Юридическая фирма VERBA LEGAL

All practices

Private Clients

About Practice

VERBA LEGAL provides comprehensive legal and tax support to high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs and UHNWIs), business owners, private investors and senior executives, as well as single- and multi-family offices, leading private banking institutions and investment funds.

The practice’s core expertise includes asset ownership structuring, wealth protection and succession, personal tax position management, international structures, currency regulation, family governance and cross-border estate planning. We advise clients at every stage of wealth management — from selecting jurisdictions and establishing holding, investment and family structures to their ongoing legal, tax and accounting support.

The team has extensive experience advising on complex international structures and assets across multiple jurisdictions. We assist clients with tax residency, disclosure of foreign assets, controlled foreign company rules, the application of double taxation treaties and compliance with currency control requirements. A dedicated area of expertise includes the establishment and ongoing administration of personal foundations, as well as the development of family governance, succession and intergenerational business transfer arrangements.

The practice also represents clients in complex tax and other disputes involving cross-border elements. A particular focus is asset unblocking and the restructuring of frozen wealth, including assets subject to sanctions and regulatory restrictions. We develop legal solutions aimed at releasing liquidity, restoring access to assets and preserving control over businesses amid geopolitical uncertainty.

By combining extensive international tax consulting experience, in-depth legal expertise and a well-established network of international partners, VERBA LEGAL is able to handle projects of any complexity across a broad range of regions — from developed markets and the CIS to Africa, Latin America, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

Services

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Establishment of personal foundations, asset ownership structuring, tax support, currency regulation and advice on foreign jurisdictions

Development of succession strategies, family governance, wealth protection and intergenerational transfer of capital

Unblocking of assets in foreign jurisdictions, including the EU, the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada, as well as subsequent implementation and restructuring support

Advice on sanctions law, including assistance with applications for the removal of clients from sanctions lists in key jurisdictions, including the OFAC, EU and UK sanctions regimes

Support for cross-border transactions involving luxury assets, including yachts, aircraft and vehicles, as well as works of art and collectibles

A full range of international tax planning services, including tax optimisation and the structuring of dividend, royalty and other payments

Acquisition and financing of residential and commercial real estate abroad

Advice on special situations requiring integrated solutions in highly complex or crisis-driven circumstances

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Dispute resolution

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Family and inheritance law, ranging from complex real estate transactions and prenuptial agreements to representation in sophisticated cross-border disputes

Selected Experience

We advised:

a Swiss national on structuring investments in tourism infrastructure assets in a sanctions environment;

a private client on the establishment of an investment fund with an aggregate transaction value of USD 200 million;

on the establishment of a private investment fund and obtaining an asset management licence from the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission, with an aggregate transaction value of USD 80 million;

one of the spouses, an individual ranked among the top 10 on the Forbes list, in a major corporate dispute involving the division of marital assets worth more than USD 12.6 billion;

members of the family of a prominent Russian entrepreneur on the establishment of a personal foundation as an innovative instrument for succession, family and business planning;

a Russian senior executive of a major metals holding company on a comprehensive international asset structuring project in the context of sanctions restrictions;

an international entrepreneur and investor in the telecommunications sector on the comprehensive restructuring of his investments and the establishment of an efficient holding structure for the direct ownership of assets;

a member of the family of a private investor with a substantial international asset portfolio on a comprehensive project involving the protection, unfreezing and structuring of foreign assets subject to stringent sanctions restrictions;

a Russian entrepreneur on the successful unfreezing and transfer of financial assets blocked under sanctions, including Eurobonds, through direct engagement with key regulators—the Belgian Ministry of Finance and the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC);

private clients on obtaining individual licences from the Belgian Ministry of Finance for the unfreezing of assets. We have successfully handled more than 50 licensing matters, over 10 of which resulted in the actual release and transfer or payment of the relevant assets.

Asset Ownership Structuring and Personal Tax Position Management

We advised:

the owner of a diversified business comprising more than 130 legal entities and several investment funds on developing a target ownership and governance structure for family assets, with a view to protecting assets, enhancing tax efficiency and ensuring succession;

the owner of a substantial asset portfolio, including a Russian business and foreign investments, on developing a personal tax strategy and a framework for managing their tax position;

a client on preparing an exit strategy for a major asset, including an analysis of a potential change of tax residence and the selection of the optimal jurisdiction in light of the relevant tax implications;

the beneficiary of a foreign trust on its winding-up, including the transfer back of real estate in Cyprus, venture investments and an interest in a foreign company;

a major media and advertising holding company on Russian tax and currency control matters in connection with the restructuring of its ownership structure involving Russian and foreign shareholders;

the heir to a substantial fortune on structuring the ownership of assets subject to sanctions restrictions in order to enhance confidentiality and ensure compliance with European banking requirements.

Who will be working with you

Our team