Withers Worldwide

Overview

Sophie advises on all aspects of sophisticated private client planning, with an emphasis on:

• advising fund managers and principals on tax efficient remuneration structuring; advising individuals and trustees on investment taxation and efficient use of wrappers, in particular to defer taxation or maximise the remittance basis
• family office establishment and structuring;· structuring acquisition and holding structures for private aircraft, to combine tax efficiency and liability insulation
• developing innovative structures, using partnerships for wealth protection and tax efficient family collective investment
• sophisticated remittance planning
• employee tax issues, especially with respect to restricted securities.

Sophie has regular experience on advising on in a cross border context and is especially familiar with US/UK planning.

Sophie was ranked in '100 influential women' by Financial News, 2010, recommended in 'The Top 10 Lawyers you should know' by Citywire, 2010, and described by Legal 500, 2010 as '(her) tax knowledge is encyclopaedic'. 

Highlights

• Advising UK resident non domicile principal of major international hedge fund on all aspects of personal planning, including tax efficient structuring of remuneration and investment in the fund. Ongoing advice to individual and trustees to maintain capacity to remit onshore tax efficiently, and reviewing selected investments to ensure profile compatible with tax strategy.
• Advising UK resident non domiciled individuals on structure of business sale for c US$830m to major private equity purchaser, structuring ongoing ownership interest and advising on treatment of proceeds. Advising on tax efficient investment structures for proceeds, with a focus on maintaining flexibility for favourable remittance.
• Advising on family office structures
• Advising on conversion of investment advisory business from corporate to partnership structures within a tax efficient framework, and international restructuring of group.
• Advising on establishment of family limited partnerships for complex family structures, to achieve inheritance tax efficiency and to provide a family investment structure.

Publications and speaking engagements

Sophie regularly speaks at a number of external conferences both in the UK and overseas, including speaking at STEP events both on the UK and jersey.

Sophie also speaks at a number of internal events, including the 'Having your cake and keeping it' and 'Should I stay or should I go?' seminars, and assists in the Budget Stop Press and many other stop presses on topical subjects.

Sophie has been widely quoted in the press, including the Times, Telegraph, Financial Times, Guardian and online services including Reuters, the Wealthnet and Spears WMS.

On a personal note

Sophie has a keen interest in design.