How the Cook Islands International Relationship Property Trust can protect and preserve wealth for future generations

Tine Ponia is the Managing Director for Asiaciti Trust Pacific Limited and is a full member of STEP. Tine graduated from Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand as top commercial law student and is a Barrister and Solicitor of the High Courts of the Cook Islands and New Zealand. She has over 20 years post admission experience holding Legal/General Counsel roles in various firms. Prior to joining Asiaciti Trust in April 2013, Tine was an Associate at a specialist New Zealand commercial law firm and had significant experience in the Cook Islands offshore trust industry.

Rebecca Puni is the Client Services Director for Asiaciti Trust Pacific Limited. She is admitted to practice law in New Zealand, the Cook Islands and Samoa. Rebecca has over 20 years post admission experience as a commercial, corporate and trusts lawyer. In 2012, She completed a masters degree in law with honours at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. Her major research focused on the role of trust protectors and was subsequently published in the Oxford Journal of Trusts & Trustees.

Cally Ching, who joined Asiaciti Trust in early 2016, commenced her
professional career as a tax professional with a Big 4 accounting firm in
Hong Kong. Subsequently Cally worked for 18 years with two international
trust companies assisting both private and corporate clients to structure
family trusts, corporate trusts, and corporations for inbound/outbound
investments between Hong Kong and China. From 2007 to 2010, Cally was
based in Shanghai and was responsible for developing and managing BPO
services and international trust services in the China market. Cally is an
Australian CPA, a Certified Tax Adviser in Hong Kong, and a member of the
Taxation Institute of Hong Kong.
 

Marcus advises clients on all aspects of family law. He is Chair of the International Bar Association, Family Law Committee and a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers. He uniquely advises on Hong Kong, as well as English law, from London. Marcus is recognised as a leading trusts and divorce litigation practitioner in Hong Kong and London, advising HNW and UHNW clients in Legal Week’s Private Client Global Elite directory: the directory is entirely reliant on peer nominations. Marcus continues to be heavily involved advising in Hong Kong UHNW family law cases, which includes advising UHNW families with a substantial connection to Hong Kong who are based in South East Asia and around the world. Marcus has acted in all the key leading family law cases in Hong Kong in the last 12 years, including acting for Florence Tsang in Hong Kong’s biggest ever divorce case, and for the trustee, HSBC International (Jersey) Limited, in the landmark Court of Final Appeal case of Otto Poon. He also acted for the successful American husband (JEK) residing in New Jersey USA in the Hong Kong High Court classic forum-shopping case of LCYP v JEK [2019] HKCFI 1588. This is the leading prenuptial agreement case in Hong Kong. In London he currently represents Sir Frederick Barclay: in a case involving highly complex offshore trust arrangements which has garnered considerable worldwide press attention including in the Financial Times, Sir Jonathan Cohen, in his judgment of 28 July 2022, dismissed the substantive Judgment Summons brought by Lady Hiroko Barclay against her former husband, Sir Frederick, for non-payment of £50m (the first instalment of a total award of £100m): Barclay v Barclay [2022] EWHC 2026 (Fam). Over the past 4 years he has advised the trustees in the largest divorce and trust case to go through the courts in Hong Kong in that period. The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2021 reported that Marcus’ “asset protection team has quickly become recognised in the market for its prowess at handling complex, high-profile matrimonial cases for high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients. Recognised as 'one of the pre-eminent practitioners of family law in Hong Kong', Marcus Dearle leads the team by example and has a 'unique expertise in the really big cases, which stems from his having worked in London for many years doing such cases’, including in relation to a recent precedent-setting pre-nuptial matter. ‘When it comes to international trusts and family law cases, Marcus Dearle is in a class of his own. He regularly represents not only spouses in divorce and trust cases, but also offshore trustees’.”

Tine Ponia is the Managing Director for Asiaciti Trust Pacific Limited and is a full member of STEP. Tine graduated from Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand as top commercial law student and is a Barrister and Solicitor of the High Courts of the Cook Islands and New Zealand. She has over 20 years post admission experience holding Legal/General Counsel roles in various firms. Prior to joining Asiaciti Trust in April 2013, Tine was an Associate at a specialist New Zealand commercial law firm and had significant experience in the Cook Islands offshore trust industry.

Rebecca Puni is the Client Services Director for Asiaciti Trust Pacific Limited. She is admitted to practice law in New Zealand, the Cook Islands and Samoa. Rebecca has over 20 years post admission experience as a commercial, corporate and trusts lawyer. In 2012, She completed a masters degree in law with honours at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. Her major research focused on the role of trust protectors and was subsequently published in the Oxford Journal of Trusts & Trustees.

