Boodle Hatfield - Family businesses

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Expertise

Safeguarding the business

We advise on asset protection and how best to guard against financial, fiscal and legal risk, including how to mitigate the impact of, say, divorce.

Structuring the business

We can assist in choosing the most appropriate and tax efficient structure for the business whether that is through companies, partnerships, limited liability partnerships, sole traders or joint ventures.

Resolving disputes

We are experienced in dealing effectively with disputes between family members, trustees and beneficiaries, shareholders and management and employees.

Family governance

We advise on shareholders’ agreements, tailoring articles of association, family charters, private trust companies and the creation of family councils, as well as assisting in the devolution of control and economic ownership from one generation to the next.

Planning for a sale

We can advise on the sale of the business and mitigating associated tax liabilities.

Philanthropy and corporate social responsibility

We advise on all aspects of philanthropy and socially responsible activities, recognising their significance and importance to our clients.

Track Record

Providing strategic trust and tax planning advice for a large, high-profile, family property business. Recently, this advice has included a major review of the way in which the business is held through family trusts and a complex Variation of Trust Application designed partly to secure protection for the trustees of those trusts against potential personal liability in future.
Undertaking a Court Application under s57 Trustee Act 1957 for a series of complex family trusts owning a trading company.
Advising the onshore and offshore trustees of numerous valuable family trusts on how they should act in relation to the divorce of a third generation beneficiary who was either within the discretionary class of or entitled to life interests in those trusts.