The law firm has issued a new white paper series exploring the kind of points family offices should cover to have a solid grasp on the structures that are suitable for investment, the sensible ways to manage liquidity events, and other considerations.

Dentons, the international law firm, is exploring how family offices decide what structures and entities to use for managing investments. It is issuing a series of guides helping FOs to navigate an increasingly complex space.

Family office strategic considerations – pivotal questions family offices should ask their lawyer, is the first in a two-part series from the law firm.

The study outlines questions family office figures should ask such as: What are the key legal issues to consider before, during and after a liquidity event? Would our family office benefit from a holding-company structure? Should one or more trusts own the family office legal entity? What is a family office management company? Should we consider using a holding company for our investments? How can we use investment policy statements (IPSs) to help guide and interact with the family's investment advisors (in-house or outsourced)?

Many of the questions will be familiar to readers of a recent book by Edward Marshall and William Woodson (reviewed here). Marshall is now head of the family office practice at Dentons. (The editor of Family Wealth Report was recently interviewed by Dentons.)