Stonehage Fleming

Stonehage Fleming is an international family office and family governance adviser. The published emphasis is governance, family business succession, next-generation preparation and family-office support. It is not presented here as a pure trustee.

Succession planning often requires several disciplines. Confirm which provider is responsible for governance, legal implementation, tax advice and fiduciary administration.

Stonehage Fleming may be relevant to UHNW/HNW families, family businesses, founders and next-generation family members.

Published global reach: High.

Published reach is high. Multi-jurisdiction capability — confirm the relevant family, business and legal jurisdictions directly.

Family constitutions, councils, decision-making frameworks and facilitated meetings.

A family constitution, council, voting framework or facilitated meeting is only in scope where the provider actually offers it. Governance does not work the same way in every legal system or family culture.

Family business succession is described as exceptional. Ownership transition, management transition and governance should still be confirmed against the family’s facts.

Ownership transition, management transition, board structure, shareholder arrangements and liquidity for family members who will not work in the business are separate questions. This page does not give transaction advice.

Dedicated next-generation programmes, coaching and mentoring. A programme does not mean a family member will take a particular role.

Education, mentoring or governance participation does not mean a family member will, or should, take over the business.

Trust and fiduciary implementation is described as strong.

Trusts and foundations are implementation tools. The roles are explained on trusts. Confirm which legal entity would act as trustee.

Wills and estate planning are coordinated through legal, tax and fiduciary services.

Wills, executorship, beneficiary planning and incapacity sit beside the wider succession question. The map is on estate planning. This page does not say the provider drafts every document.

Cross-border succession is described as exceptional for international families.

Family members in different countries, businesses in more than one jurisdiction, asset location, inheritance rules, company law and tax residence can each change the outcome. This is not a conclusion for a particular family.

Strong in-house capability plus an external adviser network. Governance, legal, tax and fiduciary work can be delivered by different regulated group entities.

Governance advice, legal advice, tax advice and fiduciary implementation may be provided by different entities.

Family-office support is described as exceptional.

Administration, reporting, entity coordination, adviser coordination and family meetings should be confirmed in the written scope.

Philanthropy and legacy planning are described as strong. That is not a statement about tax treatment.

A charitable trust or foundation is not automatically tax efficient. The tax result depends on the people, the assets and the countries involved.

Fees are engagement-specific. Request a written scope and fee schedule.

A written schedule may separate governance advice, a family-office fee, legal work, trust setup, the trustee fee, annual fiduciary administration, estate-planning advice, next-generation programmes and philanthropy advice. Only the items the appointed entity actually charges should be on that schedule.