Below we list pre-recorded webinars and webcasts, which are available to watch on demand.
New web events will be added to this library regularly.
View previous webinars below
- 2024
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August - Marital property regimes and effective cross-border planning
In this webinar, we begin by setting forth the matrimonial property regimes and estate & inheritance tax (IHT) rules in four jurisdictions; China, England & Wales, Spain and the US. Then by way of practical application to a real life case study, speakers will address the issues that arise and conflicts of law when civil versus common law jurisdictions interact.
You will hear the detail of matrimonial property regimes and estate/IHT rules in four major jurisdictions and benefit from seeing their practical application to a case study to aid learning and understanding of the issues at play to take back to their own cross-border estate planning and awareness for clients.
March - "Talkin’ ‘bout my generation" Balancing the interests of rising & current generations of wealth owning families
Released in 1965, The Who’s song, ‘My Generation’ became an anthem for youth, encapsulating the feelings of rebellion and a desire for independence that defined the counterculture of the era. The song is a cultural marker of the turbulent, transformative 1960s in the US, where social norms were being questioned and reshaped by a rising generation.
Nearly six decades on, new waves of wealth inheritors find themselves striving to amplify their voices and earn respect, as they fervently call for responsible stewardship of their legacies.
This panel session explores wealth planning through a multi-generational lens, examining how advisors can balance the interests of rising and current generations to help fortify families in their journeys as responsible wealth stewards.
February - Understanding STEP’s CPD Policy and resources available to you
This webinar will give STEP members the chance to familiarise themselves with STEP’s Continuing Professional Development (CPD) policy, its requirements and our annual audit review.
January - Family businesses and social responsibility: Doing well by doing good
For many family businesses, any aspect which can strengthen their business model, and aid their profitability, success and likelihood of succession amidst generational turnover, can only be a good thing.
Operationalising and formalising philanthropy into the business model can do just that. Philanthropy can help to align values and common purpose and drive better business outcomes.
But how does a family business embark on this journey? How do they formalise and normalise ‘doing good’ as part of their business model? How can it be measured and reported? How does a practitioner convey to their family business client that ‘doing well’ and ‘doing good’ are not mutually exclusive.
- 2023
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December - Forever young, forever rich? Practical issues when minors inherit cross-border assets between civil and common law systems
In this web event, a panel of experts from California-USA, Ontario-Canada, England & Wales and Italy will discuss a practical case study when a minor habitual resident in a civil law jurisdiction inherits assets in a common law jurisdiction.
November - Mental Capacity: A Global Perspective
In this web event, an expert panel will discuss a new STEP research report uncovering the issues and challenges associated with loss of capacity, following a global survey of more than 700 practitioners.
The report, Loss of Mental Capacity: A Global Perspective, which is sponsored by Alzheimer’s Society, will be launched ahead of the event and highlights the impact of increasing incapacity issues on the estate and trust industry. From a marked increase in incidences of financial abuse, to inconsistency and inadequacy in legal frameworks for powers of representation globally, it is clear that there are significant challenges to overcome.
Our panel will use the report findings to share insight and suggest a way forward for those planning for, or in a position of, loss of mental capacity. They will also discuss work to move forward government thinking on the commonality of approach to powers of representation and cross-border incapacity through the launch of STEP’s Global Representative Power.
September - STEP USA: The Corporate Transparency Act is coming. Are you ready?
The Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) is imminent, coming into force on January 1, 2024. It will impact over 32 million entities formed prior to 2024 and about 5 million entities per year for entities formed thereafter.
The CTA will require in-scope entities to report (i) identifying information about themselves, (ii) the individuals who directly or indirectly own or control the entity, and, (iii) for entities formed on or after the effective date (1/1/2024), the individual(s) - company applicants - who helped form/file entity documentation.
Equally significant for due diligence and compliance purposes, the CTA will require consideration of the content of organizational and transactional documentation in numerous areas, such as corporate, finance, banking, real estate, private wealth, tax and privacy.
Do not overlook that the CTA implicates domestic entities as well as foreign entities registered to do business in a state, irrespective of whether the beneficial owners are US or foreign individuals.
There is much to consider. So, are you ready for the CTA?
August - The future of legal practice in the digital assets space: the regulatory challenges and search for certainty
At this webinar our panel will consider the international regulatory landscape for blockchain and AI based assets. We expect a vibrant conversation on the EU, UK and other jurisdictions' trailblazing legislative initiatives, including their impact on the future of legal practice in the digital assets space pertaining to estate and succession planning.
This webinar will explore the effectiveness of public consultative processes, cutting edge jurisprudence and in-depth legal research going into making the law and regulation of crypto-currencies and NFTs, following each expert’s own jurisdiction and experience.
