Speakers

Conference chairman

Henry Christensen III, partner, McDermott Will & Emery, USA
LISTEN TO HENRY CHRISTENSEN INTRODUCE THE EVENT (AUDIO)

HENRY CHRISTENSEN III is a member of the international law firm of McDermott Will & Emery, LLP, where he is the managing partner of their private clients practice group in New York City, and of their international private clients practice. Mr. Christensen conducts an active world wide practice advising clients in connection with their tax and estate planning and in tax and probate dispute work, and has an extensive international estate planning practice. He is the former Chair of the International Committee of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (“ACTEC”) and is a Regent of ACTEC. He is the President of the International Academy of Estate and Trust Law (“IAETL”). He is an honors graduate of Yale College and Harvard Law School.

Mr. Christensen teaches courses in International Estate Planning in the graduate estate planning program at the University of Miami Law School and in the graduate tax program at New York University Law School. He has written and lectured widely on various tax and estate planning subjects, including at the Heckerling Institute, ALI-ABA, ACTEC, the IAETL and PLI. He is the author of the treatise, International Estate Planning, published by Matthew Bender & Co. (2d edition, Sept. 1999), updated annually.

Keynote speakers

Roger Nightingale

Roger was born in 1945. He is married with five children.

He was educated first at Keele University and then at UCL. He has Bachelors degrees in Pure Maths and Economics, and a Masters in Statistics.
After leaving the academic world, he worked initially for Hoare Govett. Joining the company in 1968 as a research economist, he had become a member of the main board by 1982. In 1988, after big bang, he set up his own consultancy, serving investment clients in Europe the Americas and Asia. He also joined a small number of companies in a non-executive role. He became a well-known commentator on the global economy and international securities scene. A frequent guest on TV networks such as Bloomberg, Cnbc, Fox News and CNN, he wrote regularly for a number of newspapers, magazines and in-house periodicals.
His speaking career began many years ago—as a by-product of his broking activities. Presenting initially to clients, he was invited later to address wider audiences. Before long, he found he’d become a member of the “Conference Circuit.” These days, he speaks at more than 20-30 events a year.
His outside interests are eclectic. He’s a keen observer (no longer a player) of cricket and rugby and an enthusiastic listener to (not a player of) Mozart. He reads widely, particularly European history; and he collects dictionaries, particularly early editions.

He’s fascinated by the interaction of politics and economics; the consequences for official policy of economics trends; and for economics trends of official policy.
He has strong views on the superannuation sector. He’s written widely on the mathematics of pensions provision. And he regrets the calculated complacency of Governments in this area.
He’s currently writing a book. It focuses on cycles—economics, financial and political. It asks whether the world is driven by circumstances that are wholly random, or partially recurring. Whether the nature of human psychology is such that patterns of behaviour become auto-correlated. It asks, indeed, if there are similarities between now and the thirties. And, if so, whether anything can be done to lessen the dangers.

Guest speakers

Sir Ranulph Fiennes
First to reach both Poles (with Charles Burton).
First to cross Antarctic and Arctic Ocean (with Charles Burton).
First to circumnavigate the world along its polar axis (with Charles Burton).
Led the first hovercraft expedition up the longest river in the world (the Nile) in 1968/1969.
Achieved world record for unsupported northerly polar travel in 1990.
Led the team that discovered the lost city of Ubar on the Yemeni border in 1992 (after seven previous search expeditions over a 26 year period).
Achieved world first in 1992/1993 by completing the first unsupported crossing of the Antarctic Continent (with Mike Stroud). This was the longest unsupported polar journey in history.
In 2003, only 3* months after a massive heart attack, 3 day coma and double bypass, Ranulph Fiennes (with Mike Stroud) achieved the first 7x7x7 (Seven marathons in only seven days on all seven continents).
March 2005, climbed Everest (Tibet-side) to within 300m of summit raising £2 million for the British Heart Foundations new research MRI scanner.
March 2007, Sir Ranulph climbed the North Face of the Eiger and raised £1.8 million for Marie Curie Cancer Care’s delivering Choice Programme Winner of ITV Greatest Britons 2007 Sport Award.
May 2008, climbed Everest (Nepal-side) to within 400m from summit raising £2.6m for Marie Curie Cancer Care Delivering Choice Programme Marie Curie 2008 ‘Above and Beyond Award’ Winner.
Successfully summitted Everest May 2009 To date Ranulph Fiennes has raised over £13 million.

