Wealth in Motion. Legacy in Place.
From entrepreneurs to family offices, we help clients manage the legal complexities that come with success.
Staying ahead of the curve on issues that matter most to our private wealth clients, our team counsels on strategies to maintain privacy and discretion, as well as quickly resolving disputes before they become publicly known or vigorously defending and protecting our clients in court or arbitration when resolution options fail.
Wealth is always in motion, but with sound planning and a strong team, legacy stays in place.
All related services
- Family Office Suite of Services
- Fiduciary Litigation
- Business Succession
- Asset Management
- Charitable Planning
- Strengthening governance structures to protect family wealth and ensure smooth decision-making
- Helping family offices navigate employment law, from contracts and compliance to litigation defense.
- Protecting wealth and legacy by securing digital assets against evolving threats
- Dispute Avoidance & Resolution
- Intellectual Property
- Private Equity & Fund Formation
- Securities Counsel
- Business Formation & Entity Selection
- Global Business & U.S. Expansion
- International Employment
- International Business Transactions
Wealth and legacy demand clear direction. We help clients chart a course through succession planning and fiduciary disputes, always with an eye on preserving both assets and family goals.
The representative matters below show how we guide individuals, business owners, and family offices through complex challenges.
Representative matters
- Bundled asset sale of a Chevrolet and Ford dealership in the amount of $20 million.
- Concurrent sale of real estate from a family trust in the amount of $1.5 million
- Dealership asset sale.
- Represented the children of the founder of a Silicon Valley-based business in formalizing the transition of ownership. Negotiated, structured, and documented the transfer of legal and beneficial ownership from the founder to the next generation, preserving financial benefits for the founder and immediate family while navigating the complexities of maintaining Subchapter S status, including restrictions on allocating profits and losses strictly in proportion to share ownership.
- Advised a high-net-worth individual in Central California on facilitating a generational transfer through the acquisition of a profitable motor vehicle dealership by younger family members. Provided guidance on the dealership M&A transaction while structuring intergenerational financing to make the acquisition feasible. The matter combined corporate and private wealth planning to ensure business continuity and achieve family wealth transfer objectives.
- Represented a privately held, family-owned enterprise in the sale of a premier collectible asset business to a globally recognized cultural institution. The transaction involved navigating a complex regulatory landscape, including the transfer of operating permits, licenses, and other critical assets to ensure operational continuity. Our role balanced the private wealth client’s objectives with the commercial considerations of selling to a multinational institution.
- Representing majority heirs of a U.S.-based legacy automotive portfolio in disputes with a minority shareholder, the firm is leveraging its franchise and M&A expertise to facilitate the $50M sale of the portfolio to a third-party buyer, resolving longstanding ownership and control issues.
- Represented a joint venture comprising two high-net-worth individuals and investment fund participants in the $60 million sale of a major Southern California business line to a family office. Our role included structuring and negotiating deal terms while safeguarding the interests of both individual and institutional stakeholders
- Advised a trustee of a Northern California trust holding a significant regional employer and retail enterprise. Developed an ownership transfer and governance plan that balanced transferring business ownership to a key employee while maintaining appropriate trustee oversight. Crafted strategies to integrate family members and beneficiaries into management roles, safeguarding family wealth and ensuring continuity of business operations.
- Represented a family office and its portfolio company in a high-stakes private arbitration in Los Angeles. The dispute involved alleged breaches of warranty and misrepresentation regarding representations and omissions about future business opportunities and profitability in connection with the acquisition of multiple retail outlets valued at over $100 million. The arbitration included more than a week of testimony and was subsequently reviewed by a three-member arbitration panel following the initial decision
- Represented a high-net-worth Belgian citizen regarding the U.S. tax implications of expatriation and the taxation of U.S. retirement and deferred compensation plans.
- Represented a Cyprus-based holding company of a family office in evaluating the status of its corporate beneficial owners for U.S. FATCA reporting and treaty purposes in connection with a U.S. investment account, including assessing whether the structure raises concerns regarding the use of Cyprus as a treaty jurisdiction.
A depth of expertise
