Family Investment Company Lawyers

FICs offer a structured, yet flexible approach to control and governance. Decision-making arrangements, share classes, voting rights, income and capital entitlements, and board composition can all be tailored to reflect a family’s priorities and preferences.

Tax considerations form an important part of establishing and operating a FIC.  A FIC may offer tax efficiencies in certain circumstances, including the ability for value to accrue on a compound basis within the corporate structure over time.

A FIC is also used as part of succession and inheritance tax planning, enabling value to be passed to the next generation while retaining an element of control. 

Our private client and corporate tax lawyers advise on the structuring of FICs and can work closely with clients’ existing trusted tax advisers,  investment professionals and other stakeholders to ensure that the wider legal and strategic framework complements the tax advice and the two are considered holistically, and not in isolation.

In situations where FICs involve international elements – such as family members, assets or activities across multiple jurisdictions – the legal complexity increases significantly, and a cohesive cross-border strategy is essential. 

Both FICs and trusts are widely used in private wealth planning. These two planning tools operate in different ways and may be suitable for different objectives.  

Trusts are often used to protect assets and separate legal ownership from benefit, while FICs provide a corporate structure through which families can retain direct control and actively manage assets over time.

Trusts continue to play an important role in long-term planning, particularly for vulnerable beneficiaries or where confidentiality is a priority.  Reporting obligations can be greater with company structures (although some families choose an unlimited liability company for their FIC due to reduced reporting obligations).

In many cases, trusts and FICs are used together, with trusts holding shares in a FIC to combine elements of control, protection and flexibility within a single planning framework.

There is no “one plan fits all” and tailored advice for individuals and their circumstances is essential.

We advise on the full lifecycle of FICs, including their formation, structure and documentation.  We can work with other advisers at any stage in that lifecycle to complement but not duplicate existing advice.

Our role is to ensure the company framework aligns with the family’s wider private client objectives, with legal, corporate and tax considerations properly integrated from the outset

Our support extends beyond the formation of a FIC to ongoing legal advice and administration as the structure evolves. Whether we’re dealing with governance arrangements, shareholder matters or structural changes, our team has the experience required to preserve wealth across generations.

We provide integrated, cross-border legal support to families on tax and regulatory matters wherever they are in the world, working alongside specialist advisers to ensure compliance and efficiency. This includes interpreting legal requirements, supporting implementation and coordinating advice across disciplines and jurisdictions. 

FICs rarely operate in isolation. We advise on how they interact with trusts, property holdings, wills and succession arrangements to ensure seamless integration within broader private client planning. This integrated approach helps maximise value and support the long-term continuity of family legacies.