The ins and outs of Will writing

Richard Grasby is an experienced trusts, funds, family office and private wealth lawyer. He has experience in multiple jurisdictions and has been admitted as a lawyer in England & Wales, the Cayman Islands and the BVI. Richard has expertise in the establishment and administration of offshore entities including trusts, companies and investment funds. He has significant experience in compliance, governance and account opening. Richard also has considerable involvement in private trust companies, family constitutions and succession planning. He has worked with clients and advisers in numerous jurisdictions. Richard lived and worked in Asia for over 12 years. Prior to that, he was based in the Cayman Islands. He has also worked in Jersey and London. Richard is the immediate past chair of the STEP Hong Kong branch, a committee member of the STEP Business Families Global Special Interest Group and a committee member of the STEP International Client Global Special Interest Group. He is a member of the Hong Kong Trustees Association and a lecturer on their Trust Training Certificate course. He is an elected member of the International Academy of Estate and Trust Law.

Mark Smallwood TEP is based in the UK from where he advises predominantly Asian UHNW families on the structuring and ongoing administration and management of their estate and succession plan, family office, investment process and governance. He sits on the Business Advisory Council of a successful privately held business spanning multiple jurisdictions. After nearly 35 years in financial services across the global, including the UK, Caribbean, Switzerland, Hong Kong and Singapore and having held senior positions in one of the leading global private banks, Mark has unique insights and brings an independent, unconflicted view which enables UHNW families to objectively evaluate their decision making process.

John Shoemaker is Senior Counsel with Butler Snow in their Singapore office. John has more than 30 years’ experience in tax, legal & regulatory compliance, and is a common law lawyer with educational emphasis on taxation, trusts & estate planning. He also has extensive experience in ensuring multi-jurisdictional compliance for fiduciary product offerings (working with multijurisdictional outside counsel & adapting products for sale in relevant jurisdictions), including product management skills to direct complex products from concept to fully operational status.

Zac has experience in all areas of international private client law including cross border tax, trust, estate, family, divorce and succession laws. Zac also has extensive experience advising in relation business family and family office governance and succession planning, and international private client regulatory laws, including the Common Reporting Standard, Mandatory Disclosure Rules, Economic Substance Rules and Beneficial Ownership Registers.

Tim is a partner in the private client and tax team. He advises high net worth individuals and families in relation to succession planning, particularly those with complex international affairs. Tim’s expertise includes advising entrepreneurs in relation to the structuring of their businesses, considering issues including business continuity, succession, investment treaty planning and remuneration strategies; advising families in relation to the protection of their wealth, using trusts, foundations, partnerships, companies and funds; assisting with the establishment and operation of family of'ces; de'ning sophisticated strategies for individuals moving between jurisdictions; and advising in relation to multi-jurisdictional estate planning with single or multiple wills. He is recognised as a Leading Individual in Legal 500 2020 and described as ‘one of the go to persons for advice in Asia’ and ‘the 'rst choice for ultrahigh-net-worth individuals with a truly global asset base.’ He was previously named Citywealth’s Wealth Professional of the Year and appeared in Tax Journal’s 40 under 40

John Shoemaker is Senior Counsel with Butler Snow in their Singapore office. John has more than 30 years’ experience in tax, legal & regulatory compliance, and is a common law lawyer with educational emphasis on taxation, trusts & estate planning. He also has extensive experience in ensuring multi-jurisdictional compliance for fiduciary product offerings (working with multijurisdictional outside counsel & adapting products for sale in relevant jurisdictions), including product management skills to direct complex products from concept to fully operational status.

Zac has experience in all areas of international private client law including cross border tax, trust, estate, family, divorce and succession laws. Zac also has extensive experience advising in relation business family and family office governance and succession planning, and international private client regulatory laws, including the Common Reporting Standard, Mandatory Disclosure Rules, Economic Substance Rules and Beneficial Ownership Registers.

Mark Smallwood TEP is based in the UK from where he advises predominantly Asian UHNW families on the structuring and ongoing administration and management of their estate and succession plan, family office, investment process and governance. He sits on the Business Advisory Council of a successful privately held business spanning multiple jurisdictions. After nearly 35 years in financial services across the global, including the UK, Caribbean, Switzerland, Hong Kong and Singapore and having held senior positions in one of the leading global private banks, Mark has unique insights and brings an independent, unconflicted view which enables UHNW families to objectively evaluate their decision making process.

Tim is a partner in the private client and tax team. He advises high net worth individuals and families in relation to succession planning, particularly those with complex international affairs. Tim’s expertise includes advising entrepreneurs in relation to the structuring of their businesses, considering issues including business continuity, succession, investment treaty planning and remuneration strategies; advising families in relation to the protection of their wealth, using trusts, foundations, partnerships, companies and funds; assisting with the establishment and operation of family of'ces; de'ning sophisticated strategies for individuals moving between jurisdictions; and advising in relation to multi-jurisdictional estate planning with single or multiple wills. He is recognised as a Leading Individual in Legal 500 2020 and described as ‘one of the go to persons for advice in Asia’ and ‘the 'rst choice for ultrahigh-net-worth individuals with a truly global asset base.’ He was previously named Citywealth’s Wealth Professional of the Year and appeared in Tax Journal’s 40 under 40

Michael has an extensive background in financial services in Asia, Europe and North America. He has been in Asia-Pacific since 1995 – first in Hong Kong for six years, then in Sydney and Singapore, returning to Hong Kong in 2007. Before setting up Hubbis in early 2009, Michael founded Pacific Prospect in 2002 and sold it to global business-to-business publisher Incisive Media in 2006, continuing to serve as Chief Executive Officer until October 2008. Prior to Pacific Prospect, Michael worked for nine years in financial markets publishing. He joined Euromoney Publications in 1993 as the publisher of a quarterly magazine, International Bond Investor. In 1995, Michael joined Thomson Financial Services (now Thomson Reuters) to conceive and launch Finance Asia magazine. While he was Managing Director of Finance Asia, Michael also started the Asian Debt Review, Asian Private Capital Magazine and started the Finance Asia Conference Business. In 1997, Michael founded FIA Limited. Born in North Wales, Michael was head boy of St David’s College Llandudno. He has a degree in Business Administration from Cardiff University. And is married with three children - Reanna, Garett and Tarryn.