March - The Privy Council judgment in Wong v Grand View and Ors
In this webinar, Richard Wilson KC will provide an update on the judgment in the long-running case of Wong v Grand View and Ors. This judgment is following the appeal to the Privy Council. Richard was one of the leading Counsel acting in the case, acting for Tony Wang.
May - With great wealth comes great responsibility
This web-event will offer STEP members a foundation of the fundamentals of the principles of wealth stewardship and their significance for private wealth owners.
July - When the mental capacity of the business family's patriarch/matriarch begins to deteriorate
Speakers will explore practical considerations and strategies which can be implemented by practitioners and advisors to manage the declining mental capacity of the Patriarch/Matriarch of the Business Family.
- 2022
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January - Dynastic estate planning recent developments and case studies of international discontinuities
The programme will be divided into segments. First, our panellists will consider dynastic estate planning developments in the US, France, Israel and Italy. Second, our panellists will present two cross-border case studies involving a US trust with beneficiaries in other countries.
February - Citizenships, Visas, Tax Regimes
The 'Ronaldo Case' shows that various regimes of attractions are working in Europe. The webinar will focus on the impact of different regimes and best practices for European clients.
March - The Hague Convention on Trusts: impact in Europe after 30 years
The Hague Convention on the law applicable to trusts and on their recognition came into force 30 years ago. One of the effects of the Hague Convention was the introduction of a basic definition of trusts for civil law countries to 'recognise' them in their legal systems.
April - The EU initiative against 'shell companies' and the impact on wealth planning
This event will focus on the European Commission’s public consultation that led to the drafted anti-tax avoidance Directive 3 (ATAD 3) addressing the misuse of certain investment structures (shell companies). An in-depth analysis of the matter and of STEP’s position will be presented during the webinar.
May - Private insurance: an estate planning tool for financial assets
Part of nearly every practitioner’s toolbox in some jurisdictions, while at times overlooked or misunderstood in others, private insurance can be a powerful option for estate, succession, investment, and other objectives in today’s environment.
July - Applying circular economy principles to family business and wealth stewardship
An increasing number of wealth- and business-owning families are embracing sustainability as a growing area of focus. But much of the dialogue on sustainability relates to areas external to the family and the governance of family and business interests.
October - Modern families and gender identity: Gender identity in estate planning
The webinar will focus on existing gender legislation across multiple jurisdictions. The panel will discuss the ambiguities and uncertainties that can arise in relation to estate planning and gender identity and will provide some practical guidance on how to deal with this complex area.
December - Special Interest Spotlight Session 2022: Purpose, perspectives and process
If there’s one thing the last two years have taught us, it’s the importance of being resilient. In general terms, resilience is the ability to bounce back after being challenged, hard-pressed, stressed and stretched to breaking point. In this session, speakers will deliberate over what makes resilient families and family businesses that are resilient. Speakers focussed on the role of the NextGen and their influence on the resilience of family enterprises in the future.
December - Special Interest Spotlight Session 2022: Trusts and access to justice
This session, which is in three parts, diversity of how justice is accessed, the diversity of modern families and concludes with a case law up-date following the same theme of change and inclusion.
December - Special Interest Spotlight Session 2022: Succession issues for the modern family
There has been a significant move away from the traditional nuclear model for family arrangements over the last half century.
We explored the way the law in different jurisdictions treats cohabitation, adoption, legitimacy, and gender issues within estates and the impact of human rights legislation in this area. Experts from various jurisdictions discussed how law-makers and lawyers have been grappling with these issues, and the extent to which there is consistency across borders in cross border estate planning and administration.
December - Special Interest Spotlight Session 2022: A case study on digital assets and fiduciary access
The estate of the late Gerald Cotten, CEO of QuadrigaCX, captured the globe’s attention when news broke of his death on his honeymoon in India. The entire case and the details of the US$140 million in cryptocurrency lost upon his death, are chronicled in lengthy bankruptcy court proceedings, articles, and documentaries. Although Mr. Cotten died with a will (that included a clause authorising his executor to access and administer his digital assets), his executor was unsuccessful in retrieving hundreds of millions of cryptocurrencies following his death.
December - Special Interest Spotlight Session 2022: Implications of political & economic risks and uncertainties
No one can deny that 2022 has been a tumultuous year. Heartbreaking events in Russia and Ukraine show no sign of relenting and the whole world is reeling. High inflation, rising energy bills and the associated cost of living crisis is impacting businesses everywhere. In the UK we have seen both Boris Johnson and Liz Truss resign as Prime Minister and the Queen’s death has also added to instability. The US is seeing new levels of political extremism and huge swathes of China remain in COVID-related lockdown.
