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

Services from our Private Client team

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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Recognition of our work

Cambridge Law Society Private Client Services Team of the Year

Cambridge Law Society Private Client Services Team of the Year
Investors in People

Investors in People

Legal 500 2026 – Top Tier Firm

Legal 500 2026 – Top Tier Firm

Hear what our clients say about us

Stewart is very smart; it’s always a pleasure working with him. He is always thinking about the strategic considerations of a case.

Client testimonial Chambers 2026

Natalie is a very good litigator who is very dedicated to her clients and incredibly hard-working.

Client testimonial Chambers 2026

Kate continues to provide an excellent service. She combines a strong knowledge base with an excellent understanding of what clients are seeking to achieve.

Client testimonial Chambers 2026

Elizabeth Beatty is very well respected when it comes to large shareholder disputes. She is trusted by clients and judges and respected by opponents.

Client testimonial Chambers 2026

Dominic Hopkins is simply an excellent lawyer – reassuringly old-school and extremely commercially astute.

Client testimonial Chambers 2026

Ben is very sound, very solid, very thorough and a safe pair of hands.

Client testimonial Chambers 2026

Andrew is a very experienced individual with a great breadth and depth of knowledge. He is always personable and focused on getting results for the client.

Client testimonial Chambers 2026

Adam Finch always has a strong grip on matters at every stage.

Client testimonial Chambers 2026

We would like to take this final opportunity to thank you for all your help, patience and advice in getting the matter successfully settled. You have always been there when we have been in need, with guidance, diplomacy and patience which has helped us so much. It has been a difficult time and such a relief that it is now settled.

Client testimonial Business dispute

We spent years looking for a team with the correct expertise, professionalism, drive and responsiveness to handle our complex legal matter and dispute. This team was exactly that. Had they not been instructed we likely wouldn’t have reached a resolution at all, never mind one that was thorough and legally sound.

Client testimonial Legal 500 2026

Natalie Minott is an exceptional lawyer with a unique set of skills that set her apart from most lawyers that I have ever come across. She is technically excellent, responsive, level headed and professional and has the drive and expertise to lead a dispute to an appropriate resolution that both takes the stress away from her clients and shows real value.

Client testimonial Legal 500 2026

Andrew Walker has been growing the team across the firm’s offices to become a more significant player in the property/real estate litigation market; their locations and team mean they are able to offer a good balance between expertise and cost efficiency.

Client testimonial Legal 500 2026

How can we help you?