Practice Group
Companies, Trusts and Taxation
Leaders
Andrew Demetriou
Andrew Demetriou is Director and one of the two co-founders of Ioannides Demetriou LLC. He is a Chartered Arbitrator, the first to hold this accreditation in Cyprus (and one of the only two Chartered Arbitrators in Cyprus), and he is also an International Panel Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. He is a member of STEP (Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners) and entitled to use the designation TEP (Trusts and Estates Practitioner). Andrew is also an accredited Mediator and he is classed as a Leading Individual / Leading Lawyer in both the international law directories Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners.
Nicolas Bernardy
Nicolas Bernardy is a partner of Brucher Thieltgen & Partners and the Head of the Corporate and Commercial team of the firm and the leader of the Restructuring and Reorganization Task Force.
He specializes in legal advice on commercial and comnpany laws.
He also represents his clients in these fields in front of the Luxembourg courts.
The activities of this PG are more wide ranging than its name suggests. The group has a multi-jurisdictional aspect and has as its primary objectives the transfer of knowledge between its members and the enhancement of cooperation between members so as to offer multi-jurisdictional business solutions to clients by exploring and analysing the formation, taxation and functionality of incorporated and unincorporated business vehicles and private client structures such as private and public companies, partnerships, joint ventures, trusts, foundations and investment funds and how such vehicles may be used for business ownership, wealth and estate planning and tax planning solutions sought by clients. The PG will enhance its relevance through the formation of strategic alliances with complementary organizations such as independent tax specialists, fund managers, private capital and national and international financial institutions so as to extend PG members reach and effectiveness as well as the range of services and networking opportunities that they can offer to their clients. Additionally the group will keep abreast of the increasingly complex and onerous compliance and reporting requirements and the obligations of lawyers towards national authorities in connection with the identities and activities of their clients.
Practice Group Members
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Alasdair McLean• Piper Alderman
Alasdair McLean amclean@piperalderman.com.au Alasdair has extensive experience in corporate and commercial law. His expertise encompasses mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, corporate finance, funds establishment and management, private equity, venture capital and angel investments, commercialisation of intellectual property, corporate governance and general commercial contract drafting and negotiation. Alasdair has experience across a wide variety of industries and has previously worked in Europe and North America.
Australia Piper Alderman -
Andrew Demetriou• Ioannides Demetriou LLC
Andrew Demetriou a.demetriou@idlaw.com.cy https://www.legalink.ch/xms/img/400x400/523be/emM9VDMmZmx0cltdPXVzbSZxPTkw/L08zbS8tME0zWnJTbS95NDFid2h2L1hTclpGTUo4MWJTM2tGWjdTMTExVWpKN1pLNzFwM1pyU210enRka3I.jpg Andrew Demetriou is Director and one of the two co-founders of Ioannides Demetriou LLC. He is a Chartered Arbitrator, the first to hold this accreditation in Cyprus (and one of the only two Chartered Arbitrators in Cyprus), and he is also an International Panel Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. He is a member of STEP (Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners) and entitled to use the designation TEP (Trusts and Estates Practitioner). Andrew is also an accredited Mediator and he is classed as a Leading Individual / Leading Lawyer in both the international law directories Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners.
Cyprus Ioannides Demetriou LLC -
Andrew Young• Davidson & Co
Andrew Young ayoung@davidsoncolaw.com https://www.legalink.ch/xms/img/400x400/46ee1/emM9VDMmZmx0cltdPXVzbSZxPTkw/L08zbS8tME0zWnJTbS95NDFid2h2L2hnQWx3Q3NILjJnUDR0enRrSnI.png Prior to joining Davidson & Co. Andrew was Group Director of an international trust company, and before that a partner in a leading London law firm, where he headed the firm’s Private Client Department. Andrew’s specialist areas of practice are wealth structuring for asset protection, (particularly using trusts), succession planning, family governance and advice to family offices. His work is often complex, and frequently contains a multi-jurisdictional element. Andrew has been the recipient of several private wealth industry wards, is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners, and an Academician of the prestigious International Academy of Estate and Trustee Lawyers.
United Arab Emirates Davidson & Co -
Daniel Glasl• Bratschi Ltd.
Daniel Glasl daniel.glasl@bratschi.ch https://www.legalink.ch/xms/img/400x400/fa8ab/emM9VDMmZmx0cltdPXVzbSZxPTkw/L08zbS8tME0zWnJTbS95NDFid2h2Ly1aSk1TRnNyRlptRnRka3I.jpg Daniel Glasl is a broadly experienced lawyer in national and international matters and he advises and represents companies and entrepreneurs as well as politically exposed persons. Clever solutions and assertiveness in realizing them create his brand image.