December - Special Interest Spotlight Session 2022: Incapacity of business owners
The onset of a lack of mental capacity to manage one’s property and financial affairs can give rise to any number of practical difficulties; where a person has business interests as well, this can result in a layer of added complexity from both a legal perspective, as well as a practical and cultural one. This multi-jurisdictional and multi-disciplinary session unpicks the issues, considering how best to plan for the future and discusses how to mitigate difficulties when they arise.
Hear the lived experience of panel members who have dealt with the issue of a lack of capacity in a business context: how they planned for it and how they dealt with problems when they arose.
December - Special Interest Spotlight Session 2022: How new technologies are advancing philanthropy
The Next Generation are using technology increasingly to manage their wealth and philanthropy is an area in which technology is being used in multiple ways to shake-up traditional grantmaking. In this session we will explore through our diverse panel, some exciting examples of how technology is shaping the philanthropic landscape.
- 2021
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January - DAC 6: The practical and commercial reality
Professionals in wealth management and advisory services have now lived with EU Council Directive (EU) 2018/822 (DAC6) in one form or another for 18 months. Having grappled with the Directive’s terms and followed its implementation and interpretation in national law, the time has come to report relevant arrangements dating back as far as June 2018. Unless a further delay of three months is granted, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most ‘intermediaries’ will meet their first reporting deadline at the end of January 2021. Meanwhile, for a minority of countries reporting deadlines will already have passed as the pandemic-related deferral was not adopted.
January - Trustees in trouble
A global pandemic, political unrest, a generational shift in assets, and the looming threat of recession: all offer turbulent waters for a trustee to navigate. Our panel will discuss the types of troubles that trustees are facing in the current climate, and identify and debate the most practical and successful ways of addressing and resolving them. Recent judgments from around the world will be analysed, and tried and tested tools scrutinised. Join us for a lively and educational discussion with panellists from around the world.
January - Solving modern problems for modern trustees
The modern trustee faces a number of modern challenges: a next generation of beneficiaries seeking greater involvement in the management of family wealth, requests to ensure trust assets are invested in sustainable or environmentally responsible sectors, new categories of activist settlors seeking to use their wealth to offer reparations or to support social justice.
January - The future of trusts – threats, challenges, and solutions
What does the future hold for the trusts industry both onshore and off? Having weathered many storms over the years, are the biggest threats to the robustness and stability of private client structures still ahead? Our panel will discuss recent global developments flowing from the international push towards regulation and transparency, important decisions of the courts that have contributed to the evolution of trust laws around the world, and debate what new challenges may lie ahead.
January - Residency and Domicile: what will be ‘home’ in a post-COVID world?
Lockdown is now a familiar term in 2020. Across the world, its impact has resulted in practitioners dealing with issues concerning accidental residence or non-residence for individuals and carrying on a business, as well as income tax and inheritance tax exposure and the applicable law on death. Our panel will review such challenges and look at the implications of COVID-19 on the future concept of ‘home’.
Part of the Thought Leadership Series of webinars which will provide virtual access to the most topical content from the STEP Global Congress 2020 programme.
February - US Trust Planning for Mexicans
Our esteemed panel for this event include Manuel Elias Tron, CEO of ZG Manuel Tron Consultores, SC (Mexico); Sean Tevel, Partner at Holland & Knight (US); Pascal Landrove, Managing Director, Miami Head and Market Head Mexico at Deutsche Bank Wealth Management (US); and Mauricio Cano del Valle, Partner at Brook & Cano (Mexico).
February - Intro to International Tax Planning for Cross-border Families with a Focus on LatAm and Spain
Please join us as we review the key principles of US international taxation, and cross border tax planning between and among the US, Latin America and Spain. This is meant to be a high-level introduction to key concepts of international planning, the different legal jurisdictions, a review of taxes from around the region, and other considerations when planning for multi-jurisdictional clients.
February - Rehabilitating Trusts
Trusts have suffered from an image problem in recent years, with media stories portraying them as vehicles for wealthy individuals to 'hide' tax from the relevant authorities. The Rehabilitation of Trusts project aims to rebuild that reputation among key stakeholders and put evidence into the debate. This webinar will discuss findings from the research undertaken as part of the project. You can view the report here
Part of the Thought Leadership Series of webinars which will provide virtual access to the most topical content from the STEP Global Congress 2020 programme.
