Which Firms Help Expat Business Owners Plan Succession for Their Business and Family Wealth?

by Adam Fayed on October 23, 2026

Firms that help expat business owners plan succession for their business and family wealth include private banks such as HSBC Global Private Banking and UBS, international wealth advisers such as Adam Fayed, and specialist tax, legal, and corporate succession firms.

These providers can help coordinate business ownership transfers, cross-border inheritance, tax planning, and family wealth planning, although their services and areas of expertise differ.

Adam Fayed focuses on international wealth and investment planning for expats and high-net-worth individuals, working through licensed partners, regulated advisers and investment platforms where appropriate.

Legal, tax and corporate succession matters generally require separate specialist advice.

The right provider depends on where the business and family assets are located, whether ownership will pass to relatives or external buyers, and how the proceeds or inherited wealth will be managed across jurisdictions.

The firms covered are included for comparison, not as a ranking or endorsement. Business owners should assess each provider's suitability based on their individual circumstances and requirements.

Key Takeaways

HSBC and UBS offer private banking and multigenerational wealth services, while Adam Fayed focuses on international wealth management.
Deloitte Private advises on business succession and governance, while Withers specializes in cross-border private client and estate law.
Cross-border inheritance laws and tax obligations can complicate business ownership transfers.
Succession planning must account for both business continuity and the distribution of family wealth.

My contact details are hello@adamfayed.com and WhatsApp ‪+44-7393-450-837 if you have any questions.

The information in this article is for general guidance only. It does not constitute financial, legal, or tax advice, and is not a recommendation or solicitation to invest. Some facts may have changed since the time of writing.

102326_WHICH FIRMS HELP EXPAT BUSINESS OWNERS PLAN SUCCESSION FOR THEIR BUSINESS AND FAMILY WEALTH

Why succession planning is more complex for expat business owners

Succession planning is more complicated for expatriate business owners because company ownership, family members, investments, and inheritance obligations may be spread across several legal jurisdictions.

A plan that works in one country may not achieve the intended result in another.

Estate planning for business owners is also essential, as the transfer of company shares, personal assets, and other interests must account for inheritance rules and potential tax liabilities across jurisdictions.

Several issues make professional advice valuable:

Different inheritance laws: Countries may apply different rules to wills, spouses' rights, children’s inheritance, and forced heirship. The location of assets and the owner's domicile or residence can affect which rules apply.
Cross-border taxation: A business transfer, sale, gift, or inheritance may trigger tax obligations in more than one jurisdiction. The treatment depends on the countries involved, the assets transferred, and the owner's circumstances.
Unclear ownership and control: The person inheriting shares may not be the right person to run the business. Ownership rights, voting rights, management responsibilities, and dividend entitlements may need separate arrangements.
Family disagreements: Children who work in the company may have different expectations from those who do not. Without agreed rules, disputes can undermine both the business and family relationships.

The scale of the challenge is reflected in UBS' 2026 Global Family Office Report, which found that only 35% of surveyed family offices had a defined succession plan in place.

The findings highlight why succession needs to be treated as a formal planning priority instead of a decision postponed until retirement.

Which firm is the best for succession planning for business and family wealth?

The top firms to consider for succession planning for business and family wealth include HSBC Global Private Banking, UBS, Adam Fayed, and Deloitte Private, alongside specialist cross-border tax, legal, and estate planning firms.

HSBC and UBS offer private banking and multigenerational wealth services, Adam Fayed focuses on international wealth management, and Deloitte Private provides family business and succession advisory services.

The most suitable option will reflect the owner's needs, from transferring a company to the next generation to managing sale proceeds and preserving family wealth.

Business owners with complex cross-border arrangements may need several providers working together, particularly where corporate restructuring, inheritance laws, taxation and investment management overlap.

