Private Wealth Services

Sheppard Mullin’s Private Wealth Services team advises clients regarding wealth management issues for families with global investments or family members in jurisdictions around the world. Our team provides families with comprehensive advice regarding flexible ownership and asset structures that goes beyond traditional asset management.  We design and implement solutions to improve the family office while focusing on measurable results.  We understand that governance, clear communications, and flexibility are the key components that enable our clients to attain their goals for multiple generations. Our services include: advising families interested in US investments and acquisitions, developing tax efficient investment structures, creating vehicles to serve as investment platforms, advising on co-investment in hedge funds and equity funds, establishing family offices, and assisting families with corporate governance, immigration, and estate planning.

Our interdisciplinary services enable us to apply a holistic approach and perspective to our clients’ complex financial needs. This ensures that our clients obtain their objectives efficiently. As more families join the ranks of the wealthy, the number of single and multifamily offices has increased dramatically. Recent events, such as the global credit crisis, the global recession, and drastic market declines have caused many families and family offices to seek additional help in managing and diversifying their wealth beyond traditional investment assets.  The new exchange of information agreements, the ability to trade securities across the world, and the trend toward increased cooperation among taxing authorities, require a new approach to investment platforms.

Our Private Wealth Services Team distinguishes itself by providing legal assistance to both wealthy domestic clients and international clients and their families. Our offices are strategically located throughout the world. This allows our team to provide legal advice for our clients and their businesses from a single platform. Our team can address our clients’ needs on a global basis and integrate the competing demands created when family members or investments and business interests are in multiple jurisdictions. We also provide services to domestic and international families who either have a Family Office or want to create a Family Office.

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Our Private Wealth services fall into the following categories:

Estate Planning

• Estate, gift and generation-skipping
• Sophisticated charitable giving
• Life insurance planning
• Establish and operate charitable organizations
• Private foundations
• Private placement life insurance

Income and Estate Tax Controversies

• Estate and gift tax litigation matters in many different state courts and U.S. Tax Court
• International income, gift and estate tax controversies

Immigration Law

• Visas
• Qualifying for permanent residence ("Green Card")
• Labor certifications
• International tax issues
• Pre-immigration tax planning
• Income tax issues for all 50 states within the United States

Reporting Issues

• U.S. – International tax treaties
• Legally avoiding or deferring U.S. residency
• Income tax planning opportunities
• U.S. reporting of foreign bank and financial accounts
• U.S. reporting of statement of specified foreign assets

Estate Planning and Estate Taxes

• U.S. estate tax – residents vs. non-domiciled
• Estate taxation on worldwide assets (residents) vs. Estate taxation on U.S. situs assets (non-domiciled)
• Legally avoiding U.S. domicile
• Estate tax planning opportunities
• Pre-planning and investment structures for multi-national families
• Coordination of estate administration in multiple countries
• Preparation of estate plans

Legal Assistance on Business Matters

• Assist clients on their inbound and outbound transactions
• Work with foreign lawyers, accountants, and advisors to ensure that there is proper coordination among all professionals to ultimately attain the client's goals
• Assist in the purchase of real estate in the United States
• Assist in the purchasing or investing in U.S. companies
• Assist with co-investing with equity Funds and hedge Funds. 
• Establishing the investment vehicle(s) for the international  family
• Establishing the entities for each family member to minimize income and estate taxes

Family Offices

• Assist in the establishment of a Family Office (Single Family Office or Multiple Family Office)
• Introduction to professionals who can assist in opening and operating the Family Office
• Establishing corporate governance
• Best practice due diligence/risk management
• Establishing benchmark reporting
• Acting as the trusted advisor to provide oversight on the Family Office operations
• Family legacy and leadership
• Operations and cost control

Investing in the United States

• Coming to America
• Analysis of relevant the U.S. federal and state restrictions
• Dealing with the U.S. banking system
• The interplay between state and federal laws
• The mergers and acquisitions practices in the U.S.
• Strategies to avoid or mitigate U.S. litigation risks
• Asset protection

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