Strategic Succession Planning
Careful planning of wealth transfers to the next generation is essential to preserving value and avoiding disputes. This applies in particular to business succession, but equally to the transfer of private assets. Our aim is to develop bespoke concepts that ensure sustainable succession arrangements – personally, commercially and legally.
Asset Structuring and Will Drafting
Succession planning can be facilitated well before death by structuring family wealth – often through the use of corporate vehicles or foundations. We support clients by identifying and implementing suitable structuring options. Our goal is to ensure that each structure reflects the client’s personality, family circumstances and entrepreneurial tradition.
We also plan for the legal consequences on death by drafting wills, inheritance agreements and succession provisions in shareholders’ agreements. Well-balanced testamentary arrangements can significantly simplify estate administration – both personally and economically.
Our advice always takes full account of the family context, including marital property regimes and potential compulsory share (Pflichtteil) claims. Where necessary, we assist in reducing or preventing access to the estate by compulsory heirs through appropriate pre-death arrangements.
Our lawyers have extensive experience with complex estate planning structures, including cross-border issues. We regularly advise on succession planning for assets located abroad and incorporate foreign structuring options where appropriate.
Estate Administration and Executorship
In addition to preventive planning, we handle estate administrations by advising heirs, their businesses and executors, and by representing them before authorities and courts. Our structured and experienced approach ensures the efficient implementation of all necessary steps – from identifying estate assets to distributing them to heirs and legatees.
Our lawyers are also regularly appointed as executors, fulfilling the testators’ wishes with the highest degree of care and integrity. In every executorship, our objective is to implement our clients’ intentions efficiently and with long-term sustainability for their families.
Succession-Related Disputes
In contentious inheritance matters, our clients benefit from the extensive litigation expertise of our lawyers. We represent clients before state courts and arbitral tribunals, and several of our partners also act as arbitrators in succession matters.
Our litigation experience includes representing heirs and co-heirs, enforcing or defending compulsory share claims, disputes involving executors and challenges to testamentary dispositions. We handle these economically and personally significant disputes with deep experience, sensitivity and tactical judgement.