Private Client

Law firm invoices take twice as long to be paid than UK average, research shows

By Justin Cash | August 31, 2014

Law firms are having to wait over three months on average to be paid for their services - more than twice as long as most other businesses - new research has shown.

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Mishcons launches high-end client advisory service with offshore company

By Pui-Guan Man | June 11, 2014

Mishcon de Reya has launched an independent private client advisory business with offshore wealth planning business Opus Private.

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When East meets West – will Asia's super wealthy fuel a new boom in trust work?

By John Malpas | May 29, 2014

The next 10 years are set to be a pivotal period for the private client market in Asia as the first generation of successful entrepreneurs pass on their assets to their children, the Legal Week Trust & Estates Litigation Forum heard.

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The wealth of nations – the LatAm opportunities opening up for private client lawyers

By John Malpas | March 27, 2014

Katten's Joshua Rubenstein on how lawyers are responding to the growth of cross-border Americas private client work

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PwC enters Canada legal market with immigration firm takeover

By Alex Newman | March 2, 2014

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) has entered the Canadian legal market with the acquisition of Toronto-based immigration law firm Bomza Law Group. The firm, which will be renamed PricewaterhouseCoopers Immigration Law LLP, has more than 20 years of experience in Canadian, US and global immigration law.

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Trusted advisers – private client experts debate the future of trusts

By John Malpas | February 12, 2014

Trusts date back to the Middle Ages and continue to form a vital part of the modern private client lawyer's armoury. But has this durable common law legal structure finally had its day thanks to the global crackdown on tax avoidance and banking secrecy that has followed the credit crisis? At the Legal Week Private Client Forum, which was held at Lake Como in Italy last November, two leading barristers locked horns on the future of trusts, which have come under heavy political and, in some cases, judicial fire in recent years. The protagonists were Christopher McCall QC of Maitland Chambers, and Shan Warnock-Smith QC of 5 Stone Buildings in the UK and ICT Chambers in the Cayman Islands, with McCall agreeing to speak against the motion that 'This house believes trusts are able to play an important role in wealth and succession planning well into the future'.

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The lure of London – why wealthy non-doms are flocking to the UK capital

By Legal Week | December 5, 2013

Life is surprising. While that is a statement of the obvious, every now and again one is struck by just how much can change in a relatively short period of time. Take the UK for example. A few short years ago, I was given the task of giving a presentation on its attractions for wealthy resident non-domiciles (RNDs) and others, which was – to put it simply – not easy. Life has, however, changed almost beyond recognition with more and more wealthy people, both from the EU and further ashore, relocating here at an ever-accelerating pace. Why?

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The generation game – the benefits of succession planning in Asia and emerging markets

By Legal Week | December 5, 2013

Throughout the recent financial crises affecting the West, wealth has continued to grow in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly in East Asia and India. Latin America and Africa are also jurisdictions where personal wealth is growing rapidly. However, the significant factor with wealth in Asia, as in the Middle East, Latin America and Africa, is that the vast majority remains concentrated in the hands of first-generation wealth creators. In Asia, a very significant proportion of that wealth is likely to be transferred to the next generation within the next 10 years.

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Changing climate – the rising demand for Switzerland's legal advisers

By Legal Week | November 28, 2013

Talk among private client lawyers in Switzerland is that, despite a tightening of rules and regulations over tax and information disclosure, wealthy people are still flocking to the country they see as their go-to hub for legal advice. It cannot be denied that the shock waves created by the Wegelin effect, which saw the Swiss private bank collapse after it pleaded guilty to assisting US customers evade their US tax duties through undisclosed accounts, continue to be felt. Yet Swiss private client lawyers have many reasons to be optimistic about the fact that even the change in regulatory climate in the Swiss industry has created a raft of compliance work.

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Stronger economy and healthy half-year revenues fuel confidence boost at top firms

By Alex Newman | November 21, 2013

Buoyed by a surge in transactional activity and a stronger economic outlook, business confidence among partners at the top law firms is at its highest point for several years. Results of Legal Week's latest Big Question survey show 94% of partners expect to see revenues climb at their own firm over the next 12 months, while just 4% anticipate a drop in turnover and 2% think it will remain static. Partners also expect revenue across the UK top 50 as a whole to grow in the coming year, with 50% predicting combined revenues will increase by up to 5%. Just 6% of respondents are anticipating a fall in revenue across the group, while 14% believe average turnover will be static. Almost three out of ten are even more optimistic and expect revenues across the group to grow by between 5% and 10%.

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Private Client Global Elite

Global Elite Moments with... Jonathan Speck, Mourant

By Amy Glover | July 10, 2019

As part of our membership club, we are excited to introduce Global Elite Moments - a brief snapshot of the greatest movers and shakers in the private…

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Private Client Global Elite

The evolution of wealth

By Amy Glover | July 8, 2019

In a private dining room in La Fregate, Guernsey, on the evening of June 27th 2019, Global Elite members gathered to discuss macro trends across the “evolution…

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Private Client Global Elite

Global Elite Moments with... Jonathan Speck, Mourant, Jersey

By Amy Glover | July 4, 2019

 Tell us about your background. Have you always worked for Mourant? I started working for Mourant in 1989. So I must have been 12. …

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Private Client Global Elite

Acting for wealthy families going through generational change: How advisors deal with conflicts of interest

By Amy Glover | July 4, 2019

On June 26th 2019, the Global Elite came together at The Samphire restaurant, St Helier, Jersey, to debate a long standing topic in the private client…

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Private Client Global Elite

Exploring tax and regulatory tensions between the US, Europe and ROW

By Amy Glover | June 6, 2019

June 3rd 2019: As members gathered in a darkly lit, private room at the prestigious Del Posto restaurant in New York, I was met with a sea of intrigue…

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Private Client Global Elite

Leading teams: A test you did not study for

By Amy Glover | June 6, 2019

On May 7th 2019, a selection of the Private Client Global Elite arrived at Home House, Marylebone, London to participate in the first Leadership Day. The…

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Private Client Global Elite

Transformational judicial leadership within the Supreme Court

By Amy Glover | June 6, 2019

 On May 7th 2019, a selection of the Private Client Global Elite arrived at Home House, Marylebone, London to participate in the first Leadership…

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Private Client Global Elite

Senior, emerging and breakthrough management: Thoughts from the frontline

By Amy Glover | June 6, 2019

On May 7th 2019, a selection of the Private Client Global Elite arrived at Home House, Marylebone, London to participate in the first Leadership Day.The…

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Private Client Global Elite

Leadership in crisis: Thoughts from the former Attorney General

By Amy Glover | June 6, 2019

On May 7th 2019, a selection of the Private Client Global Elite arrived at Home House, Marylebone, London to participate in the first Leadership Day. The…

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The American Lawyer

Growing Withers Names Switzerland Partner Next Chair

By Dan Packel | May 28, 2019

Justine Markovitz will be the second woman to lead the firm, which was founded in 19th century England and has U.S. roots in New Haven, Connecticut.

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