Insights

Estate planning, succession, and legacy structuring are gaining significance throughout Asia, with advancements in wealth management practices and an increasing focus on professionalism and comprehensive solutions.

In this interview with Africa Global Funds Magazine, Shamima Mallam-Hassam, MD of our Mauritius office, discusses our company's commitment to excellence in African fund administration.

In his recent interview with Who's Who Malta magazine, Albert Cilia, Managing Director of our Malta office, tells readers how our commitment to a client-centric approach and a long-term vision have been helping us consistently deliver excellence to our stakeholders.

In the final panel discussion of the 2023 Hubbis Wealth Solutions Forum in Dubai, Dave Lange, General Manager & Senior Executive Officer at Trident Trust, shared invaluable insights into the multi-faceted world of family wealth management.

In this editorial, members of our award-winning fund services team discuss what brought Trident Trust to Africa, and in particular the company's foray into the African private equity market and the changes in the African PE scene over the last decade. They also share their views on the future evolution and innovation of the market.

Effective investor onboarding is crucial for the smooth operation of a fund. Still, fund managers often rely on manual onboarding processes, which are expensive, resource-intensive and time-consuming.

Dave Lange, head of our DIFC office, was pleased to contribute to the latest feature on Saudi Arabia published by PCD Club Magazine. Along with other professionals, he dives into the potential that this nation holds for wealth advisors and investors. 

During his recent interview with Hubbis, Dave Lange, head of our DIFC office, took the opportunity to paint a detailed picture of the Gulf region’s dynamism, its opening to the world of HNW and UHNW wealth, and the great prospects for the private wealth community in the Middle East.

In today's ever-changing investment landscape, fund managers often struggle with the unknown complexity of investor onboarding and satisfying many of the ongoing investor administration tasks and one-off demands, including those related to AML/KYC requirements, investor portal questions, funding of capital events and reporting on fund performance metrics.

In this editorial, Jacqueline Fergusson, head of client services in our Isle of Man office and member of the Chartered Corporate Governance Institute, sheds some light on the pivotal role governance professionals play providing not only administrative and advisory guidance to the board, but also offering essential support in critical times.

Whilst celebrating our win at the 2023 WealthBriefingAsia Awards, our Singapore Managing Director, Sean Coughlan, discusses with the magazine’s editors, the value of our independence for both our clients and staff, and our ambitions and plans for the future in Singapore.

Wealth can be slow to grow and, if you don’t take care of it, quick to shrink. Protecting hard-earned wealth is not always easy: whether family disputes, political change, business challenges, high taxation, or risky investment decisions, there are many factors that can diminish a family’s assets.

In this interview, we speak with Joanne Tofts, who joined Trident Trust Marine Services in October 2022 as Client Services Executive. Joanne tells us how her experience as a former seafarer has been providing unique perspectives on the payroll administration and human resources work she carries out in Marine Services.

In this interview with GOLD Magazine, our Cyprus Managing Director, Andreas Mercouri, tells readers more about his management style and his greatest professional achievements. He also discusses what he learned during his career and the importance of maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

In this article published by Cyprus Yachting Magazine, Christina Economou in our marine services team discusses the development of the yachting industry in Cyprus and shares some insights on the key trends shaping the industry: technology, environment, crew welfare and the increased demand for chartered vessels.

We spoke with Katrina Leung, Director - Trust Services in our Hong Kong office, to understand what factors clients should take into consideration when choosing their trustee and trust administration team.

Company liquidation is a procedure employed when a company is closed down and struck off the register.

In this interview with Hubbis, our DIFC office head, Dave Lange, discusses the opportunities and challenges facing the wealth management industry in the Gulf region and the importance for HNW and UHNW families to have a well thought-out succession plan in place to protect and preserve their wealth for future generations.

Over the last decade, fund administrators have become the default back-office option for an emerging fund manager working in a lean environment. Fund administrators are responsible for a wide range of activities including onboarding investors and complying with jurisdictional AML/KYC requirements, reporting to investors based on current standards, calculating monthly or quarterly NAVs, applying valuation policies, calculating management and performance fees, calling capital, distributing investment proceeds, assisting with the fund’s treasury function, and working with a fund’s auditor and tax preparer through those annual processes.

