(A) Crime and Punishment – Investigative Disruption for Trustees

This session will consider the disruption caused to trustees by allegations against the settlors for criminal conduct. Through the analysis of multi-jurisdictional case studies, our discussion leaders will outline the types of problems faced by trustees (including the potential liabilities) and what they can do to minimise their risk where serious allegations of criminal conduct have been made against settlors and other family members.

Mark Matthews, Caplin & Drysdale, USA  

Richard Wilson QC, Serle Court, UK  

(B) Family Wealth in Uncertain Times: The view from the Middle East 

Successful families from the Middle East face many of the same challenges and pressures as families from other parts of the world.  But those challenges are compounded by factors that are unique to the region, and which often demand a very different approach to advice and structuring. This session will address the impact of geopolitical instability, as well as local cultural and religious norms, on traditional planning techniques.  We will also consider innovative new local legislation and difficult conflict of laws issues.  This will all be considered against the background of changing family sensibilities in the region. The Middle East faces both predictable and unpredictable threats: our aim will be to discuss how these can best be addressed.

Edward Powles, Maurice Turnor Gardner, UK

Andrew de la Rosa, ICT Chambers, UK and Cayman Islands 

(C) All’s Well That Ends Well – Updates on planning for DivorceThis session will review the latest developments in the UK, the Continent and the US.  In particular, our discussion leaders will cover the state of play with respect to the enforceability and/or utility of prenuptial agreements, postnuptial agreements and domestic partnership agreements, the ability of trusts to safeguard assets upon divorce, and the entitlement to frozen genetic material upon divorce. 
Camilla Baldwin, Camilla Baldwin, UK 
Joanne Edwards, Forsters, UK 
Joshua S. Rubenstein, Katten Muchin Rosenman, USA 

(D) Millennials, Disruptors and Social Entrepreneurs: How to engage with the rising generation

Based on Deloitte’s 2017 Millennial survey for which the views of 8,000 millennials across 30 countries were gathered, we will explore the unique perspective and world view of the next generation. Whilst JFK said ‘the future promise of any nation can be directly measured by the present prospects of its youth’, we believe the same applies to the ongoing prosperity of family businesses and family offices. In this interactive session, we will explore the different drivers and motivations of millennial private clients and how in the context of the modern day family business and family office, strategies can be employed to engage and develop future leaders.
Alexandra Sharpe, Deloitte, UK
David Bowen, Deloitte, UK

(A) Art Update: Painting a Clearer Picture

Estate planning can be tricky when art is concerned. For private collectors art is unlike any other asset part of their wealth.  Advisers and trustees have to take into consideration the essentially different nature of art when they advise on the holding, transfer and long-term preservation of artworks.  This session will discuss the current trends and practices when planning for art.

James Carleton, Farrers, UK 

Philippe Pulfer, Walder Wyss, Switzerland 

(B) A Problem Shared: Tax strategies for International Families

Cross-border planning has never been more challenging, in a constantly changing legislative and regulatory landscape.  Legitimate strategies may be questioned, and a natural wish for privacy and security cast as suspicious.  What structures still work well?  This is a roundtable discussion in which all are invited to share their latest planning strategies and collaborate on new ones.  

Dean Berry, Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft, USA

Andreas Richter, P+P Pöllath & Partners, Germany 

(C) Innovative Planning in Latin America 

Latin America is facing several challenges as a consequence of the recent changes on asset reporting standards, agreements on exchange of information, increase in taxes and multijurisdictional families. In particular, recent events as the Panama Papers and OECD standards have influenced families to change their mindset in order to adjust their structures and family planning. In this session we will discuss the challenges posed and the requirements of Latin American families.

Javier Canosa, Canosa Abogados, Argentina 

Sergio Michelsen, Brigard & Urrutia, Colombia

(D) Succession Planning for the Family Business: Disruption and Opportunity

As families grow and change, so too does the business. The nature of the business itself may evolve, there may be a generational transition in leadership, or there could be a sale, leading to a large pool of liquidity either to be managed or invested in a new business.  In all events, anticipating the risks is crucial to maintaining the integrity and longevity of the business or the family’s capital. But how do you manage the transition? Can you leverage these changes to benefit the family business?  This discussion group will explore successful succession planning for today’s family businesses, including tools for managing concentration risk, strategies to protect investments and effective methods for enabling diversification.
Jonathan Conder, Macfarlanes, UK
Zoe Vucicevic, LGT Vestra, UK