Family Office Stories

Private trust companies: How families structure control, succession and governance

Episode Summary

In this episode of our Family Office Stories podcast, we're joined by Andrew McCallum, Senior Partner at Rawlinson & Hunter and Chair of STEP Switzerland and Liechtenstein. In this episode dedicated to private wealth structures, we explore how families approach succession planning and asset protection using trusts, and why private trust companies are gaining traction. From the legal mechanics of trusts and how Switzerland — as a civil law country without its own substantive trust law — administers foreign-law trusts under the Hague Convention to governance, confidentiality and regulatory developments, we explore how families structure influence, manage complexity and navigate an increasingly professionalised trust landscape.

Episode Notes

Key topics we discuss include:

• What trusts are — and why families use them today: how the focus has shifted towards succession and asset protection
• Private trust companies (PTCs): how they help families retain influence while separating legal ownership
• Governance and influence: how trustees, protectors and board composition shape decision-making
• Switzerland as a trust jurisdiction: how it administers foreign-law trusts under the Hague Convention and the advantages this offers international families 
• Regulatory developments: the impact of FINMA supervision and the family ties exemption for PTCs
• Confidentiality and operational complexity: trade-offs when involving family members and advisors in governance structures