Chetcuti Cauchi is well aware of the importance of succession, philanthropic and estate planning for our private clients who are very often HNW families seeking an optimal structure for their family business and their wealth in the most tax-favourable manner. Apart from assisting clients in the aforementioned matters, our Family Office Structuring Practice is focused on counselling clients on the set up of family investment vehicles, co-investment platforms, and the implementation of listing and exit strategies.
Our Family Office Structuring Practice
Businesses have endured a highly chaotic business environment in the past years as the global business sector experienced a number of financial crisis which resulted in the end for several business. Despite this, family business proved to be a resilient commercial organization during times of economic turmoil, outliving larger enterprises and even a number of banks. In Malta, family businesses are an indispensable component of the economy, accounting for 70% of all local businesses.
Our boutique services have evolved around the needs of our private clients and are tailored to meet and overcome the challenges they face every day, as well as helping our clients’ wealth to stand the test of time.
Often-times, management of internal matters and providing for continuation from generation to generation are the culprits for the dissolution of family businesses and disputes within the family. Our Family Governance / Family Office Structuring professionals at Chetcuti Cauchi strive to tackle these two problems and any other matters which may be an inconvenience to families. We offer a wide range of services to cater for all our clients’ needs, including counselling on the implementation of excellent family governance/ family office structuring, a key to any successful family business.
Family Office Structuring: The Family Charter
Many leading family experts worldwide consider a family charter as the expression of the family’s vision for the family and the business, its core values, policies and guidelines which govern the family relationship with the business, as employees, owners and family members (Davis 2002). Our Family Governance/ Family Office Structuring practice is geared towards providing advice to families who are interested in implementing a family charter as a way to move forward and sustain the relationship between the relatives as partners in business and family members as well.
MAFE and the Family Business Act White Paper
The Malta Associations of Family Enterprises (MAFE) was the brainchild of our managing partner, Dr Jean-Philippe Chetcuti and Mr. Mario Duca, who united with other family business in order to create a forum through which family businesses may lobby and share experiences on the development of family businesses governance structures and the management and transfer of such business. MAFE calls for sound provisions with regards to a stamp duty on the transfer of assets, a factor which often forces businesses to forfeit their assets.
In 2014, MAFE forwarded legislative proposals to the government in order to address the needs and the challenges which family businesses must overcome. Through MAFE's efforts, the Malta Family Business Act was enacted. This piece of legislation is unique in the world since it specifically caters for the needs of family businesses around the world. The act provides a legally-binding definition of what constitutes a family business and establishes a regulator that is responsible for registering family businesses and ensure they adhere to ongoing compliance requirements. Moreover, the act encourages families to transfer the family business inter vivos to avoid any problems which could arise following causa mortis succession.
Malta Family Office Structuring Practice
Our Malta Family Office Structuring practice goes a step beyond providing standard wealth management services. The multi-disciplinary nature of our firm allows us to provide fully-comprehensive, in-house services to business families in order to cater for their specific business needs, as well as their personal family goals. Our Family Governance / Family Office Structuring practice is composed of various practitioners within different fields. Our seasoned commercially savvy lawyers are also sensitive to the needs of such families and offer advice on how to increase the business’ potentiality, thus ensuring the business runs as smoothly as possible while providing successful families with the support they need in their personal lifestyle management.
Our Family Office Structuring services include a wide range of administrative, logistical and advisory services:
- the day-to-day administration and management of family affairs,
- oversight of investment through various investment vehicles and asset and wealth protection through foundations, family trusts, real estate investment trusts and investments in companies,
- real estate planning and estate management,
- tax planning through personal tax advisory and compliance services,
- philanthropic planning,
- family support services and family governance, and,
- accounting, document management, record keeping services, payroll services and book keeping services.