Following the introduction of the Variable Capital Companies Act 2022 in Mauritius in April 2022, Sarwan Ramphul, Head of Private Equity services in our Mauritius office, provides a quick overview of the main features and characteristics of a Variable Capital Company (VCC).

In the last part of our Hong Kong 30th anniversary interview, members of our Hong Kong trust services team take some time to reflect on what success means to them, and how they work together to achieve it.

The November 24 Hubbis Digital Dialogue focuses on the ‘dos and don’ts’ and the ‘whys and wherefores’ of setting up a family office in key jurisdictions such as Singapore.

With a favourable tax regime, a robust financial services sector and an established reputation as a trusted financial centre, the Cayman Islands are well positioned to support the growth of the global cryptocurrency industry, and the Cayman Islands regulators have worked hard to keep up with the changing landscape in digital assets.

In this interview with Hubbis, our DIFC office head, Dave Lange, discusses the key features of a DIFC Foundation and how it compares with a trust or will. He also shares some insights on the latest succession planning and structuring trends for Middle East families.

With more organisations appointing independent security trustees for their debt listings, Albert Cilia, Managing Director of our Malta office, provides a quick overview of the role of the security trustee, why one is appointed and what the trustee will do in practice.

Panamá tiene un gobierno estable y una economía bien desarrollada. El programa de visas de inversionistas del gobierno es una oportunidad para que las personas de alto poder adquisitivo y los inversionistas globales inviertan en el desarrollo de la nación tropical mientras adquieren el estatus de residencia en un país de belleza natural.

Ver el amanecer sobre el Pacífico mientras saborea uno de los mejores cafés del mundo o admirar la puesta de sol en el Mar Caribe mientras disfruta de una deliciosa piña colada en la playa, todo esto en un clima estable de 24 grados centígrados, son solo algunas de las razones por las que Panamá es un destino de retiro tan popular.

Con la visa de Naciones Amigas, Panamá abre sus puertas a profesionales y empresarios de aquellos países que mantienen relaciones amistosas, profesionales, económicas y de inversión con Panamá. Docenas de países están en la lista, incluidos EE. UU., Canadá y gran parte de Europa y América del Sur.

Watching the sunrise over the Pacific whilst sipping some of the best coffee in the world or, admiring the sun set into the Caribbean Sea whilst enjoying a delicious piña colada on the beach - all of this at a stable 24 degrees Celsius weather - are just some of the reasons why Panama is such a popular retirement destination.

With the Friendly Nations visa, Panama opens its doors to professionals and entrepreneurs from those countries that maintain friendly, professional, economic, and investment relationships with Panama. Dozens of countries are on the list, including the US, Canada, and much of Europe and South America.

In this second part of our Hong Kong 30th anniversary interview, members of our Hong Kong trust team discuss what they value most at Trident Trust and which characteristics have contributed to the company’s success.

In this interview on the occasion of Trident Trust Hong Kong’s 30th Anniversary, our Hong Kong MD, Mark O’Sullivan, discusses what makes the company stand out from its competitors, and the challenges and the opportunities that have helped the company grow.

In this article, Laura Kreckeler, Director of Operations in our marine services team, drills down into one of the challenges which is crucial to the enjoyment of your floating asset: compliant crewing.

Cyprus’s warm climate, high quality of life, good schools and housing stock, entrepreneurial environment and range of tax incentives have long made it a popular destination for business executives, entrepreneurs, remote workers, investors and retirees looking to relocate.

Intellectual Property (IP) protection is not always high on the list of priorities for start-up founders immersed in the day-to-day struggle to turn an inspired idea into a successful business.

In this interview, our European head of business development for fund services, Karine Seguin, discusses the race between regulation and innovation in digital assets with Dan Smith, our head of US fund services, and Tony Carr, our head of Asia fund services. The article was originally published by WealthBriefingAsia, one of Asia's leading online publication for wealth managers and private bankers.

In this insight, Jonathan Harris-Lowe and Josianne Avedis from our specialist marine services team speak to Superyachts.com about what has made Trident Trust a success and what the maritime industry can expect from yacht enthusiasts of today, and tomorrow.

In this first part of his interview with Hubbis, our Managing Director for Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa, Markus Grossmann, shares some insights on the key market trends that he sees playing out in APAC and zooms into the Indian market and its potential.

Increasing numbers of internationally mobile entrepreneurs and knowledge workers are relocating to Panama, drawn by its political stability, high growth economy, and strategic location with excellent connectivity to Central, South and North American markets.