February - The Ten Domains of Family Wealth
This webinar hosted by the Business Families Special Interest Group is a conversation with Dr. James (Jim) Grubman on ‘The Ten Domains of Family Wealth’, a new learning and development framework developed by The UHNW Institute. The Ten Domains is the Institute’s inaugural project: a conceptual framework for advisors and families representing the full landscape of what an ultra-high-net-worth family wealth comprises.
February - Trusts and AML-CFT Registers of Beneficial Owners: I’m a trustee, do I need to register somewhere?
This session will examine what constitutes a business relationship and consider whether merely engaging a professional (such as a lawyer, accountant, or tax advisor) in a Member State would qualify as a business relationship. The panel will consider circumstances relating to the persons involved in a trust, such as whether appointing a beneficiary or having a settlor based in a Member State would qualify as ‘entering into a business relationship’ in the EU. The panel will also consider transactions typically carried out by a trustee during the lifetime of a trust, such as the opening of a bank account in an EU jurisdiction, as well as the meaning of the term ‘acquires real estate’, which could be open to interpretation – depending on the EU jurisdiction where real estate is being acquired.
March - Banking Bad? A Global Mystery Shopping Test of the Risk-Based Approach
Banks and corporate service providers are meant to apply a risk-based approach to customer due diligence, yet no one really knows if they do in practice. To test this proposition, a global 'mystery shopping' exercise based on thousands of solicitations for companies and corporate bank accounts was conducted. Those doing the shopping were a mix of real shell companies and fictitious consultants we created to personify various risk profiles, from corruption to terrorist financing. The design of our study allowed us to measure the effect of different kinds of risk on the likelihood that firms would do business, and on their propensity to follow or flout international know-your-customer rules.
Part of the Thought Leadership Series of webinars which will provide virtual access to the most topical content from the STEP Global Congress 2020 programme.
March - Trusts and arbitration: The good, the bad and the ugly
This panel will seek to answer questions about trust and arbitrations, objectively balance out the advantages and drawbacks presented by arbitration and make the case for or against arbitration of trust disputes.
April - Global HNW families and their wealth structures: current topics and innovations
With high-net-worth (HNW) families becoming more global, their assets increasingly complex and threats being more sophisticated, each family has a unique set of requirements. Join our panellists from Guernsey, Singapore, the Cayman Islands and London as they discuss the challenges and opportunities for today’s global families and their wealth including structure and/or individual residence options.
The panel will also consider structures that use multiple jurisdictions and where UK tax advice is needed for families with residence or domicile ties.
April - The beneficial owner concept in Benelux: How it has evolved in numerous areas of regulation and resulting inconsistencies
STEP Benelux invites you to the next instalment in its Webinar Series focussing on private and business wealth, regulatory compliance, tax and family governance, as shaped by current events. The beneficial ownership concept is now relevant in a number of areas of regulation, and there is increasing focus on that concept due to the debate regarding public access to beneficial owner data. It is therefore an appropriate time to reflect on the extent to which the concept has remained true to its origins and to which inconsistencies may have crept in as to its application, both in law and in practice.
April - The EU Succession Regulation
This webinar will focus specifically on Regulation (EU) No 650/2012 (the Succession Regulation): a particularly ambitious and complicated EU instrument that attempts to deal successfully with many national peculiarities. The session will consider all the crucial practical issues that have arisen as a result of its implementation among the different EU Member States and analyse the implications of the latest decisions of the European Court of Justice.
May - Modernising trust law for a global Britain: a scoping study
This is a joint web event hosted by STEP and the Law Commission of England & Wales on the Law Commission’s 14th Programme of Law Reform.
June - DAC6 Implementation in Cyprus a practical approach
The Seminar is addressed to Intermediaries registered with professional associations in Cyprus, including but not limited to Advocates and their respective firms, Administrative Service Providers including Trustees, Auditors and Accountants and their respective firms who fall within the ambit of the definition of Intermediary and are obliged to submit reportable cross-border arrangements with the Cyprus Tax Department.
June - Civil law and common law: A comparison of estate administration on death
This webinar hosted by the Cross-Border Estates Special Interest Group joins together common law and civil law speakers who discuss key differences between the two legal cultures, and explores them on a practical basis using a case study involving an estate administration with both elements.
June - Complicated assets, regulatory compliance, and impactful giving
The shared challenges we face in our globalised world transcend borders. In international philanthropy, however, borders can present formidable regulatory, risk and reputational obstacles to your clients’ desire to be impactful in their charitable planning.
June - Identifying and navigating cross-cultural differences within business families
This webinar hosted by the Business Families Special Interest Group provides both an academic and practitioner based discussion, highlighting some of the key cross-cultural issues at play within a family business and how those impact the role of the advisor.