Admitted to the Swiss Bar since 1989.
Switzerland Bratschi Ltd. -
Francis Ruggiero• Behan Legal
Francis Ruggiero ruggiero@behanlegal.com https://www.legalink.ch/xms/img/400x400/05c24/emM9VDMmZmx0cltdPXVzbSZxPTkw/L08zbS8tME0zWnJTbS95NDFid2h2L1RuWkpLTW1zbnVyck1Tbmp0ZGty.jpg Francis is an accredited specialist in Business Law and was admitted to practice in 1981, commencing his legal career in the areas of commercial litigation and alternative dispute resolution. From 1987 until 2004, he practised at Behan & Speed, and was involved in establishing and implementing Quality Business Management for the legal profession in Australia, with extensive involvement on the Quality in Law national, state, and local executive committees.
In 2004, Francis Ruggiero embarked on the establishment of the Behan Legal group, which would focus on the business, corporate, and international areas of law. He is currently actively involved in establishing companies and intends to carry on business locally and internationally.
Francis practices in corporation law, focusing on structuring, business and personal asset protection, taxation, and dealing with the managing directors, CEOs and shareholders of each corporate client. This strategic consultation includes business plan and strategy development, and advising management teams on the formation of additional corporations and business structures, drafting policies and procedures, and structuring commercial and international transactions.
In 2006, Francis obtained his MBA in International Management to complement his global approach to working with his clientele.
Australia Behan Legal -
Gary Jones• Weightmans
Gary Jones gary.jones@weightmans.com https://www.legalink.ch/xms/img/400x400/ff3cb/emM9VDMmZmx0cltdPXVzbSZxPTkw/L08zbS8tME0zWnJTbS95NDFid2h2L1BobEhzVy5nd2FvdDR0a0py.png Gary qualified in 1989 with Alsop Wilkinson in London (now DLA Piper). In 1991 he returned to the north and for four years worked at Aaron & Partners in Chester. He moved to Mace & Jones in 1995 and became a partner in the corporate department in Liverpool in 1997. Mace & Jones merged into Weightmans LLP in May 2011.
Gary offers a wide range of expertise to a varied client base including, SMEs, large corporates, universities and the regional venture finance holding fund North West Business Finance Limited. He advises clients on all aspects of corporate work, nationally and internationally, from starting up, shareholders agreements, mergers and acquisitions, MBOs, joint ventures, private equity, fund raising and AIM floatations. Gary advises local authorities, universities, venture capital funds and public and private companies on State aid compliance.
Gary is the partner principally responsible for the firm's relationship with Legalink, the international network of independent law firms. Gary was elected to the management committee of Legalink in 2013 and was appointed Chair of Legalink for two years at the Beijing conference in October 2017.
United Kingdom Weightmans -
George Offerhaus• Jonker Abeln Advocaten
George Offerhaus Offerhaus@jonkerabeln.nl https://www.legalink.ch/xms/img/400x400/43b24/emM9VDMmZmx0cltdPXVzbSZxPTkw/L08zbS8tME0zWnJTbS95NDFid2h2L3JTam5yU3NqVFRTblJadW10ZGty.jpg George Offerhaus has built up his impressive experience in international business by assisting a great number of different industries which export to the Netherlands. He made innumerable clients happy by solving problems in the fields of (re)financing, distribution, claims, competition and corporate structures.
Over the years he has specialised in developing solutions for complex financial and legal problems, whether at the negotiation table or in (appellate) court, at home or abroad. An important advantage lies in George’s language skills: apart from Dutch he is fluent in Italian, English, French, German and Spanish, and he reads Portuguese. Maintains contacts with the international law firm groups Legalink.ch and Lexicom.org
Other professional activities: arbitrator with the Netherlands Arbitration Institute NAI (2000-2014); deputy judge in the Amsterdam Court of Appeal (2003-2014); chair of the Netherlands Lawyers’ Association for International Commerce (1993-2003); member of the International Law Association; member of the Royal Dutch Association for International Law (KNVIR); member of the Commercial Law Association; member of the Association for Distribution, Franchise and Agency Law; member of the Association for Corporate Litigation; member of the International Association of Italian-speaking Lawyers (AIGLI).
Netherlands Jonker Abeln Advocaten -
Hugh Scales• Piper Alderman
Hugh Scales hscales@piperalderman.com.au Hugh has extensive experience in corporate and commercial law with an emphasis on mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructuring, capital raisings, managed investment schemes and financial services.