In this interview with Gold Magazine, our Cyprus General Manager, Andreas Mercouri, talks about the post pandemic financial services landscape, digital transformation and the future of this key industry in Cyprus.

In this interview published in the Mauritius Star, our Mauritius Managing Director, Shamima Mallam-Hassam, explains how Mauritius' removal from the European Commission's List of High Risk Third Countries on 13 March 2022 will breathe new life into the financial services sector and discusses the attributes which will help enhance investors’ confidence.

In this 11-minute explainer video, we provide useful insights about how to choose the right setup for your business in Singapore, how to incorporate and maintain a Singapore Company and how we can assist you through the whole lifecycle of your business venture.

In this 13-minute explainer video, we provide an overview of the basic features of a trust, and highlight some of its benefits and uses based on a case study. We also touch on why Singapore is a sought-after jurisdiction in terms of trust location and professional trust services.

Panama has a stable government and well-developed economy. The government’s investor visa program is an opportunity for high-net-worth individuals and global investors to invest in the tropical nation’s development while acquiring residence status in a naturally beautiful country.

In this editorial published by Asian wealth management publisher Hubbis, our Singapore BD Director, Hannah Bisson, discusses non-charitable purpose trusts, their general application and uses, and how Singapore is considering adding them to the jurisdiction's toolkit.

The Loan Agent is often viewed as performing a purely mechanical role in providing Facility and Security Agency services. However, with evolving regulations and market expectations making Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) criteria very much part of lending transactions and reporting of performance against ESG covenants becoming a more prevalent requirement, Loan Agents are now being asked to step up and play their part.

In this interview, our European Regional Managing Director, Mark Le Tissier, and our Malta Managing Director, Albert Cilia, discuss with Dayna Camilleri Clarke from Malta Commercial Courier the secrets of their success, overcoming challenges and paving the way forward for the industry.

In this interview, our European head of business development for fund services, Karine Seguin, discusses with Dan Smith, our head of US fund services, and Aaron Sammut, our director of fund services in Malta, the importance of technology in the administration of crypto funds and how human judgement and collaboration with reputable providers remain key in such a dynamic space.

In this insight, our Cyprus BD Director, Christina Economou, offers some insights into the 2021 yachting market and explains why many non-EU vessels are now choosing Eastern Mediterranean locations over more traditional yachting hotspots of the Western Mediterranean.

When Malta launched its Notified Alternative Investment Fund (NAIF) regulatory regime in 2016 it was among the first EU Member States to adopt such a framework. Since then, the NAIF has become popular among alternative investment managers seeking to launch funds for EU investors.

Increasing numbers of alternative investment fund managers are appointing third party fund administrators to support their funds.

In this interview with Hedgeweek, our Head of US fund services, Dan Smith, tells readers how Trident Trust's journey in the crypto world began, and how both the crypto space and Trident's offering evolved to meet fast-changing client and industry requirements.

Securitisation remains a popular course of action for many asset owners worldwide. This note provides an insight on a popular jurisdiction for securitisation structures.

Hosted by Hedgeweek and Institutional Asset Manager on 10 June, the DigitalAssetsLIVE Summit gave speakers and attendees the opportunity to discuss the key developments and trends driving the growth of institutional investment in digital assets.

WhosWho.mt caught up with our Malta Managing Director, Albert Cilia, to pick his brains on the effect of COVID, Brexit and Moneyval on this important sector, and why he believes the company is in pole position to grow despite the challenges.

The Guernsey Financial Services Commission (“GFSC”) has announced amendments to the Private Investment Fund (“PIF”) Rules which provide two new “paths” to allow PIFs to be formed without having a Guernsey licensed fund manager. This will be of particular interest to family offices and promoters who market funds to qualifying investors.

Our Singapore Managing Director, Sean Coughlan, provides an interesting insight into the evolution of family offices in Asia. The article was originally published by Finews, one of Asia's leading news sites for professionals in the financial sector.

In the modern world, intellectual property (IP) can be one of the most valuable assets of any organisation. Choosing the right jurisdiction to hold and develop IP is a key strategic decision for any company. It is essential that the chosen location is one that can serve the organisation’s business model, safeguard its IP and also optimise IP management in a tax efficient manner.

