Trustees, executors and fiduciaries

Acting on behalf of an executor of an estate and obtaining a Mareva injunction over assets in Singapore on the basis of a claim for the return of sales proceeds by a solicitor acting for the estate.

Following the Madoff scandal we advised the investment arm of a bank trustee with numerous Central and Latin American settlors / beneficiaries who had exposure to Madoff.

A Protector misrepresented to Swiss trustees that the primary beneficiaries had agreed that very substantial trust assets should be appointed out to a secondary beneficiary (a close relative of his) on the basis that he would provide for the primary beneficiaries. Later the primary beneficiaries requested the trustees for help. Withers advised the trustees on taking steps to set aside the transfer to him. 

Using insurance, we worked on the tax-deferred dissolution of our client's substantial multigenerational trust structure alongside Mexican counsel.

Assisting New Zealand trustees on the implications for the trust arising from an underlying multi-million litigation between the beneficiaries.

Advised the trustee of a Jersey trust, working alongside US colleagues, on the conversion of that trust to a grantor trust for US tax purposes while walking the fine-line to preserve the favourable tax regime of the trust for UK tax purposes and avoiding triggering UK tax issues on the conversion.

We advised many clients and trustees on the steps to take prior to the non-dom reforms, particularly in relation to trusts established by individuals who became deemed domiciled for all tax purposes on 6 April 2017.

We represented numerous private fiduciaries in matters related to the management, leasing and sale of trust real estate assets.

We are defending a Cyprus-based trustee who faces beneficiary claims of USD$150 million in the British Virgin Islands Commercial Court.

Representing the sole executor of the estate of the late Ng Hock Seng, we successfully defended a claim by Ng Li-Ann Genevieve for a share of alleged matrimonial property, based on fraud, breach of trust and unjust enrichment.

We acted for a beneficiary in proceedings concerning trustee negligence in relation to investment losses. It is believed to be the first case in the Channel Islands courts to consider the question of what degree of knowledge will prevent a beneficiary bringing a breach of trust claim beyond the time period required by statute.

Paul Hewitt and Phineas Hirsch worked with Jersey advocates for the RSPCA, Cancer Research UK and RAF Benevolent Fund in securing an order that Mrs Ivelaw had retained her English domicile of origin after many years living in Belgium and that she had not intended to revoke an earlier Jersey will benefitting the three charities when she made a later Belgian will.

Advising a blue-chip offshore trust company on its involvement in English divorce proceedings concerning attacks on trusts worth over £25m. We handled the disclosure issues for the trustee and eventually the case was concluded without the trustee being formally joined to the English proceedings.

Advising Swiss trustees and a Swiss bank on the recovery of assets relating to unravelling an appointment upon the discovery of a fraud on a family trust and on the assets in the estate of the deceased settler in the sum of approximately £400m.

Advising the Trustees in the recently reported Jersey case of the Truro Trust and the PF Life Interest Trust as to whether or not they should submit to the jurisdiction of the English Court in divorce proceedings between a husband and wife. The Royal Court of Jersey endorsed the decision of the Trustees not to submit to the jurisdiction and approved their stance in relation to the provision of information.

Withers has extensive experience and knowledge of inheritance tax issues around the world. This means that we are often called to step in when problems arise. One executor of a will came to us when he wanted to take action against his late spouse's solicitor. We were able successfully to argue that the solicitor had failed to effectively advise about US tax liabilities on the spouse's worldwide assets during the making of her UK will.