His practice includes working on takeovers, schemes of arrangement, venture capital and private equity deals, infrastructure investments, privatisations, prospectuses, underwritings and managed funds, and advising clients with a mutual structure.
Australia Piper Alderman -
Johan Lambers• iustica.BE
Johan Lambers jolambers@iustica.be https://www.legalink.ch/xms/img/400x400/85c6d/emM9VDMmZmx0cltdPXVzbSZxPTkw/L08zbS8tME0zWnJTbS95NDFid2h2L2RqUlpKc0ZaMzBTbm10ZGty.jpg Law Degree at the University of Ghent, additional legal education in France, Germany, UK , US and Russia, member of the Bar of Brussels since 1974, member of the Brussels Bar's Council, teaching "MANAGEMENT AND IT" at the Bar's training-school, practising Belgian and International Commercial and Business Law requiring the proficiency in Dutch, French, German or English and sometimes of Russian, member of the editorial board and author in KLUWER UITGEVERS's, commercial legal form book for managers (type "Warren Forms of Agreement") with translations in French, German and English, member of the editorial board and author in RES ET JURA IMMOBILIA bilingual French/Dutch legal review on all aspects of real estate in Belgium, some publications in Russian, a.o. the translation of the EU Codex of the Rules of Conducts for Lawyers.
Belgium iustica.BE -
Johannes Gasser• Gasser Partner Rechtsanwälte
Johannes Gasser johannes.gasser@gasserpartner.com https://www.legalink.ch/xms/img/400x400/045b2/emM9VDMmZmx0cltdPXVzbSZxPTkw/L08zbS8tME0zWnJTbS95NDFid2h2L2RqUlpKSlNtc3JabW1TbnRka3I.jpg Dr Johannes Gasser is the managing partner of Gasser Partner Attorneys at Law. He has extensive experience in the field of Liechtenstein foundations and trusts, with a particular focus on international and cross-border litigation and arbitration.
Chambers Global has ranked Dr Gasser as a “leading individual” in Liechtenstein. Admitted to the Liechtenstein and Austrian bars, he has considerable experience in cross-border matters. In recent cases, he has handled complex litigation on trust matters involving trustee removals and liabilities.
The American lawyer and Legal Week have named Dr Gasser as member of Private Client Global (2018).
Dr Gasser is a regular speaker both in an academic setting as well as industry events, and he acts as legal expert witness on Liechtenstein law before UK and other courts. He is a member of the Judiciary Selection Panel appointed by HH the Prince of Liechtenstein, a member (trust estate practitioner) of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) and chairman of the Liechtenstein Arbitration Association (www.lis.li).
Liechtenstein Gasser Partner Rechtsanwälte -
Juan Carlos Rosas• Rosas y Rosas
Juan Carlos Rosas jcrosas@rosaslaw.com https://www.legalink.ch/xms/img/400x400/9e8e6/emM9VDMmZmx0cltdPXVzbSZxPTkw/L08zbS8tME0zWnJTbS95NDFid2h2L2R1WkpzS1puRmptc25qbVptdGRrcg.jpg Juan Carlos Rosas joined the firm in 1988 and became a Partner in 1992.
Mr. Rosas is the Head of the firm´s Corporate, Banking and Capital Markets Practice Groups. His practice focuses on corporations, securities regulation and banking and finance.
Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Rosas worked in Troutman Sanders LLP in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A.
Panama Rosas y Rosas -
Kasra Nouroozi• Mishcon de Reya
Kasra Nouroozi kasra.nouroozi@mishcon.co.uk https://www.legalink.ch/xms/img/400x400/c4c74/emM9VDMmZmx0cltdPXVzbSZxPTkw/L08zbS8tME0zWnJTbS95NDFid2h2LzhabW5ac0pqdW5qakVNdGRrcg.jpg Kas is a Partner and Head of the Dispute Resolution department, sitting on the management board. He chairs the committee for the Firm's international strategy and planning.
The focus of his work is high value complex disputes, investigations and cross border injunctions. Kas' clients include global institutions, brand owners and high net worth individuals who are often victims of dishonesty.
A significant proportion of the work concerns litigation conducted, or partly conducted, outside the UK - mostly in offshore financial centres, the Middle East, USA, Russia and the CIS countries. The cases are high value including multi-billion dollar disputes.
Kas is a co-founder of The International Fraud Group. The IFG (previously known as the Fraud Network) is a handpicked group of specialist fraud lawyers across many jurisdictions which focuses on securing injunctions, asset recovery and trust busting remedies in key offshore jurisdictions.
