The Rich and Tax – the pressure is growing around the world

Michael Olesnicky is a senior consultant based in Baker McKenzie's Hong Kong office. He served as the chair of the firm's Asian Tax & Wealth Management practice from 2000 to 2014, and was a member of its Global Tax Steering Committee during that period. Michael's practice focuses on Hong Kong and Asian regional tax advisory work, tax disputes and litigation, as well as wealth management and estate planning.  He is the current chair of STEP's branch in Hong Kong and of its China sub-sub-committee. He is also the chair of the Joint Liaison Committee on Taxation in Hong Kong. He was previously a lecturer in law at Hong Kong University where he remains as an honorary lecturer. Michael has more than 25 years’ experience advising on corporate tax, wealth management, trust planning and estate succession matters.

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.

Edmund is a senior partner heading up the firm’s Tax practice with three decades of experience in advising multinational organisations on cross-border tax planning, transfer pricing and tax disputes. He also advises on international trade issues such as customs, WTO and free-trade agreements. Edmund also leads the firm’s Trust, Estates and Wealth Preservation practice and advises high net worth individuals, private banks and trust companies in personal tax, as well as in trust and estate planning matters. Edmund was invited by the government to serve as a Judicial Commissioner at the Supreme Court and served from 2013 to 2016. On stepping down, he was appointed Senior Counsel in 2017, making him the first and only Tax and Trust lawyer to be given this accolade nationwide. Prior to his appointment to the Singapore judiciary in 2013, Edmund was named a Tier 1 lawyer by The Legal 500 Asia Pacific for Tax in 2012. His views on tax and wealth management were widely sought and publicised in the media, such as Bloomberg, BBC, Channel NewsAsia, Reuters, The Financial Times and The Straits Times. He was also a founding partner of a Singapore law firm that was associated with an international law firm, where he headed up the Tax and Wealth Management practices in Singapore. Edmund is a former President and an honorary member of the Singapore Trustees Association (STA).

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.

Suzanne is a private wealth, trust and UK tax lawyer based in Stephenson Harwood’s Singapore office. She has extensive experience in complex crossjurisdictional trust and estate planning. Suzanne has practiced in Singapore since 2013 working for an international law firm and subsequently, a leading private bank advising both its trust company and wealth planners. She has advised many highprofile families and entrepreneurs throughout Southeast Asia. Suzanne enjoys helping families implement practical and effective succession planning structures harnessing the use of family offices and trust structures. Suzanne is qualified in England & Wales and practiced law in London, training and qualifying at a magic circle law firm before relocating to Singapore. She advises highnet worth individuals, trust companies, family offices, international banks and fiduciary service providers. In advising highnet worth individuals, she understands the importance of family dynamics and the complexities that can arise from family members residing in multiple jurisdictions. She takes a holistic approach to planning for individuals assisting with the set up of family offices, family constitutions, trust structures, wills, lasting powers of attorney and private trust companies. Suzanne has also acted on crossjurisdictional probates in Southeast Asia and provides UK personal tax advice. Her experience at an international private bank has taught her the value of practical, concise and businessoriented advice when acting for institutional clients. She can readily identify the key business drivers and risk considerations in taking instructions. She advises on a wide range of matters for institutional clients, including, pre/post IPO trusts, trustee duties, template trust and contractual documents, employee benefit trusts, life insurance products, regulatory and legal compliance.

Clifford is one of the co-managing partners of Zhong Lun’s Hong Kong office and a leader in the private client industry in Hong Kong. His practice is focused on complex cross-border transactions, investments and private client matters. Having worked with some of Asia’s leading businesses and families for over 20 years, Clifford provides strategic advice on cross-border transactions and investments, tax, regulatory, estate planning, asset preservation, governance. Clifford is noted for providing innovative solutions to complex issues having worked extensively in multi-jurisdiction transactions and handling a broad range of issues including asset protection investment strategies, trust and estate litigation, securities regulatory issues, family estate battles and creditor claims.

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.

Edmund is a senior partner heading up the firm’s Tax practice with three decades of experience in advising multinational organisations on cross-border tax planning, transfer pricing and tax disputes. He also advises on international trade issues such as customs, WTO and free-trade agreements. Edmund also leads the firm’s Trust, Estates and Wealth Preservation practice and advises high net worth individuals, private banks and trust companies in personal tax, as well as in trust and estate planning matters. Edmund was invited by the government to serve as a Judicial Commissioner at the Supreme Court and served from 2013 to 2016. On stepping down, he was appointed Senior Counsel in 2017, making him the first and only Tax and Trust lawyer to be given this accolade nationwide. Prior to his appointment to the Singapore judiciary in 2013, Edmund was named a Tier 1 lawyer by The Legal 500 Asia Pacific for Tax in 2012. His views on tax and wealth management were widely sought and publicised in the media, such as Bloomberg, BBC, Channel NewsAsia, Reuters, The Financial Times and The Straits Times. He was also a founding partner of a Singapore law firm that was associated with an international law firm, where he headed up the Tax and Wealth Management practices in Singapore. Edmund is a former President and an honorary member of the Singapore Trustees Association (STA).

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.

Suzanne is a private wealth, trust and UK tax lawyer based in Stephenson Harwood’s Singapore office. She has extensive experience in complex crossjurisdictional trust and estate planning. Suzanne has practiced in Singapore since 2013 working for an international law firm and subsequently, a leading private bank advising both its trust company and wealth planners. She has advised many highprofile families and entrepreneurs throughout Southeast Asia. Suzanne enjoys helping families implement practical and effective succession planning structures harnessing the use of family offices and trust structures. Suzanne is qualified in England & Wales and practiced law in London, training and qualifying at a magic circle law firm before relocating to Singapore. She advises highnet worth individuals, trust companies, family offices, international banks and fiduciary service providers. In advising highnet worth individuals, she understands the importance of family dynamics and the complexities that can arise from family members residing in multiple jurisdictions. She takes a holistic approach to planning for individuals assisting with the set up of family offices, family constitutions, trust structures, wills, lasting powers of attorney and private trust companies. Suzanne has also acted on crossjurisdictional probates in Southeast Asia and provides UK personal tax advice. Her experience at an international private bank has taught her the value of practical, concise and businessoriented advice when acting for institutional clients. She can readily identify the key business drivers and risk considerations in taking instructions. She advises on a wide range of matters for institutional clients, including, pre/post IPO trusts, trustee duties, template trust and contractual documents, employee benefit trusts, life insurance products, regulatory and legal compliance.

Clifford is one of the co-managing partners of Zhong Lun’s Hong Kong office and a leader in the private client industry in Hong Kong. His practice is focused on complex cross-border transactions, investments and private client matters. Having worked with some of Asia’s leading businesses and families for over 20 years, Clifford provides strategic advice on cross-border transactions and investments, tax, regulatory, estate planning, asset preservation, governance. Clifford is noted for providing innovative solutions to complex issues having worked extensively in multi-jurisdiction transactions and handling a broad range of issues including asset protection investment strategies, trust and estate litigation, securities regulatory issues, family estate battles and creditor claims.

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.