Vernon Ellis
Vernon Ellis is Chairman of Engish National Opera (ENO), the Classical Opera Company, and the Sacconi Trust, and is a trustee of the Royal College of Music, the Kathleen Ferrier Awards, the Young Singers Welfare Foundation, the Leopold Trust and the Florestan Trust. His wife is a trustee of British Youth Opera. Vernon was formerly International Chairman at Accenture and is a major individual donor through his own foundation. He is also Chairman of Martin Randall Travel, a leading cultural travel operator.

Speakers

Bijal Ajinkya, partner, Nishith Desai, India
Bijal heads the international tax practice at the firm. She is a practice head of the Funds Practice Group and is actively involved in advising clients on fund formation including advice related to structuring, documentation, regulatory approvals, etc. She is a lawyer and has earned her masters in international law.
Her practice includes international taxation, structuring of inbound/outbound investments, structuring of offshore funds, taxation of EPC contracts, taxation of e-commerce and software contracts, and international tax litigation. She is a member of the International Bar Association and the Bar Council of Maharashtra & Goa. Bijal was a special lecturer at the Xavier's Institute of Management on International Law.

Robert Amsterdam, partner, Amsterdam & Peroff, Canada

Jonathan Burt, managing director, Barclays Wealth, UK
Jonathan Burt is Head of Family and Intermediary Solutions, a part of the Wealth Advisory business of Barclays Wealth in London, which he joined in January 2008, having previously been a partner in Baker & McKenzie’s Private Banking Department.
His experience is in working with high net worth families, their trustees and legal and tax advisors on a range of wealth structuring related issues including cross-border taxation, the creation and efficient running of trust structures and the tax treatment of investment products.

Steven Cantor, managing partner, Cantor & Webb, USA
For over 25 years, Mr. Cantor has lectured and written extensively on United States tax and estate planning issues affecting high net worth international families.
His expertise has been recognized in the 2009 editions of Chambers Global, Citywealth Magazine, Best Lawyers in America, Florida Trend Magazine Legal Elite; and Top Lawyers in South Florida.
Mr. Cantor has served as Chairman of the STEP Miami Branch, as a member of STEP Worldwide Council, and as a founding member of the Caribbean Conference.
He is a member of the bar in Florida, New York and the District of Columbia.

John Carrell, partner, Farrer & Co, UK

Walid Chiniara, principal, SHOORA – Family Business Advisors, UAE
Walid S. Chiniara is a Counselor-at-law, a Family Business Advisor and a Mediator.
He advises families in business and UHNW family entrepreneurs in the GCC and the MENA region in the areas of wealth preservation, succession planning and governance. He also specializes in managing inter-generational conflicts within family firms.
Walid is a member of the Quebec Bar, the Family Firm Institute and STEP. He sits on the advisory board of a number of Middle-Eastern family offices.
In 2007, Walid founded SHOORA – Family Business Advisors LLC, the first virtual multi-family office in the Middle East. He is based in Dubai.

Geoff Cook, chief executive, Jersey Finance, Channel Islands

Richard Hay, principal, Stikeman Elliott, Canada

Chris Kenny, investment director, Smith & Williamson, UK

Xandra Kleine-van Dijk, partner, Spigthoff, The Netherlands Antilles
Alexandra M. Kleine-van Dijk (1959) heads since June 2003 the tax practice of Spigthoff attorneys and tax lawyers in Curaçao.
Xandra studied tax law at the University of Amsterdam. In 1990-1991 she worked for Baker in Washington D.C., USA and followed several courses at the Georgetown University. In 1998 she moved to Curaçao to join PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Xandra has been advising international clients with structuring their international position and guiding them through the Antilles loopholes as well as profitable facilities. Contact with the relevant tax authorities as well as other departments are part of her practice.
Xandra is married and has two teenagers.

Ineke Koele, partner, Benvalor, The Netherlands
Ineke A. Koele is an experienced lawyer specialist in international tax, trust and charity matters where integrated advice (legal-tax-international) is required. She is founder and partner of Benvalor lawyers & tax advisors, the Netherlands. Before starting Benvalor, she was a partner for ten years with Van Mens & Wisselink, where she headed the International Private Clients & Charities group.

Ineke is a regular speaker on international private clients matters and on international aspects of charities and private foundations and is the author of many publications in these areas.

Clients include national and international closely held companies, families, individuals, charities, large NGO’s and private foundations.