United Kingdom Mishcon de Reya -
Kevin Gold• Mishcon de Reya
Kevin Gold kevin.gold@mishcon.com https://www.legalink.ch/xms/img/400x400/c664f/emM9VDMmZmx0cltdPXVzbSZxPTkw/L08zbS8tME0zWnJTbS95NDFid2h2LzhTRE1Kc3JqRi10enRka3I.jpg Kevin is Mishcon de Reya's Managing Partner.
He specialises in corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions and joint ventures. Much of his work has an international dimension to it with a large part of his practice having a Middle Eastern, South African and international bias.
He also advises on international tax matters, particularly offshore trusts and the international tax structuring of companies.
United Kingdom Mishcon de Reya -
Liguo Zhang• Grandway
Liguo Zhang zhangliguo@grandwaylaw.com Mr. Liguo Zhang is the chief partner of GrandwayLaw Offices and a well-known legal expert in the field of China’s securities and capital markets.
Mr. Zhang is also a committee member of the FirstSession Advisory Committee forListing at the Shanghai Stock Exchange, and a committee member of the Seventh Session Listing Committee at the ShenzhenStock Exchange.
China Grandway -
Mark Williamson• Piper Alderman
Mark Williamson mwilliamson@piperalderman.com.au Mark is a corporate, securities and funds partner with over 25 years' Australian, United States, and international experience working in Sydney and New York. With over 25 years’ experience, Mark has a particular focus on Australian and cross border securities transactions, mergers and acquisitions, fund and managed investment structuring and joint ventures involving companies located in Australia and international jurisdictions.
Mark also represents New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ listed companies in their operations and investments in Australia.
Mark works intimately with Australian, US, and other off-shore corporate management teams, fund managers, investment banks, and other advisors on all aspects of executing transactions and establishing corporate groups, funds and transaction structures.
Mark's investment fund practice includes advising leading Australian and U.S. private equity fund, hedge fund and activist fund managers in relation to investments, fund raising, structuring and regulatory issues.
Australia Piper Alderman -
Nicolas Bernardy• Brucher Thieltgen & Partners, Avocats à la Cour
Nicolas Bernardy nicolas.bernardy@brucherlaw.lu https://www.legalink.ch/xms/img/400x400/22b2e/emM9VDMmZmx0cltdPXVzbSZxPTkw/L08zbS8tME0zWnJTbS95NDFid2h2L2dwVS5YaGFzOXdsZ2hsQUhzWVMwdHp0ZGty.jpg Nicolas Bernardy is a partner of Brucher Thieltgen & Partners and the Head of the Corporate and Commercial team of the firm and the leader of the Restructuring and Reorganization Task Force.
He specializes in legal advice on commercial and comnpany laws.
He also represents his clients in these fields in front of the Luxembourg courts.
Luxembourg Brucher Thieltgen & Partners, Avocats à la Cour -
Peter Polak• Fiebinger Polak & Partners Rechtsanwälte GmbH
Peter Polak p.polak@fplp.at https://www.legalink.ch/xms/img/400x400/fbc8e/emM9VDMmZmx0cltdPXVzbSZxPTkw/L08zbS8tME0zWnJTbS95NDFid2h2L2tTN1Nuc2tqRlo4dGRrcg.jpg Dr. Peter Polak, LL.M. is one of the founding partners of Fiebinger Polak & Partner Rechtsanwälte GmbH and head of Corporate Law / M & A. He first completed his legal education at the University of Vienna (Dr. iur., 1982). Subsequently, in 1984, he earned a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree from the University of California's School of Law (Boalt Hall). Peter Polak was admitted to the bar in 1986 in California and in 1989 in Austria.
Prior to founding Fiebinger Polak & Partner Rechtsanwälte GmbH, he worked as an associate at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher (1984-1985) and at Preslmayr Rechtsanwälte in Vienna (1986-1990, initially as a trainee lawyer and then as a partner). He was also associate professor of Webster University, St. Louis, Vienna campus (from 1989).
Peter Polak is the author of numerous publications in the areas of corporate, tax and antitrust law, as well as sworn interpreters for English.
He has proven experience in international transactions, corporate law, banking and capital markets law, antitrust law and art law.
