuring that financial statements are prepared to the applicable accounting standards.

Our team prepares consolidated accounts for large or complex structures and liaises with auditors if an annual audit is required. We are able to offer this service to external parties, whether they be other trustees, institutions or individuals looking to outsource their accounting requirements.

In conjunction with these accounting services, our in-house UK tax specialists are able to provide analysis on an individual or trust’s tax position as well as assist with all tax compliance matters from property tax returns (ATED or NRL) to more complex capital gains tax calculations.

The work undertaken by our tax team includes:

• Calculation of historic capital gains and income within a structure
• Assisting with the preparation of financial information for CRS purposes
• Completion of non-resident landlord tax returns
• Completion of annual tax on enveloped dwelling (ATED) tax returns

Our Swiss offices also provide accounting expertise to a wide range of clients, including individuals looking to consolidate the various reporting they receive from different institutions, or companies looking to outsource their accounting function.

Our extensive network and experience mean we can help our clients no matter how unconventional the asset or the investment.

We are perfectly placed to assist clients with adding specialist assets to their portfolios. These might include assets in emerging markets, commodities, art, antiquities, precious stones, intellectual property, super yachts and private aircraft, as well as the ownership of operational businesses and direct investments.

We understand that social, ethical and sustainable investing is becoming increasingly important for certain investors to create a more sustainable world for future generations.

We can help our clients by establishing and administering various structures with philanthropic objectives. We work closely with our clients to establish a clear framework for investment portfolios to be constructed including the review of investment opportunities, performance measurement and measurement of impact. Regular reporting is provided so the client can ensure that financial stability is achieved for both current and future generations, at the same time as utilising family wealth to leave behind a better environmental footprint.

We work in partnership with the private offices of a number of international families and understand the diverse and often complex scenarios involved with family dynamics.

From providing concierge-style services to looking after the family’s financial affairs, and dealing with Intellectual Property, image and commercial rights, we provide a first class level of technical administration.

Given the non-standard nature of the investments, assets and businesses linked to Family Offices, we recognise the importance of understanding and managing risk on a tailored basis. As part of our fiduciary responsibility, we are able to monitor and report on asset performance on a risk adjusted basis and have expertise in dealing with other family assets such as aircraft, yachts, art and antiquities, as well as private residences.

Download our ‘Family Office Services & Support’ brochure

Our teams are experienced in managing a range of structures.

Private Trust Companies

A private trust company is particularly useful for holding specialised assets, such as yachts or aircraft, which may be considered to have a higher level of fiduciary risk, or for families looking to consolidate all of their structures under one trustee.

Foundations

Foundations are helpful in planning the smooth transfer of assets between family members or other beneficiaries. They can also be a useful means of implementing asset protection strategies or for philanthropic purposes, offering the advantages of flexibility, discretion and confidentiality.

From our Swiss offices we are also able to assist with the formation and administration of foundations in other jurisdictions such as Panama and Liechtenstein.

We provide the administration for asset and investment holdings for Limited Liability Companies incorporated in a wide variety of jurisdictions. We also administer Incorporated Cell Companies (ICC) and Protected Cell Companies (PCC).

We also have experience in establishing Partnerships, particularly for use as investment vehicles, and can advise on the use of Limited Partnership structures for asset protection, international tax planning, private equity and venture capital schemes, and Guernsey Collective Investment Funds.

For our corporate clients we understand their employees are one of their most important assets and we can assist by forming and administering structures to help incentivise and reward employees.

We administer a variety of employee benefit, share and retirement schemes for a range of private and public companies and are experienced in establishing and managing personnel, payroll and crew solutions.

Our team in Switzerland can provide an administrative home for Family Offices and also assist individuals or businesses looking to relocate or incorporate into Switzerland by assisting with the following services:

• Introductions to our global network for legal, tax, credit, investment management and banking services
• Bookkeeping, accounting and other financial reporting
• Secretarial and administrative work including guidance on reporting requirements and dealing with the opening of bank accounts
• Provision of permanent establishments
• Swiss directorships
• Hosting meetings
• Personnel services
• Translation work

By working with our network and partner firms, we can assist with the all matters to ensure your arrival and operations in Switzerland are as smooth as possible.