Family Investment Companies

Setting up family investment companies requires a specialist cross-disciplinary legal team with extensive private client and corporate expertise to ensure the right structures are put in place. Our team will work with you and your tax advisers to ensure the company is created to effectively protect and manage your wealth for the next generation.

Meet the team

Introduction to family investment companies

A family investment company can be a tax-efficient and practical way to manage the succession of your assets. You should think of it as a long-term estate planning strategy – at least seven years for inheritance tax purposes but more likely 15 to 20 years.

As the name suggests, a family investment company involves setting up a company and funding that company, either by loans or subscribing for shares (and often a mixture of both). Often as the founder of the company, you will remain as a director, controlling the day to day management of the company. You create different classes of shares and can allocate these to different family members or family trusts. Each share class can have different rights and the shareholders can benefit in different ways, allowing you to tailor your approach to suit your family. Bespoke articles of association and shareholders’ agreements can provide further asset protection and control as required.

What we do

We will start by establishing the fundamentals of your situation to confirm that a family investment company is the right route for you to take. If suitable, we will tailor the corporate structure and funding arrangements to suit your needs and objectives.

Your matter will be principally handled by our private client team and you will have a single point of contact throughout. However, a family investment company also requires the input of corporate legal experts and we will draw on the services of our corporate team as required. We will also liaise closely with your accountant or financial advisor, who in many cases will have been the person who referred you to us.

Once the family investment company has been established, we will stay in regular contact and advise you if there are any changes in the legal or tax landscape that could affect the purpose of your arrangements.

Solicitor talking to two clients sitting opposite to him on a table

Our clients

A family investment company is often suitable for those with a history of running companies, whose priorities are to retain control over the use of the company assets but pass on wealth to the next generation. They can be very effect if you have children or grandchildren who are not yet ready to manage significant wealth themselves, but who you would like to be able to benefit and who may become more involved in the running of the company in the future.

A guide to family investment companies

Our Private Wealth sector

Clients who have built a significant assets base may face a complex legal and tax landscape. Our experts, who cover a range of legal disciplines, are on hand to provide specialist legal guidance and support to help individuals, their families, trustees and family offices.

Services from our Private Wealth team

Legal insights and thought leadership

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Hear what our clients say about us

The Chambers and Partners Guide said ‘HCR Law provides a strong commercial and practical approach that provides clients with an excellent level of advice and support’ and ‘The team has superb knowledge of all property aspects.’

Client testimonial Chambers & Partners

Acting for a range of investors, occupiers, developers, and private individuals, HCR Law is well placed to act in disputes surrounding rent reviews, lease break options, and forfeitures, in addition to boundary disputes and right of way issues.

Client testimonial Legal 500

From the very start, I felt I had full confidence in the practice. I was extremely comfortable with how they dealt with everything from the outset and reassured me in all matters. They had a plan of action and dealt concisely with each matter as it arose.

Client testimonial Legal 500

For me, Kate Hallifax, at the Cheltenham office, was professional, approachable and her expertise immeasurable. To have someone on your side is such a relief when you have never dealt with anything like it before, and they confidently deal with everything. The whole team worked well and certainly went above and beyond on several occasions.

Client testimonial Legal 500

Andrew Cave is an experienced property litigator and a safe pair of hands. He applies a lot of common sense and is outcomes focused.

Client testimonial Legal 500

We were impressed with the manner in which both Steven and Ian were quickly able to appreciate and understand the key commercial and family dynamic issues and turn this into a transparent and effective strategy. Throughout the whole process, they presented a professional and firmly assertive approach which resulted in a settlement being achieved in an excellently negotiated manner.

We would have no hesitation, and indeed it is a great pleasure, in recommending HCR to any prospective client, as they provide an increasingly rare commodity – effective litigation combined with integrity, transparency, competitive fees and excellent client communication.

Client testimonial Dispute resolution

I want to thank Ian for all his time, patience & efforts. He has been a delight to deal with, and I would recommend his services to anyone in need of them.

Client testimonial Restrictive Covenants Dispute

Tom Williams is also noted, focusing on disputes over the supply of goods and service as well as the enforcement of restrictive covenants.

Legal 500 2025 Dispute Resolution

HCR Law’s disputes knowledge is diverse, with experience in unfair prejudice, contractual and shareholder disputes.

Legal 500 2025 Dispute Resolution

HCR Law is well versed in the intricacies of technology focused commercial disputes, and has also demonstrated an ability to work across jurisdictions and handle disputes with international elements.

The Legal 500 2025 Dispute Resolution

Tom Williams at HCR Law successfully contested the contract and negotiated an excellent outcome.

Client testimonial Dispute Resolution

Tahlia is acting for us in relation to a £7 million claim. She is guiding us through the litigation process brilliantly and is adept, well-connected and an excellent communicator.

The claim is technically complex, and Tahlia’s immense knowledge and experience makes navigating the difficult landscape of litigation much easier.

She has been great at helping us navigate some significant challenges that have arisen, is organised and keeps a keen eye on costs.

Client Claim in the Technology and Construction court

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