Austria Fiebinger Polak & Partners Rechtsanwälte GmbH -
Thomas Nigg• Gasser Partner Rechtsanwälte
Thomas Nigg Thomas.Nigg@gasserpartner.com https://www.legalink.ch/xms/img/400x400/820e7/emM9VDMmZmx0cltdPXVzbSZxPTkw/L08zbS8tME0zWnJTbS95NDFid2h2L2JlLnZoYXNncFBQdHp0a0py.png Thomas Nigg has studied law at the University of St. Gallen (Switzerland), where he obtained his Master of Arts in Legal Studies HSG (M.A. HSG) in 2008. In 2007 he began practising as a lawyer in Liechtenstein and was admitted to the Liechtenstein Bar in 2010.
In 2016 he was appointed senior partner of GASSER PARTNER Attorneys at Law. In 2018, he completed an Executive Master of Laws (LL.M.) in company, foundation and trust law at the University of Liechtenstein. His main areas are representing clients, mostly corporations or high-net-worth individuals, before courts in civil, criminal and administrative matters and assisting clients in commercial, corporate and criminal law as well as concerning banking and regulatory issues in both national and international affairs. In addition, he is a co-author of “Litigation and Arbitration in Liechtenstein”, the Liechtenstein chapter in “The Asset Tracing and Recovery Review” and has authored articles on various legal topics.
Liechtenstein Gasser Partner Rechtsanwälte -
Wally McDonald• Piper Alderman
Wally McDonald wmcdonald@piperalderman.com.au Wally is a partner in the Corporate Division, based in Sydney. He is recognised as one of Australia's leading practitioners with many years' experience in advising major corporate and Government clients.
He joined Piper Alderman from a large Australian law firm where he had previously held a number of senior positions including the national positions of Departmental Managing Partner, Corporate and Chairman, Energy and Resources Group.
Throughout his career, Wally has acted on matters involving complex multinational mergers and acquisitions, sophisticated corporate financing transactions, strategic litigation, energy and resources matters, large property matters, infrastructure projects and related taxation matters.
Wally has acted for a wide range of leading Australian and international corporations and Government organisations such as the New South Wales Government, New South Wales Treasury, the New South Wales Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority, AWE Limited, Cable and Wireless Plc, Department of Defence, Telecom New Zealand and General Motors.
Wally has been recognised in the Best Lawyers ® listing 2015, 2016 and 2017 for Corporate Law, Government Practice and Mergers & Acquisitions.
Australia Piper Alderman -
William Sharpe• Weightmans
William Sharpe william.sharpe@weightmans.com https://www.legalink.ch/xms/img/400x400/d9fa0/emM9VDMmZmx0cltdPXVzbSZxPTkw/L08zbS8tME0zWnJTbS95NDFid2h2L1lNRkZNWjNzbVJabmtTdGRrcg.jpg William is a partner in the corporate team in London, advising on acquisitions and disposals, fund raisings and restructurings for SMEs and companies in the mid market. He has particular expertise in the private equity sector having advised a large number private equity houses and management teams over the last 10 years.
William trained at Berwin Leighton and qualified in 1996 before moving on to Olswang in 2000 as part of their private equity team. He joined Eversheds in 2007 as a partner in their London office and then joined Weightmans in May 2010. William read law at the University of Warwick.
William's experience covers all areas of corporate law, from advising on early stage fundraisings and investments, to management buy-outs and buy-ins and disposals to flotations and takeovers. He also advises on directors' duties, shareholder disputes and joint ventures. Transactions have ranged from seed fundings to cross border transactions with values in excess of £100 million.
United Kingdom Weightmans
Hot Topics
The Legalink Companies, Trust and Taxation Practice Group has compiled this guide by asking its members to give 5 reasons why an investor would want to do business within their jurisdictions. It makes interesting reading, giving an “on the ground” picture of the positive aspects of the business environment in 34 jurisdictions giving information that is true to the hallmark of Legalink... ”International but Personal”.
This guide would also allow members to identify legal synergies or “best friends” jurisdictions in order to propose to their private or corporate clients solutions “beyond the borders”.
As part of the Private Client Initiative of the Companies, Trusts and Taxation PG, a one day Private Client conference is being held today in Frankfurt hosted by RITTERSHAUS Rechtsanwälte. Guest speakers are Klaas Jan Visser, Thomas Nigg, Alain JOUAN and Pawel Blusz. The conference is being attended by delegates from Mishcon de Reya LLP, Felsberg Advogados, Ventura Garcés López-Ibor, Asters, DF Advocates, Jonker Abeln Advocaten and WEIGHTMANS LLP.
As part of the Private Client Initiative of the Companies, Trusts and Taxation PG, a one day Private Client conference will be held in Frankfurt on June 17th.