Private Client

At Rajah & Tann, we are committed to safeguarding your wealth and securing your legacy for future generations. We offer a suite of bespoke services designed to cater to the unique needs of high-net-worth individuals and families, spanning across trusts and succession planning, family offices, family governance, wills and probate, philanthropy, dispute resolution, immigration and related real estate matters.

Rajah & Tann's Private Client Practice is dedicated to the preservation and growth of your legacy. We assist our clientele, many of whom are on Forbes lists across the world, in navigating the realms of wealth management, estate planning, and succession strategies.

The Practice is led by partner Vikna Rajah and is regularly engaged to advise leading trust companies and ultra-high net worth families, in Singapore and further afield, to create family offices, multi-generational trusts, charitable trusts and foundations that best address succession planning needs, thereby ensuring the smooth transition of the management and ownership of operating companies to preserve their value. Our expertise in transactional tax also allows us to provide comprehensive advice from the perspective of trusts.

Whether your goal is tax efficiency, philanthropy, asset protection or the smooth transfer of wealth to the next generation, we are here to help you realise them. Should a dispute arise, we recognise that going to court is not always the answer. Our industry leading dispute lawyers, including a bench of 8 Senior Counsel, which is more than double of any other law firm in Singapore, will be accessible to give you clear and dispassionate advice on your options. 

Our team is based in Singapore, Asia’s leading wealth management hub, with a stable government and robust legal and regulatory infrastructure. The country’s tax and trust laws provide for confidentiality, flexibility, and protection of high-net-worth individuals and families’ assets. With a deep understanding of these local laws, coupled with an international perspective, we help private clients across the world make critical decisions in implementing their wealth and succession planning objectives.

Bespoke Wealth Management and Succession Planning Services

Our practice is crafted to address every facet of your wealth management journey:

1. Tax, Trusts and Succession Planning

We assist in crafting cohesive and comprehensive estate frameworks to ensure that your assets are managed with precision and foresight, integrating seamless tax advice and sophisticated trust structures to navigate cross-border complexities.

We also assist with business succession planning that not only secures your contemporary legacy but maintains flexibility to thrive in unforeseen circumstances. Through advising on all aspects of structuring and restructuring, we strive to ensure that your closely held business interests are protected and poised for future growth.

2. Family Offices, Funds and Investment Management and Governance 

We provide expert guidance in setting up both single and multi-family offices and assist clients in navigating the tax implications arising from the ownership of assets in various jurisdictions and complying with both international and local tax laws. 

We also provide comprehensive investment management advice across fund structuring, fund formation and the ongoing strategic counsel of investment funds, designed to elevate your investment portfolio within the global landscape.

3. Family Governance

We assist clients in navigating the realms of family governance and dynastic planning. Understanding divergent needs and priorities among family members, we identify core values specific to a family and facilitate succession planning based on such principles. We regularly assist with drafting family constitutions, trust deeds and wills which embody common goals for a family. We also assist with setting up private trust company structures, family councils and advisory boards.

4. Wills and Probate 

Leveraging our deep understanding in estate and trust planning, we advise clients on non-contentious succession planning through wills, effecting the seamless transition of legacies. We also represent families, executors, administrators, trustees and/or beneficiaries in contentious probate matters, with a compassionate understanding of family dynamics and beneficiary interests.

5. Philanthropy and Charitable Giving 

With a philanthropic vision, we ensure that clients’ charitable efforts are tax efficient and compliant with relevant regulations, thus fostering a legacy of impact and generosity. We advise on suitable charitable vehicles based on clients’ individual needs and preferences and assist with facilitating lifetime and charitable giving.

We also assist clients in establishing and registering grant-making foundations and operating charities in the form of charitable trusts, societies and companies limited by guarantee in Singapore.

6. Dispute Resolution

We recognise the value of resolving private client disputes both within and beyond the courtroom, with a focus on preserving relationships and legacies. Our industry-leading dispute lawyers, including a team of 8 senior counsels are available to give you clear and dispassionate advice on your options. 

7. Related Immigration and Real Estate Matters 

We advise clients, especially those considering Singapore as a home for their family or investments, on immigration and real estate matters. Notably, we specialise in applications for Singapore citizenship and permanent residency status, particularly through the Global Investor Programme.

Notable Engagements

Family Offices, Funds and Investment Management and Governance

• Advised one of Asia’s most prominent healthcare and pharmaceutical dynasties on the establishment of a family office in Singapore with over US$700 million in AUM, including working closely with the Economic Development Board of Singapore, the Monetary Authority of Singapore and Indian legal advisors to obtain the Section 13U tax exemption.

• Advised the family of a prominent Indian billionaire in the education sector on the establishment of a family office in Singapore with over US$500 million in AUM. Given the family’s complex shareholding structure involving numerous offshore trusts and third-party RPS investors in India, we worked closely with offshore counsel to ensure the family office would qualify under MAS’ regulations.

• Advised the CEO of a global technology and social media giant on legacy planning, including trust structuring to manage their extensive assets globally, as well as the setting up of a family office structure in Singapore.