Mark Lea, managing director, Lea & White International, Hong Kong

Paul Patterson, head RBC Wealth Management British Isles
Based in Jersey, he oversees RBC’s international wealth management operations in Jersey, Guernsey and London. In addition he is responsible for the global trust business of RBC Wealth Management.
Paul earned his Bachelor of Commerce degree at Carleton University, Ottawa, in 1984, majoring in finance and investment.
Having joined RBC in 1985, Paul has since held various positions both domestically and internationally. In 1996 he was transferred to the Caribbean as Managing Director of Royal Bank of Canada Trust Company (Bahamas) Limited, responsible for the private banking and trust operations as well as oversight of RBC Wealth Management’s operations in the Cayman Islands and Bermuda. Three years later, he assumed responsibility for the wealth management businesses in the Caribbean region. In 2001 Paul returned to Toronto to oversee the operations of the Caribbean and USA through general management of three subsidiaries in the Bahamas, the Cayman Islands and Barbados, together with RBC Wealth Management offices in Miami and New York. Paul moved to Jersey in 2004.
Paul is past Chairman of Association of International Banks and Trust Companies of the Bahamas and is currently Chairman of RBC Wealth Management’s Global Trust Advisory Board.

Michael Pfeifer, partner, Caplin & Drysdale, USA

Sebastian Prichard Jones, partner, Macfarlanes, UK

Philippe Pulfer, partner, Froriep Renggli, Switzerland
Philippe Pulfer is a partner of Froriep Renggli, one of Switzerland's main law firms with offices in Geneva, Zurich, Zug, Lausanne, London and Madrid.
He specialises in private client work, estate and tax planning with an international focus, and related litigation. He is a frequent adviser to families, banks and lawyers in other jurisdictions, in particular UK solicitors. He is also involved in art law and sits on the board of philanthropic organisations focusing on art and architecture.
Philippe Pulfer holds a law degree from the University of Geneva and was admitted to the bar in 1995, having trained for a time at the Geneva Court of Appeal. He then worked as a foreign associate with a major Chicago law firm. He has been with Froriep Renggli since 1996 and worked in this firm's London office from 2001 to 2003.
Philippe Pulfer is a committee member and the Education Secretary of STEP Suisse Romande and a member of the Education Committee of STEP Worldwide.

Mariano Roca López, head of private client, Cuatrecasas, Spain

Francis Rojas, partner, Withers, Switzerland

Joshua Rubenstein, co-managnig partner, Katten Muchin Rosenman, USA
Fellow and Regent, American College of Trusts and Estates Counsel. Academician and Trustee, International Academy of Estates and Trusts Law. Former Chair, International Committee of Real Property, Trust and Estate Law Section, American Bar Association. Member, Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners. Fellow, New York Bar Foundation. Former Chair, Trust and Estates Law Section, New York Bar Association. Officer, Family Law Section of International Bar Association. Band One, Chambers. Adjunct Professor, Brooklyn Law School. Author, LexisNexis Answer Guide, New York Surrogate’s Court. J.D., Columbia University School of Law.

Simon Rylatt, partner, Boodle Hatfield, UK
Simon specialises in UK and international tax and estate planning for individuals and trusts as well as advising on high value, contentious trust and estate disputes for both onshore and offshore clients. He additionally advises on estate planning strategies for wealthy families and their businesses (including wealth protection structures, governance, divorce issues, pre- and post-nuptial agreements and generational succession planning). Simon joined Boodle Hatfield in 2000 becoming an associate in 2003 and a partner in 2005. He is also a member of the Association of Contentious Trust and Probate Specialists (ACTAPS) and the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners where he sits on the editorial board for the STEP Journal.

Alexander Skoblo, partner, Salans, Russia

Edward Stone, head of trust & private client (London), Conyers Dill & Pearman, Bermuda

Shân Warnock-Smith QC, 5 Stone Buildings, UK
Shân Warnock-Smith Q.C. is both an adviser and a litigator in the whole range of trust and succession matters. She is ranked among the leading Silks in her field and has appeared in a number of the most important private client cases of recent years. Shân has an international practice, taking her around the globe to advise and to litigate both in UK and elsewhere. She specialises in wealth structuring for international families, with and without the involvement of the court. Shân is also a specialist mediator of trust and succession disputes.

Rob Withecombe, head of wealth advisory, Barclays Wealth, UK

Simon Weil, partner, Bircham Dyson Bell, UK
Simon Weil specialises in charities, philanthropy, tax-planning, investment property for charities and the resolution of potentially contentious issues arising out of Wills, trusts and co-ownership of property for charities and private clients and has been a Partner at Bircham Dyson Bell LLP since 1983. Simon has helped to pioneer the development of real property investment pooling schemes for charities and advised in the creation of the Absolute Return Trust for Charities, the first common investment fund of hedge funds. He is also the Chair of the European Association for Philanthropy and Giving (EAPG).