Private Clients
Foundations, Family Foundations & Trusts
We advise our clients wishing to create a Swiss foundation. We handle the procedure with the cantonal or federal supervisory authorities that need to approve the charter and the by-laws of the foundation. We also handle the application with the tax authorities for the tax-exempt status of the foundation as well as the exemption from gift or inheritance tax on the assets contributed to the foundation by the donor(s). Finally, we also provide ongoing advice on the Swiss legislation applicable to foundations.
Similarly we assist our clients in setting up Swiss family foundations that may provide for the payment of educational expenses, the endowment and the assistance of members of the family.
Trusts or Foundations for estate planning are critical components of the full range of services available to our clients. Our services include tax-oriented planning for lifetime gifts and the disposition of assets at death. Litigation in matters of trusts is a delicate area of practice as it always involves conflict of law issues. The Firm has been involved in particular with important trust litigation, whether in Switzerland and abroad. In these cases the Firm has either acted as lawyers to a party in the litigation or defended the trustee(s).