STEP launches 19th annual Private Client Awards

Monday, 05 February 2024

The 2024 STEP Private Client Awards are now open for entries.

STEP is a global professional membership body for lawyers, accountants, trustees and other practitioners that help families plan for their futures. The Private Client Awards were founded in 2006 and celebrate excellence in private client practice. They are recognised across the industry as a hallmark of quality.

This year 23 categories are open to individuals and firms worldwide until 12 April 2024. The finalists will be announced in June and the winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on 19 September. Entries are encouraged from all over the world and the whole private client community.

Our judging panel represents STEP’s international membership, with experts from Australia, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, Canada, China, Guernsey, Hong Kong, Italy, Jersey, New Zealand, Singapore, Switzerland, the UK and the US. Our sponsors include Katten.

The Chair of the Presiding Judges, Stella Mitchell-Voisin TEP, said: ‘If you are considering entering the Private Client Awards, I’d highly recommend you do so. The rigour and impartiality of the STEP judging process gives these awards a unique credibility.

‘Last year, we received a record number of entries. Making the shortlist is an achievement in itself, and winning is fantastic.’

Tan Shen Kiat TEP is Founder of Kith and Kin, the 2023 winner of the Vulnerable Client Advisory Practice of the Year. He says: ‘As a boutique Singapore law firm founded just before Covid, we are attuned to the term “vulnerability”. Winning a Private Client Award is a strong affirmation to us and a testament to all that we can grow and thrive in times of vulnerability.’

STEP’s Chief Executive Mark Walley said, ‘We are very proud of the scrupulously objective judging of the Private Client Awards, which makes winning a Private Client Award particularly prestigious.

‘The Awards are a highlight of the STEP calendar. They give us the opportunity to showcase the best in the industry, and admire their resilience, adaptability and innovation.

‘I’m looking forward to congratulating our winners in September’.

Beyond celebrating excellence within the industry, the Awards raise money for our Charity Partner. This year, STEP is proud to continue our partnership with Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI), the international federation of Alzheimer and dementia associations around the world, in official relations with the World Health Organization.

Paola Barbarino, CEO, Alzheimer’s Disease International, said: ‘Alzheimer’s Disease International is so grateful to have been chosen as the charity partner for the STEP Private Client Awards. Dementia is recognised as one of the most significant health and care crises of the 21st century. We are still learning to understand the condition, and the stigmatisation and misinformation that surrounds it remains a global problem.

‘The global nature of the problem connects with STEP’s work on mental capacity and we are delighted to be exploring the scope for our organisations to work together on this shared priority. We look forward to celebrating our partnership at the Awards evening.’

Further Information

Website: https://pca.step.org/ Twitter: #STEPPCA

Categories:

  • Accountancy Team of the Year (large firm) 
  • Accountancy Team of the Year (midsize firm) 
  • Boutique Firm of the Year 
  • Contentious Trusts and Estates Team of the Year (large firm) 
  • Contentious Trusts and Estates Team of the Year (midsize firm) 
  • Digital Assets Practice of the Year 
  • Employer of the Year 
  • Family Business Advisory Practice of the Year 
  • Financial Advisor Team of the Year 
  • International Legal Team of the Year (large firm) 
  • International Legal Team of the Year (midsize firm) 
  • Investment Team of the Year
  • Multi-Family Office Team of the Year 
  • Philanthropy Team of the Year 
  • Private Client Legal Team of the Year (large firm) 
  • Private Client Legal Team of the Year (midsize firm) 
  • Rising Star of the Year 
  • Trust Company of the Year (large firm) 
  • Trust Company of the Year (midsize firm) 
  • Trusted Advisor of the Year 
  • Vulnerable Client Advisory Practice of the Year Special Awards

Special Awards

  • The Geoffrey Shindler Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Profession
  • Lifetime Achievement Award

- ENDS -

For media enquiries please contact Liz Skinner - Tel: +44 (0)20 3752 37067 Email: liz.skinner@step.org

For questions about the awards entry process, please contact Lysette Matthews, email: pca@step.org

For marketing and sponsorship queries, please contact Kelly Farrell, email: kelly.farrell@step.org

About STEP

STEP is the global professional association for practitioners who specialise in family inheritance and succession planning. STEP works to improve public understanding of the issues families face in this area and promotes education and high professional standards among its members.

STEP members help families plan for their futures, from drafting wills to issues surrounding international families, protection of the vulnerable, family businesses and philanthropic giving. Full STEP members, known as TEPs, are internationally recognised as experts in their field, with proven qualifications and experience. More information: www.step.org.