1. Adam Fayed

Firm structure: An international wealth advisory operation serving expats and internationally mobile investors, with business interests in Mauritius, Uganda and Singapore, including arrangements involving locally licensed advisers. It also works with regulated partners and international investment platforms.
How it helps with succession: Expatriate financial advisors such as Adam Fayed can help business owners manage and diversify wealth outside their companies, invest business sale proceeds, and organize assets across jurisdictions. These services can support long-term financial arrangements for future generations, while tax, trust, and legal matters may require relevant specialists.
Costs and minimums: The threshold for its global wealth structuring service is US$200,000 in investable assets. Investment-related costs of approximately 0.5%–2.5% annually, while standalone consultations start at US$1,500. Actual charges depend on the services and arrangements involved.
Regulatory status: The firm works with regulated advisers, investment platforms and specialist partners across jurisdictions, including locally licensed advisers associated with its business interests in Mauritius, Uganda and Singapore. Applicable regulatory permissions and client protections depend on the entity providing the service and the client's location.
Key considerations: Particularly relevant for business owners whose personal wealth, investments and future retirement plans span multiple countries, including those preparing to manage substantial proceeds from a business sale. The suitability of the arrangement will reflect the jurisdictions involved, the assets being transferred and the level of ongoing investment support required.

2. HSBC Global Private Banking

Firm structure: The private banking division of HSBC, an international banking group. It combines private banking and wealth management with specialist support for family enterprises and multigenerational wealth planning.
How it helps with succession: HSBC's Family Enterprise Succession Services address business transfers to the next generation, business exits, family governance, and family office establishment. This can help owners coordinate the future of their companies with the family's broader financial objectives, including preparing successors and preserving wealth after a sale.
Costs and minimums: HSBC Private Banking's published eligibility thresholds include £1.5 million in assets for its UK and HSBC Expat offering and US$2 million in qualifying assets or deposits for certain Hong Kong and UAE offerings. These thresholds vary by market and should not be treated as universal requirements for Family Enterprise Succession Services. Fees for succession-related advice are not listed in a single public global schedule.
Regulatory status: HSBC's private banking services are delivered through locally regulated HSBC entities. The applicable entity, permissions, and client eligibility requirements vary by jurisdiction.
Key considerations: Private banking eligibility may exclude business owners who do not meet the relevant wealth thresholds. Although HSBC offers family enterprise succession support, complex legal transfers, jurisdiction-specific tax advice, and certain corporate transactions may still require external specialists.

3. UBS Family Office Solutions

Firm structure: UBS is a global wealth management and financial services group. Its Family Office Solutions offering supports ultra-high-net-worth families and family offices with wealth management, governance, and succession-related planning.
How it helps with succession: UBS supports business succession planning, pre- and post-sale liquidity strategies, family governance, next-generation education, and wealth preservation. This is particularly relevant to founders preparing to sell a business and manage the proceeds, or families coordinating company interests with investments and intergenerational wealth transfers.
Costs and minimums: UBS' US Family Office Solutions offering specifies a minimum net worth of US$50 million. This threshold applies to that particular offering, not necessarily to UBS's other wealth management services. Fees are tailored to the services and client relationship.
Regulatory status: UBS provides financial services through regulated entities across multiple jurisdictions. The applicable regulatory framework depends on the UBS entity, service, and client's location.
Key considerations: The US$50 million threshold places this particular family office offering beyond the reach of many business owners. Its family office and wealth management services also do not necessarily replace the corporate legal, tax, and transaction specialists required to execute a business transfer or sale.

4. Deloitte Private

Firm structure: Deloitte Private is Deloitte's offering for private businesses, family enterprises, and privately owned groups. Unlike a private bank or investment adviser, it operates within a professional services network, drawing on relevant consulting, tax, legal (where permitted), and transaction advisory capabilities through its member firms.
How it helps with succession: Deloitte can help family businesses assess succession readiness, develop governance arrangements, prepare future leaders, and address relevant tax or transaction issues. Its advisory work is particularly relevant when the challenge involves transferring management responsibilities, formalizing family decision-making, or preparing a company for a change in ownership. Available services vary by country and engagement.
Costs and minimums: No universal investable asset minimum is published for the succession consulting services discussed here. Fees are generally engagement-based and reflect the project's scope, complexity, jurisdictions, and specialist teams required.
Regulatory status: Deloitte operates through a network of legally separate member firms and related entities. The applicable professional permissions depend on the country and service, particularly where regulated tax, legal, audit, or other professional work is involved.
Key considerations: Deloitte is a professional services provide, not a conventional wealth manager. Although it can advise on business succession, governance, and related tax or transaction matters, ongoing investment management and personal portfolio planning may require a separate wealth adviser or private bank.