June - Introducing family dialogues on the responsible stewardship of wealth: a guide
With the COVID-19 pandemic highlighting rising inequality, many are reflecting on what can be done to address that while providing for their family’s needs. With this in mind, STEP has produced a guide to aid discussions that advisors need to have with families about responsible stewardship. Its authors will discuss the themes found in the guide as well as why now is the right time to focus on the many positive things wealth can achieve for families and beyond.
June - Testamentary capacity: the issues
The international panel of experts will discuss some of the key issues when undertaking a capacity assessment and how best to address them.
July - STEP 30th Anniversary Special: Policy and the public interest – STEP’s impact and influence
STEP celebrates its 30th anniversary this year and will be hosting this webinar as part of the Thought Leadership Series to reflect on how public policy has been shaped by the shifting public opinion, increased interconnectivity and economic events globally that have arisen since STEP was first formed in 1991. Since then, STEP and its branches based around the world have kept pace with these developments, while directly engaging with governments and policymakers to effect change.
August - Global trust legislation and reform: modernising trusts for the competitive international market
This web event will focus on the trust legislation reform proposals that are currently being considered in certain jurisdictions to modernise trust law. Our international panel will discuss these proposals and explore some of the modern and efficient trust legislation that is used elsewhere in the world which could positively influence this expanding area of reform in an increasingly competitive global market.
September - US trust situs opportunities for international families
The situs of a trust is an important consideration for many international families’ planning: jurisdictions with modern trust laws that provide flexibility and control with trust administration, asset protection, privacy (not secrecy), tax benefits as well as economic and political stability, are paramount. The US is one such jurisdiction and option for families.
September - Digital assets: A call to action
From social media accounts and email inboxes to crypto-assets and photographs, digital assets are an increasingly important part of people’s lives. But what happens to these assets when someone dies or is incapacitated? Following a major survey of its members in partnership with the Microsoft-funded Cloud Legal Project at Queen Mary University of London, STEP has found that there are a number of difficulties and risks involved in this area, from lack of awareness among both clients and practitioners, to a lack of consistency of both legislation and service provider policy and procedure.
October - Mental Capacity: the abuse of trust in practice
At this webinar our international panel of speakers will discuss the warning signs in relation to the abuse of trust in practice and how to safeguard against it. The panel will review the legal frameworks and procedures in place in their respective jurisdictions, with focus on best-practice in this area for both clients and professional practice. The legal, policy and regulatory issues that arise in this context will also be discussed, as well as how they could be improved or expanded upon.
October - Traps for trustees
This wide-ranging talk will focus on some practical steps that can be taken during tax and estate planning to avoid problems down the line and how to mitigate the risk of litigation when administering trust and tax structures for international and UK clients and families. James Painter will follow with a short talk on the expectations of the regulator when trustees are looking to delegate investment management of trust assets and provide short demonstration of some of the tools and research available to STEP members through MPI’s free STEP member service.
November - Meeting the needs of modern families
Modern families can often be complicated families: they can be challenging, diverse, intricate, and all over the map – often literally – and their needs are equally complex. Identifying and navigating their needs requires expertise and collaboration across borders, cultures and professions. In this webinar, our panel will discuss the results of STEP’s latest research in this area exploring what the typical family in 2021 looks like, the key complexities facing them, and how practitioners are meeting their needs.
November - Reducing the stress and burden for your probate
This webinar will look at how practitioners can balance supporting their client and completing their work. Our panel will discuss the challenges and practical steps that can be taken to help clients and legal professionals’ mental health, as well as how to reduce the burden and reliance on clients. The role that technology plays in improving the industry and making it easier for all involved will also be addressed.
December - Helping clients achieve financial success through decumulation
In this webinar, and building on the article entitled The Decumulation Opportunity in Issue 6 of the 2021 STEP Journal, John Williams TEP, Head of Wealth Planning at Nedbank Private Wealth, discusses these risks in detail with Annamaria Koerling, Delfin Private Office. The discussion will explore how they can be managed and what plans advisors can put in place to ensure their clients enjoy their retirement in the lifestyle to which they aspire.
- 2020
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May - Core Components of a Professional Philanthropy Advisory Practice
This webinar was one of four events in the 2020 Philanthropy Programme series, jointly hosted by STEP’s Philanthropy Advisors Special Interest Group (SIG) and Philanthropy Impact. Clients seeking help from their advisors with their philanthropic activities has doubled in the past few years; this discussion highlights the perspectives of both advisors and clients, with panellists examining how advisors can prepare (in addition to their normal activities and general services) to support their clients.