Marcus advises clients on all aspects of family law. He is Chair of the International Bar Association, Family Law Committee and a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers. He uniquely advises on Hong Kong, as well as English law, from London. Marcus is recognised as a leading trusts and divorce litigation practitioner in Hong Kong and London, advising HNW and UHNW clients in Legal Week’s Private Client Global Elite directory: the directory is entirely reliant on peer nominations. Marcus continues to be heavily involved advising in Hong Kong UHNW family law cases, which includes advising UHNW families with a substantial connection to Hong Kong who are based in South East Asia and around the world. Marcus has acted in all the key leading family law cases in Hong Kong in the last 12 years, including acting for Florence Tsang in Hong Kong’s biggest ever divorce case, and for the trustee, HSBC International (Jersey) Limited, in the landmark Court of Final Appeal case of Otto Poon. He also acted for the successful American husband (JEK) residing in New Jersey USA in the Hong Kong High Court classic forum-shopping case of LCYP v JEK [2019] HKCFI 1588. This is the leading prenuptial agreement case in Hong Kong. In London he currently represents Sir Frederick Barclay: in a case involving highly complex offshore trust arrangements which has garnered considerable worldwide press attention including in the Financial Times, Sir Jonathan Cohen, in his judgment of 28 July 2022, dismissed the substantive Judgment Summons brought by Lady Hiroko Barclay against her former husband, Sir Frederick, for non-payment of £50m (the first instalment of a total award of £100m): Barclay v Barclay [2022] EWHC 2026 (Fam). Over the past 4 years he has advised the trustees in the largest divorce and trust case to go through the courts in Hong Kong in that period. The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2021 reported that Marcus’ “asset protection team has quickly become recognised in the market for its prowess at handling complex, high-profile matrimonial cases for high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients. Recognised as 'one of the pre-eminent practitioners of family law in Hong Kong', Marcus Dearle leads the team by example and has a 'unique expertise in the really big cases, which stems from his having worked in London for many years doing such cases’, including in relation to a recent precedent-setting pre-nuptial matter. ‘When it comes to international trusts and family law cases, Marcus Dearle is in a class of his own. He regularly represents not only spouses in divorce and trust cases, but also offshore trustees’.”

Cally Ching, who joined Asiaciti Trust in early 2016, commenced her
professional career as a tax professional with a Big 4 accounting firm in
Hong Kong. Subsequently Cally worked for 18 years with two international
trust companies assisting both private and corporate clients to structure
family trusts, corporate trusts, and corporations for inbound/outbound
investments between Hong Kong and China. From 2007 to 2010, Cally was
based in Shanghai and was responsible for developing and managing BPO
services and international trust services in the China market. Cally is an
Australian CPA, a Certified Tax Adviser in Hong Kong, and a member of the
Taxation Institute of Hong Kong.
 

Michael is a prominent figure in the financial services industry in Asia. He is the founder and CEO of Hubbis, a renowned provider of intelligence and connectivity for the Asian wealth management industry. With a depth of experience and expertise, he has played a pivotal role in shaping the industry for over 30 years, becoming a leading industry presence in the events, professional development, and publishing space in the region. Hubbis is a multi-generational family-owned and managed business.

He has been actively involved in the Asia-Pacific region since 1993. And has lived in Asia since 1995, holding positions in Hong Kong, Sydney, and Singapore. 

For over 14-years, Hubbis has established itself as the gold standard media and events brand in wealth management thought leadership in Asia. Each year providing a very large body of cutting-edge editorial and sponsored content, organizing top-flight events.

During that time Hubbis has become the platform of choice for many high-profile C-suite leaders to communicate their vision of the Asian wealth management.

Before his involvement with Hubbis, Michael founded Pacific Prospect in 2002, a financial services media company. Under his leadership, the company achieved significant success and was subsequently acquired by global business-to-business publisher Incisive Media in 2006. Michael continued to serve as the CEO of Pacific Prospect until October 2008.

Prior to his entrepreneurial ventures, Michael garnered 5 years of experience in financial markets publishing. His career in this field began in 1993 when he joined Euromoney Publications as the publisher of the quarterly magazine, International Bond Investor. In 1995, Michael joined Thomson Financial Services (now owned by LSEG) and spearheaded the conception and launch of Finance Asia magazine. During his tenure as Managing Director of Finance Asia, he also initiated the Asian Debt Review, Asian Private Capital Magazine, and the Finance Asia Conference Business. In 1997, he founded FIA Limited, further expanding his contributions to the financial publishing industry.

Born in North Wales, Michael served as the head boy of St David's College Llandudno. He holds a degree in Business Administration from Cardiff University. Beyond his professional endeavours, Michael is a family-oriented individual and is happily married with three children: Reanna, Garett, and Tarryn.