Ian Cain – Strategic Advisory LLP

A strategic advisory business combining 16 years of ‘blue chip’ tax, legal, corporate finance and investment expertise with international business structuring experience under a single service. Our service is intended to:

- review or project manage the family’s existing structure or professional advisory team

- assist clients with the selection and monitoring of their advisors in the UK or internationally

- support clients' ongoing business, family office or general strategic plans as trustee, director or stakeholder  

We act for entrepreneurs, wealthy families and family offices – some well established and others at formation stage - in the formulation and execution of strategic plans, principally addressing the following: commercial objectives, legal and tax structuring, family/ business succession planning and potential dispute resolution.   

Our aim is to provide clients with holistic advice, commercial insight and point them towards the best strategic options - dovetailing business consultancy, legal, tax and investment issues within a wider professional team.    

Our business is independent, focused on delivering the best end result for clients through effective teamwork with inhouse and external advisers - securing, first, a clear understanding of the wider objectives and optimum ‘top down’  tax, legal and governance strategy and then appointing/ shadowing specialist advisers, offshore administrators etc with the implementation and delivery of ongoing services.  Our role may encompass complex project management and co-ordination between advisers or family members across jurisdictions.    

The ‘strategic advisory’ approach provides families with an understanding of the interaction between relevant  (sometimes competing) interests (technical legal, investment, offshore/onshore etc issues) which, together, present complex structuring challenges. Seeking to reconcile seemingly diverse family needs effectively through trust, company, partnership or investment fund arrangements is a common problem facing family offices. Families who plan for the future have a 'strategic edge’ and are more likely to overcome the barrage of changing tax, business and inter-personnel issues arising through the life cycle of entrepreneurial wealth creation, tax mitigation, wealth retention and succession.  

We commonly deal with problems arising from key ‘transition’ events:

- tax, legal and structuring reviews around changing residence or family circumstances

- business sales, purchases or international expansion

- 'family office' modelling, management and succession planning 

- family dispute resolution (including governance reviews and pre-emptive planning)     

Our independence combined with our aim to work as just part of the family’s wider advisory/ family office 'team' sets us apart.  A fresh pair of eyes, a multi-perspective approach to reviewing family structures and operations together with an ability to integrate quickly with the local or international teams allows us to 'add value' immediately, whether as 'trouble shooters' or in the context of a longer term 'trusted advisor' relationship.