Offshore Asset Protection and Estate Planning

Matthew Smith | Southpac Group

Matthew Smith is a dual-qualified attorney who is originally from the UK but has lived and worked in New Zealand since 2016. He joined Southpac Group’s legal team in 2017 and was appointed as General Counsel in 2020 before assuming the role of Group General Manager in 2023. Matthew has worked closely with many of Southpac’s clients and referrers during his time with the company.

He is passionate about providing world-class fiduciary services to enable clients to safeguard their assets and protect their legacies. Matthew obtained a Trust and Estate Practitioner designation from STEP, the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners, in 2021 after passing the STEP Diploma in International Trust Management with distinction. Hereceived three STEP Excellence Awards for achieving the highest total STEP Diploma score worldwide, as well as the highest score in two individual Diploma papers.

Marcos Almeida | Southpac Group

Marcos Almeida is a seasoned attorney with over 18 years of experience in the legal industry and 13 years in practice, specialising in trusts and estates. As the Head of Legal and Client Services at Southpac Group, Marcos leads a team of lawyers and paralegals, advising trustees and spearheading client relationships globally. He is a regular at international conferences and maintains close collaborations with attorneys, banks, and investment advisors worldwide. Marcos joined Southpac in 2018 after earning a Post-Graduate Diploma in Applied Business in New Zealand and further solidified his expertise by obtaining a STEP Diploma in International Trust Management and TEP (Trust and Estate Practitioner) designation.

Prior to moving to New Zealand, Marcos served as the legal manager for Itaú Unibanco, Latin America’s largest bank, where he led a successful legal team, reducing litigation costs and achieving a remarkable success rate in court cases. His leadership extends to his previous role as Managing Director of his law firm in Brazil, where he drove significant growth.

Guy Carson | Southpac Group

Guy Carson joined Southpac Group in 2019. As the Head of Banking, Investment and Commercial Services he manages the company’s relationships with partner banks and investment advisors. In addition he looks to connect clients with the investment and banking solutions that meet their needs. Guy has over 17 years’ investment experience as an analyst and fund manager.

In 2017 he stepped out of Commonwealth Private Bank in Australia where hehad responsibility for all of the direct equity strategies and oversaw over $1bn of Funds Under Advice in order to run his own funds management business, Quick Brown Fox Asset  Management. Prior to Commonwealth Bank, he held Portfolio Manager roles at Clime Investment Management and Adam Smith Asset Management. He started his career as an Investment Analyst at Macquarie Private Bank analysing investments across all asset classes.Guy holds a BCom and MBus from the University of Otago. He has also completed the New Zealand Certificate in Financial Services (Level 5) (Investment).

About Southpac Group

Southpac Group has been helping clients protect and grow their wealth since 1982. From its New Zealand Group office Southpac connects HNWI clients from all over the world – but mostly the US – with its trustee companies in the Cook Islands, Nevis and New Zealand, and with custodians and investment managers in multiple jurisdictions. Its team of qualified professionals ensures that Southpac trustees are proactive and proficient in fulfilling their fiduciary duties. In addition to trust and company registration services, Southpac offers corporate protector, director, manager, secretary, and foundation council member services.

Find out more at https://southpacgroup.com/

I. Comparison of offshore vs domestic solutions | 1:00pm – 1:20pm

II. Key offshore jurisdictions and their asset protection laws | 1:20pm – 1:40pm

III. International banking and investment options | 1:40pm – 2:00pm

Break | 2:00pm – 2:10pm

IV. How to set up and maintain offshore structures and work with an offshore trustee | 2:10pm – 2:30pm

V. Tax, compliance and reporting | 2:30pm – 2:50pm

VI. Mythbusting | 2:50pm – 3:10pm