5. Withers

Firm structure: Withers is an international law firm specializing in private client and business-related legal services. Its private client practice advises high-net-worth individuals, families, entrepreneurs, and business owners, with offices across Europe, the US, and Asia-Pacific. Its services include succession planning, estate planning, trust management, and wealth structuring.
How it helps with succession: Withers advises business owners on transferring wealth between generations, structuring trusts, coordinating cross-border estates, and addressing family governance issues. Its published case studies include advising entrepreneurs on succession and wealth preservation before a business sale, as well as helping families coordinate business interests and inheritance arrangements across multiple jurisdictions.
Costs and minimums: Withers publishes UK probate and estate administration fees ranging from £4,000 to £100,000 for specified estate types, excluding VAT and disbursements. Complex estates involving overseas assets are priced according to their circumstances. These figures apply to probate and estate administration, not necessarily to business succession or cross-border wealth planning.
Regulatory status: Legal services are delivered through the relevant Withers legal entities and offices, subject to the professional rules and authorizations applicable in each jurisdiction. For example, its Singapore practice operates as Withers KhattarWong LLP.
Key considerations: Withers focuses on legal, tax, and private client advisory work rather than providing a complete investment management service. Business owners may need a separate wealth adviser to manage investment portfolios and a corporate finance adviser to execute a business sale.

What are the best practices for family business succession planning?

The best practices for family business succession planning include starting early, documenting ownership and leadership arrangements, preparing future leaders, communicating with family members, and reviewing the plan as circumstances change.

Start Before a Sale or Retirement Becomes Imminent

Succession planning is more effective when owners have time to consider alternatives, prepare potential successors, and address tax or ownership issues before a transition becomes urgent.

Early preparation also gives the company time to reduce dependence on its founder.

Separate Ownership From Management

An heir does not necessarily need to become the company's chief executive to inherit its economic value.

Families can consider arrangements in which ownership remains within the family while day-to-day management passes to a qualified relative or an external executive.

The right structure depends on the company's governance, shareholder rights, family objectives, and applicable law.

Document the Plan and Prepare for Unexpected Events

The plan should set out intended successors, ownership transfer arrangements, decision-making responsibilities, and contingencies for death or incapacity.

It should be consistent with relevant wills, shareholder agreements, company documents, and insurance arrangements.

Documentation is particularly important when a company has multiple shareholders or operates across borders.

Involve the Next Generation

Potential successors need more than a formal title.

Training, experience, mentoring, and clearly defined milestones help prepare them for leadership and financial responsibility.

Family members should also understand how the business supports the family's wealth and what the succession plan means for those who do not work in the company.

Review the Plan Regularly

A succession plan should change when the business grows, the family structure changes, an owner relocates, or tax and legal rules are amended.

Regular reviews help ensure that documents, ownership arrangements, and financial assumptions remain aligned with the family's objectives.

Conclusion

Succession planning can also reveal a question that business owners rarely address when building a company: what role should the business play in the family's future once its founder is no longer at the helm?

For some families, retaining the company preserves a legacy; for others, selling it may provide greater financial freedom or allow the next generation to pursue different ambitions.

The desired outcome should shape the succession strategy, not the other way around.

Before choosing a firm, owners should be clear about what they want the transition to achieve.

A well-defined objective gives advisers a practical basis for evaluating structures, weighing alternatives, and measuring whether the eventual outcome serves the family as intended.

FAQs

What are the 5 D's of succession planning?

The 5 D's of business succession planning are death, disability, divorce, disagreement, and distress.

These events can force an unexpected change in business ownership or leadership, so a succession plan should establish how the company will continue operating and how ownership interests will be handled in each scenario.

What are the common problems associated with succession planning?

Common succession planning problems include failing to identify a suitable successor, delaying decisions, family disagreements, inadequate leadership preparation, unclear ownership arrangements, and unexpected tax or legal complications.

For expat business owners, conflicting rules across jurisdictions can further complicate transfers, making early planning and clear agreements essential.

Who handles succession planning?

Succession planning is typically coordinated by the business owner with support from financial advisers, corporate lawyers, tax specialists, and, where appropriate, private banks or family office advisers.

For expat business owners, a lead adviser can coordinate these specialists to align business ownership transfers, tax obligations, and family wealth objectives across the relevant jurisdictions.

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