• Advised the co-founder of an Americanmultinational technology company on applying for a Section 13R tax exemption and the basis of charging a cost-plus fee as opposed to an asset-under-management fee in accordance with transfer pricing rules.

• Advised the managing director of an entertainment industry giant on the implementation of a comprehensive legacy planning framework, including establishing a family office and applying for the Section 13O tax exemption.

• Advised a ranked Forbes China Rich List individual on his overall relocation into Singapore as well as the establishment of a complex family office structure.

• Acted for a family office run by the scion of one of Asia's wealthiest families in an application for an onshore fund tax exemption for its variable capital company fund.

• Advised on the creation of the first-of-its-kind family office structure that was subsequently adopted as the standard exemption that the Monetary Authority of Singapore (“MAS”) accords to when considering a related corporation structure.

• Advised one of Pakistan’s most prominent families with the setting up of a family office fund structure and applying for a Section 13O tax exemption.

• Advised the sole owner of a European Alternative Investment Fund Manager with the setting up of a family office fund structure and applying for a Section 13U tax exemption.

• Advised one of Japan’s most prominent families in the setting up of a Family Office in Singapore and obtaining a Section 13X tax exemption.

• Advised one of South Korea’s most prominent families in setting up a Family Office in Singapore. As the client was also a US citizen, this also involved structuring and planning in light of the US taxation regime.

Tax, Trusts and Succession Planning

• Advised the co-founder and chairman of a technology conglomerate with the restructuring of various Singapore assets, including a football club.

• Advised the co-founder of a unicorn software company start-up on the establishment of a discretionary trust and tax-related matters as to the settling of his company's shares into the trust.

• Defended Credit Suisse Trust (Singapore), who was accused of negligence by Mr Bidzina Ivanishvili, a Georgian tycoon.

• Advised a leading bank-owned professional trustee company on their exit from the Singapore market and drafted bespoke trust deeds to effect the appointment of a new professional trustee company in respect of approximately 90 private trusts.

• Led the sale of Heritage Trust Group, one of Asia’s leading trust companies, to Equiom Group (Southeast Asia) Pte Ltd.

• Advised on the creation of a complex private family trust structure for one of the most prominent Asian families, involving an offshore purpose trust being the sole shareholder of a private trust company acting as trustee for the family trust.

• Advised the chairman and founder of a prominent provider of furniture systems on comprehensive legacy planning, including the establishment of two multi-generational trusts to manage their extensive assets located in Asia and Europe and the preparation of various Wills.

• Advised one of the top 10 richest persons in Malaysia on a complex succession planning trust involving over S$3 billion in assets.

• Advised the World Bank, Japan Government and Singapore Government on the establishment of a first-of-its-kind Singapore law governed trust structure for the Southeast Asia Disaster Risk Insurance Facility (“SEADRIF”).

• Advised on the setting up of a charitable organisation in Singapore, including the type of entity a charitable organisation may take, the regulatory regime in relation to the charitable organisation and the basic tax treatment of a charitable organisation.

• Advised the descendants of the founder and chairman emeritus of a major bank in Singapore on succession planning matters.

Accolades

Our Lead Partner, Vikna Rajah, has been ranked as “Recommended” in “Private Client” and "Southeast Asia – Private Client” by Who’s Who Legal 2017 – 2023, a “Leading Individual” for Private Wealth by The Legal 500 APAC 2017 – 2024 and a Band 1 Lawyer in Private Wealth law by Chambers High Net Worth Guide 2018 – 2024. Most recently, he won “Lawyer of the Year” for Trusts and Estates in Singapore by The Best Lawyers in Singapore 2022, as well as “Private Client Lawyer of the Year” at The Asia Legal Awards 2017. Vikna is recognised as one of the Top 15 Private Wealth Lawyers by Asian Legal Business 2022 and one of the world’s Top 250 Private Client Lawyers by ALM’s Private Client Global Elite Directory 2020 – 2024. Vikna is also recognised in the International A-List 2022 – 2023 by the India Business Law Journal for exceptional India-related international work.  Praised in legal directories as being “best of the best”, and “an extremely intelligent man” who is “excellent to work with”, Vikna is known for combining “very deep technical expertise with acute commercial acumen”, while “carefully listening to his clients and putting himself in their shoes”, with the ability to “make the impossible possible”.

The Private Wealth Practice was recently awarded “Best Private Client Team” in Southeast Asia by WealthBriefingAsia Awards 2022 and has consistently been ranked “Band 1” by The Legal 500 APAC 2017 – 2023 and “Band 2” by the Chambers High Net Worth Guide 2023.  The Private Wealth Practice has been lauded for being “very knowledgeable on all matters trust and tax related in Singapore” and “one of the first firms you think of for advice”; taking “a practical and sound approach to its legal advice”; as well as “maintaining its agility” and being “at the forefront of keeping clients informed” in “an increasing complex regulatory and fast evolving legal changes”. It has also been praised for being “circumspect, balanced, realistic, thorough, authoritative, and level-headed” and for “think(ing) outside the box to offer solutions”.

Contact

For more details, please reach out to Vikna Rajah, Head of the Tax, Trust & Private Client Practices at vikna.rajah@rajahtann.com.