As legendary investor Warren Buffett once said: “Only when the tide goes out do you discover who’s been swimming naked.” In today’s unpredictable world, planning ahead to safeguard our assets for our loved ones is more important than ever. Answering some simple questions is a good place to begin.

Fresh from the 2021 Palm Beach Boat Show, our Marine Services experts share what they learned about the year ahead for the yachting industry.

As part of its "Cyprus 4.0" series, profiling senior members of the most innovative companies in Cyprus, the Cyprus Mail newspaper recently interviewed Michael Constantinides, our Director of Client Services in Cyprus, who took the opportunity to set out why Cyprus is an ideal location for international portfolio management in the digital era.

Hannah Bisson, Director in our Singapore team, shares an insightful article on what a trustee is expected to deliver, as well as how a settlor can play a crucial role in forming a robust structure and successful long-term relationship with their trustee. The article was originally published by Hubbis, a leading online community for wealth management professionals in Asia.

George Bryan-Orr, Managing Director of our office in Jersey, shared with Jersey's First for Finance magazine his views about the challenges brought by the pandemic, recent developments in Trident Trust’s long-standing Jersey operation and some of the benefits that the jurisdiction provides.

The alternative investments industry in Asia is no stranger to global shocks. It grew rapidly after the 2003 SARS epidemic and roared back following the 2008-9 financial crisis.

Two of our Africa market experts speak about trends in fund domiciliation and key market developments in the latest African Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (AVCA) member bulletin.

O desenvolvimento de equipes locais fortes e estruturadas que oferecem aos nossos clientes os benefícios da sua experiência e continuidade com nossos serviços e relacionamento tem sido um pilar fundamental do nosso negócio há mais de 40 anos. Nick Bishop, diretor executivo regional do Caribe e chefe do nosso consagrado escritório de BVI, descreve sua visão sobre o que torna nosso escritório em BVI diferente.

Developing strong and stable local teams who can offer our clients the benefits of their experience and continuity of relationship and service has been a key pillar of our business for more than 40 years. Nick Bishop, Regional Managing Director for our Caribbean Region and head of our long-standing BVI office, outlines what he thinks makes our BVI office different.

Bem-vindo à nossa série Finanças em Foco, onde membros de nossa equipe global abordam questões relevantes para os clientes do mercado financeiro de todo o mundo. Aqui, Nick Bishop, Diretor Executivo Regional do Caribe e chefe do nosso consagrado escritório de BVI, defende o contato pessoal.

Welcome to our Finance in Focus series, where members of our global team take on the issues that matter to clients in the global financial services industry. Here, Nick Bishop, Regional Managing Director for our Caribbean Region and head of our long-standing BVI office, makes the case for face-to-face contact.

Em nossa nova série de blogs Visão Legal, nossa Diretora Jurídica de BVI, Shelly Bend, explora os problemas e regulamentações que mais importam para nossos clientes, explicando as oportunidades e dificuldades bem como dando uma opinião especializada.

In our new series of Legal Eye blogs, our BVI Legal Director Shelly Bend explores the issues and regulations that matter most to our clients, explaining the opportunities and pitfalls, as well as giving an expert opinion.

Recent statistics issued by the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) show that over 10% of funds domiciled in Malta are Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) recorded in the list of notified AIFs or “NAIFs”.

Malta has recently introduced fiscal unity rules which enable tax groups to be formed for Maltese income tax purposes. This follows the issuance of the Consolidated Group (Income Tax) Rules (L.N. 110 of 2019).

Cell companies, which enable the segregation of different pools of assets and liabilities within a single entity, have been a great success since they were incorporated into Maltese law.

In an interview with Gold Magazine, Andreas Mercouri of our 80-strong Cyprus office talks about how the merger of our two businesses in Cyprus is helping us meet the evolving needs of our clients.

COVID-19 has required trust practitioners to rethink. Not only do key procedures need re-examining, but how investments are allocated and managed may also need reviewing.

Markus Grossmann and Sean Coughlan of our Asia region management team talk to Hubbis about our Singapore office’s journey to a multi-award winning 55-strong team and its next exciting chapter.

Cristiane de Matos of our long-standing BVI office outlines the key points behind the BVI's popularity as a jurisdiction for the establishment of trusts for asset protection and succession planning purposes, and how they can help high net worth families and entrepreneurs to plan for the future and guard against uncertainty.