June - The Future Philanthropy Client - Navigating the Differences Across the Generations
This webinar was one of four events in the 2020 Philanthropy Programme series, jointly hosted by STEP’s Philanthropy Advisors Special Interest Group (SIG) and Philanthropy Impact. It discusses the dynamics and influences at play between different generations as to how they believe their social impact investment efforts should progress.
June - Tax and estate planning for US persons with foreign assets
Michelle Graham, a partner in the private client and tax team of Withersworldwide, addresses issues to look for when planning for a US person with foreign assets; how to take title, including a discussion on foreign entity options; estate planning documents to consider; and US tax compliance matters. This web event is free to access but requires registration.
July - The Advisor’s Responsibility: Wealth Stewardship, Social Equity, and Building Back Better
This webinar, hosted by STEP’s Philanthropy Advisors Special Interest Group (SIG), considers responsible stewardship of wealth in advancing social equity and the role of advisors on these issues in today’s climate.
September - Risk and Reward in Social Entrepreneurism
This webinar was one of four events in the 2020 Philanthropy Programme series, jointly hosted by STEP’s Philanthropy Advisors Special Interest Group (SIG) and Philanthropy Impact. It discusses some of the challenges facing organisations, philanthropists and social impact investors and their professional advisors, and social entrepreneurs, when trying to adopt innovative approaches or solutions.
September - Succession Planning for Family Farming Businesses
The biggest problem for farmers, according to recent surveys, is the lack of succession plans. Succession in farming is however complicated, three leading experts discuss the issues needed to be considered in this webinar hosted by STEP’s Business Families Special Interest Group (SIG).
September - Remote witnessing: will it persist once we no longer have to socially distance?
Social distancing has seen the rise of the video witnessing of wills. Is this the future, or will physical presence still be necessary post-pandemic? Using examples from jurisdictions that have adopted technological changes as a result of COVID-19, STEP experts will discuss the cases behind the respective moves and the long-term implications.
October - Digital Assets and Cross-Border Estates: An International Problem
This webinar jointly hosted by STEP’s Cross-Border Estates and Digital Assets Special Interest Group’s (SIG’s), explores the issues surrounding the administration of a cross-border estate with digital assets.
October - Exploring Impact Investing Trends Resulting from COVID-19 and its Aftermath
The last webinar of the Philanthropy Programme series in 2020, explores the role of impact and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) investing in addressing the implications of COVID-19. Speakers discuss the role of professional advisors and social impact funds in providing solutions to the enduring societal and environmental issues.
October - Wealth Taxes – the future of taxation in a post-COVID world
Wealth taxes, while not a new idea, are gaining popularity as a solution to the debts that governments have taken on as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Expert Speakers will examine the implications of introducing wealth taxes, with reflections from a jurisdiction that already has such a tax, as well as discuss potential alternative solutions to addressing the growing fiscal challenges.
Part of the Thought Leadership Series of webinars which will provide virtual access to the most topical content from the STEP Global Congress 2020 programme.
October - Family Governance and Succession Planning for Business Families
This webinar will discuss the important aspects of succession planning and how to construct process by which the family is governed for the future.
November - Investing in Europe – Some Topical Issues
EU Succession Regulation – its application to non-EU persons owning EU asset, Brussels IV (The EU Succession Regulation) was an important step in simplifying the probate and succession rules that apply when a person within the EU passes away while owning real estate and other assets in other EU countries.
Structuring real estate investment in the UK, Buying real estate in the UK is a minefield, exacerbated by recent new taxes imposed on non-resident purchasers.
November - Planning for Family Business and Succession
How family enterprises are using wealth to build a great family, Family is the foundation for long-term business resilience. Drawing on interviews with family members from 100 large global business and financial families who have been successful for more than three generations, this talk will look at the four paths that such families take to build a family “tribe”, and how the family forms the foundation for business and financial succession and resilience.
Family constitutions and charters – a case study interview, This session will present a case study involving a typical family situation that is designed to showcase how an advisor goes about identifying issues and dealing with them in family documents.
November - Recent Cases Affecting the Wealth Management Industry
The panel will review a potpourri of cases from around the globe over the last year that affect trusts and estates and their administration.
November - Global Trust Issues, Part 2
Mitigating fiduciary obligations – how far can (and should) a trustee go? With trustees being increasingly concerned about potential liabilities to beneficiaries with respect to the administration of trust assets, the issue of transferring asset management responsibility to the settlor or other parties has become more prevalent.
Alternative dispute resolution for trust disputes Litigation before the courts, especially in a far-flung jurisdiction, is complex, expensive and time-consuming.
November - Global Trust Issues, Part 1
Trustees located outside the governing law jurisdiction Increasingly, trustees are based in jurisdictions other than that of their trust’s governing law.
