PRIVATE CLIENT SERVICES

Executive Overview

Nicholas Weston assists a large number of private clients with the accumulation, management and transfer of their personal wealth. Clients include Australians living locally or resident overseas, and foreign nationals with residence or business interests in Australia, many of whom are high net worth individuals. The firm deals with their legal needs in Australia, including strategic estate planning, wills and powers of attorney, the administration of deceased estates, asset protection, trusts, conveyancing and litigation.

We are known for the quality and diversity of our clients, our experience with key industries and knowledge, and, perhaps most instrumentally, our integrated approach to private client work.

People

Our people have numerous long-standing relationships with private clients. These long-standing relationships enhance the firm’s ability to advise private clients on business matters, business clients on private matters and to take the initiative of contacting clients to flag important issues whether they are engaged in current work for the client or not.

Methods

· organising a client’s affairs in away that achieves stated goals.
· providing costs forecasts.
· listening first, then giving clear recommendations without jargon.
· a high level of Partner involvement and providing practical commercial advice.
· conducting due diligence on potential transaction targets.
· negotiation and drafting of the necessary documentation.
· for disputes, determining at the outset its merits, chances of success, likely methods of bringing it to an end
and continually reviewing alternatives.
· exercising initiative to keep our clients abreast of legal developments and opportunities.
· working with clients and PR people to manage PR issues.
· structuring exit strategies.

Results

· Cost effective service.
· Harm prevention and minimisation of further losses.
· Recovery of debts and forward-looking systems.

BUSINESS OBJECTIVES

Estate Planning & Wills

Estate planning begins with assets being held by the appropriate person, lifetime gifts, powers of attorney, the making of a will and may continue after death and for future generations through the creation and administration of trusts.

Advise numerous clients in relation to traditional and sophisticated estate planning, working with external income tax professionals to structure appropriate and tax effective arrangements for the ownership of investments and transmission of wealth to the subsequent generations then drafting wills to reflect those intentions.

Probate & Deceased Estates

Sensitive family issues often accompany the aftermath of a death. We continually advise on the terms of wills, the application of intestacy rules, prepare for and obtain grants of probate, arrange legal title to the estate assets, valuations, distributions, general administration and final accounts.

Acted for fiduciaries and beneficiaries in deceased estates owning property of significant value, including evidentiary hearings and contested accountings.

Borrowing & Problem Loans

The firm acts for private clients (as well as banks) in finance, bankruptcy and insolvency issues. Our experience in litigation, insolvency and banking ensures that our clients are conscious of what can happen if things go wrong and how to manage any risk.

On behalf of lenders and borrowers, we review security, gather evidence and have conducted and won numerous contested Supreme Court and Federal Court bankruptcy and insolvency proceedings and assisted in asset sales which, in some matters, has resulted in a complete recovery of certain debts together with interest and costs and for defendants successfully resisted such applications

Property Services

Property is a valuable family asset and we bring to bear for private clients enormous experience in conveyancing, leasing, construction and finance.

Represented numerous investors in purchases and sales of real estate.

Business Advisory

The firm also assists owners of closely-held businesses and families with substantial assets link their business issues with their personal asset and estate planning. The firm advises on a broad range of management issues including succession planning, corporate finance, fiduciary duties, director’s liability, restructuring and ongoing management.

Ongoing representation of numerous clients requiring a law firm able to add value in all aspects and phases of their businesses – from structuring and organising their affairs, to assisting in the evaluation of business opportunities, structuring and completing investments and ultimately structuring and implementing exit strategies.

We also commonly serve as outside counsel to their trading companies in connection with commercial matters such as add-on acquisitions and investments, strategic joint ventures and alliances, executive compensation, employment issues, privacy policies, trade practices, intellectual property, litigation and a wide range of other matters.