Christina Economou in our Cyprus office shares with Gold Magazine how the jurisdiction is well on the way to becoming a major fund management industry player in Europe and why increasing numbers of forward-thinking family offices and fund managers are moving their operations to Cyprus.

The Maltese fund industry continues to grow, with assets under administration having increased by 50% since the end of 2017 and now standing at €15.2bn ($16.7bn), according to the most recent statistics issued by the Malta Financial Services Authority.

In the 2019/2020 edition of Jersey's First for Finance magazine, George Bryan-Orr, Managing Director of Trident Trust in Jersey, outlines how Jersey is responding to international regulatory initiatives, whilst providing an intelligent environment in which to do business and remaining true to its core principles of cooperation, transparency and commitment to preventing financial crime and tax abuse.

We are pleased to share a detailed and insightful analysis of the prospects for the regional real estate market in South East Europe, provided by expert guest contributors, David Allen and Tim Norman of Chayton Capital and Anjelika Klamp of CITE Investments, who argue that the region has outgrown legacy perceptions and is on the threshold of a significant increase in investment from international institutions.

Family offices of all shapes and sizes may benefit from the formation of a fund structure as the means through which to hold and manage their wealth. At Trident Trust our global team has worked with a wide range of family offices, from very large multi and single family offices through to small families. In this article we consider why a family office might select various “fund-like” structures.

Private Trust Companies (PTCs) are professionally structured, transparently managed vehicles that are well-suited for holding family wealth, avoiding family conflicts and addressing succession needs. Christiaan de Bruyn, Director of Trust Services at Trident Trust in Hong Kong, spoke about the benefits of PTCs at the 2019 Hubbis Asian Wealth Management Forum in Hong Kong. Download the summary of Christiaan's presentation, which provides a practical guide to PTCs, by clicking on the link below.

International eyes are on London as the UK government seeks to find a path forward on Brexit. Meanwhile, life goes on in the asset management industry, and against a backdrop of uncertainty fund managers still have to decide where they wish to establish their operations and where to form their investment funds. Leaders of our European funds team have worked together to provide a brief comparative overview of each of the European jurisdictions in which we are licensed to form and administer investment funds, three in the EU (Cyprus, Luxembourg and Malta) and one outside it (Guernsey).

This is the first in a new series of brief updates for our clients and contacts with an interest in the capital markets. In this issue we focus on The International Stock Exchange (TISE).

As the Managing Director of our Barbados office, Gayle Hutchinson has witnessed the growing interest of Venezuelan investors in the opportunities that Barbados presents. In this article, she will shed light on the compelling benefits that make Barbados an attractive destination for Venezuelan entrepreneurs seeking a secure and prosperous environment to establish and grow their ventures.

Originally designed for use in the captive insurance sector, the protected cell company has established itself as a go-to-solution for a wide range of fund structuring in the 20 years since its creation, writes Joe Truelove of Trident Trust on behalf of the Guernsey Investment Fund Association.

Florida is one of the most exciting stories on the U.S. venture capital scene right now, with the state being the third fastest growing startup state overall and Miami the number one fastest growing U.S. metro area for new startups. And yet Florida still receives less than 1% of global venture capital dollars. Why? And what will change this?

Thalius Hecksher, Global Director of fund services at Trident Trust, discusses the drivers behind the trend for bigger funds and fewer start-ups, and why Cayman remains the largest and most popular offshore fund domicile.

Cayman Funds Magazine recently invited senior executives from the private sector and the Cayman government to its flagship annual roundtable discussion, looking at the health of the Cayman funds industry and its future. Industry veteran and MD of the Trident Fund Services office in Cayman, Rick Gorter, was a key member of the discussion panel. Topics that were the subject of lively debate include: the current status of the Cayman funds industry, the impact of major global regulatory changes such as FATCA and CRS, Cayman’s new LLC regime, a proposed public Register of Directors in Cayman and how the Cayman Islands will remain a world-class jurisdiction for investment funds in this rapidly changing environment.

African private equity has finally arrived after so many years of promise. This was the consensus around the table when Trident Trust sat down with three of the continent’s leading mid-market general partners.

Warren Luyt, Managing Director of our office in Dubai, this month shared with Gold Magazine in Cyprus his views on Dubai's rising popularity: UAE structures are being used increasingly frequently by international businesses, high net worth families and their professional advisors as an alternative to longer established jurisdictions. Download the interview by clicking on the image below.