Differences between US and English-style trusts It is often said that the English and American people are two cultures divided by a common language. Increasingly, they are also divided by different approaches towards trusts.
November - Future Planning for Our Clients
The next decade – what’s coming up? Topics covered will include the expansion of CRS reporting, emergence of cross-border enforcement of foreign tax claims, OECD’s Pillar Two initiative to impose a minimum rate of tax worldwide and more.
Kidnapping and security A related issue that will also be discussed is the extent to which a trustee can be called upon to pay ransoms. The risk of kidnapping is all too real for high-net-worth families, making this a session not to be missed.
November - Mental Health and the Financial Advice Relationship
Mental health has become a matter of increasing public concern worldwide. In Canada, by age 40, half of the population will have, or will have had, a mental illness. How do you, as an advisor, detect a crisis early on when managing your client relationships? Using insights gained from research, advisor interviews and mental health expertise, this presentation will give an overview of the current mental health landscape and its impact on investors, providing advisors with a suite of educational tools and real life scenarios that you can apply with your clients who may be experiencing mental health issues.
Part of the Thought Leadership Series of webinars which will provide virtual access to the most topical content from the STEP Global Congress 2020 programme.
December - Pandemic realities: Implications for tax-residence of individuals, trusts and corporations
Travel restrictions and quarantine requirements are the ‘new normal’. Individuals can ‘get stuck’ in a jurisdiction that may not be their choice for employment or business purposes under usual circumstances. COVID-19 has raised a series of international tax questions on the residency of individuals, trusts and corporations. This has implications on the allocation of income and corporate taxation rights and may have significant repercussions from an inheritance tax perspective.
Practitioners of STEP Europe jurisdictions and the UK will discuss the impact and effect of the pandemic on residency for individuals, trusts and corporations with a pan-European focus.
December - Trusts – The law of trusts in Cyprus
To discuss in practice the current updates on the use of Cyprus Trusts and the legal framework in Cyprus following recent domestic and international changes. Current Status of the use of Trusts, What are the Type of Cyprus Trusts, the use and the legal framework of Cyprus Trusts, investments for families and Investors.
December - Current inheritance tax issues surrounding UK residential property
A discussion of some current issues surrounding UK residential property including lessons learnt after 2 years of the Residential Nil Rate Band, unwinding UK residential property structures and a consideration of home loan schemes in the recent Shelford case (John Leonard McNeill Shelford as Trustee of the Herbert Life Interest Trust Settlement & Ors v HMRC [2019] TC 7549).
- 2019
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January - EU Directive on Administrative Cooperation in the Field of Taxation (DAC6) and the Model Mandatory Disclosure Rules (MDR)
Samantha Morgan TEP, RMW Law LLP, discusses DAC6 and the OECD MDRs. This webcast will assist with your understanding of the Directive as well as reportable cross-border arrangements, intermediaries, and who and when the information should be reported. This web event requires registration and payment.
February - The EU Fifth Anti-Money Laundering Directive
Emily Deane TEP discusses the EU Fifth Anti-Money Laundering Directive and concerns around its implementation. This web event requires registration and payment.
March - A guide to the General Data Protection Regulation for trust and estate practitioners
Edward Hayes, Burges Salmon LLP, explains what the EU GDPR means in practice for trust and estate practitioners. In particular, it discusses how to identify the personal data of clients, which lawful grounds for processing it are likely to be relevant, what additional grounds are required for special category data and how and when to provide information to data subjects (including beneficiaries). It also covers data subjects’ rights and how those rights interact with existing trust law. This web event requires registration and payment.
September - Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report - What does it mean for wealth holders?
Laurie Lane-Zucker, Founder & CEO of Impact Entrepreneur and Gina Pereira TEP, CEO and Founder, Dāna Philanthropy and Co-Chair, STEP Philanthropy Advisors Special Interest Group discuss the impact on wealth holders of the high profile IPCC report released in 2018, which makes a number of policy recommendations to governments for systems transitions to strengthen the global response to climate change in the context of sustainable development. This web event requires registration and payment.
- 2018
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March - Challenging the paradigm that 'doing well' and 'doing good' are mutually exclusive: exploring B Corps and Benefit Corporation legislation
William H. Clark, Jr., Of Counsel, Drinker Biddle and Reath LLP and pro bono legislative counsel to B Lab and Gina M. Pereira, TEP, Dāna Philanthropy CEO and Founder, Barrister and Solicitor examine the factors encouraging corporations to adopt business models that incorporate responsibility, sustainable business practices, and equitable operations, certifying as B Corps and/or incorporating under a benefit corporation legislation model.
March - HMRC's Requirement to Correct provisions and Failure to Correct penalties
April - The Criminal Finances Act and its application for trustees, family offices and charities
Samantha Morgan TEP, RMW Law & Alana Petraske, Withers discuss the potential exposures for trustees, family offices and charities, based in the UK and offshore, and the practical preventative measures that they can take to mitigate potential liability under these offences.
June - The battle of good intentions: charities versus CRS
Gina M. Pereira TEP and Peter Cotorceanu TEP explore the applicability of CRS to charities, the potential impact on the charitable sector and planning opportunities.
- 2017
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January - New Worldwide Disclosure Facility
Richard Morley TEP of BDO LLP discusses UK HMRC’s Worldwide Disclosure Facility and suggests what practitioners should disclose, and what issues they should be aware of.
January - The application of Islamic Law in the context of trusts
David Russell QC TEP speaks to Mahmoud Mostafa of Pinsent Masons LLP about the exclusion of an otherwise applicable foreign law to trusts on grounds of Islamic public policy.
February - Philanthropy and the impact of regulatory disclosure: anonymity in a transparent world
Gina M. Pereira TEP, Dana Philanthropy LLC, considers the unprecedented levels of disclosure both nationally and internationally faxing charities, their beneficiaries and their donors.
March - Randall v Randall: post mortem
Barrister Mark Baxter of 5 Stone Buildings talks about standing to challenge a will to bring a contentious probate claim,with particular reference to the England & Wales Court of Appeal’s decision in Randall v Randall.
March - Scots adult incapacity law: and introduction for other jurisdictions
Adrian Ward TEP of TC Young LLP provides a lesson for practitioners outside Scotland on adult incapacity law in the jurisdiction.
June - CRS and trustees
John Riches TEP and Samantha Morgan TEP of RMW Law consider the practical aspects of reporting trusts under the Common Reporting Standard (CRS).
- 2016
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February - The DIFC Wills and Probate Registry
Yann Mrazek TEP explains the new DIFC Wills and Probate Registry – the first of its kind in the MENA region – which provides a system for non-Muslim individuals with assets in Dubai to register English language wills, allowing for the distribution of their estate as set out in their registered wills, and to have their wills probated through the exclusive jurisdiction of the DIFC courts.
March - Estate planning in Canada: What's in store for 2016
Rachel L Blumenfeld TEP, Miller Thomson LLP, discusses the future of testamentary trust planning, probate planning and US compliance issues for Canadians.
April - From FATCA to CRS (2016)
George Hodgson explains some of the main differences between FATCA and CRS, which may trap the unwary.
May - Charity investment and governance issues
Julie Hutchison TEP, Standard Life Wealth, looks at the benefits and use of an investment policy statement, and also considers how to approach the topic of ethics, within the context of the legal framework in this area.
May - Backwards tracing
Alan Sheeley explains asset tracing and following and examines the case for and against backwards tracing in the light of Brazil v Durant International Corp [2015] UKPC 35 and the UK Privy Council's ruling.
June - Dual compliant solutions
Simon Gorbutt TEP, Danilo Santucci, Elena Zafirova TEP and Daniel Welker of Lombard International Assurance S.A. explain how dual compliant insurance and annuity solutions can be used for clients with fiscal and planning concerns in both Europe and the US.
June - Cell phones don't work in heaven: estate planning for digital assets
Kerry Bornman TEP, Three Stone, discusses the meaning of digital assets and sets out the legal position in the UK and US. She suggests what concerns to raise with clients when carrying out estate planning.
July - Helping financial deputies and trustees through the investment maze
Saul Djanogly, Best Interests Consultants, examines a trustee’s duty of care when it comes to investment fees and charges for investments on behalf of clients.
September - CRS and charitable trusts
STEP’s Emily Deane TEP examines how new tax transparency legislation, notably the OECD’s Common Reporting Standard (CRS), applies to charitable trusts and foundations.
September - Trusts and the PSC Register
Josh Lewison of Radcliffe Chambers examines how Part 21A of the UK Register of Persons with Significant Control affects trusts and trustees.
October - Ilott v Mitson: a modern Jarndyce?
Sarah Haren and Eliza Eagling, from 5 Stone Buildings, consider numerous issues raised by Ilott v Mitson, including a lack of financial provision for an adult child and issues of estrangement.
October - Loss of mental capacity by a company director
Jocelyn Fox TEP of Slater and Gordon asks how capacity is judged for a company director and whether an incapable director can be removed from office.
November - What is Blockchain technology and how will it impact upon the private wealth sector?
James Brockhurst TEP of Gowling WLG explains how blockchain can hold financial assets, and explores its use in non-financial applications.
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