Withers Bergman LLP

We have over 150 lawyers worldwide who concentrate on wills and succession planning for families. We advise on lifetime gifts, inter-vivos and post-mortem estate plans and issues related to the management and taxation of inter-generational transfer strategies.

We work to provide sophisticated advice to ensure that gift, estate, generation-skipping transfer taxes, wealth taxes and other forms of capital tax are minimized while endeavoring to maximize family flexibility when dealing with these issues. Structures may be designed to reduce future creditor risk, whether commercial or as a result of divorce or other family calamity.

While we tend to focus on issues related to the UK and US, we also undertake planning for international families, in particular from Russia and the CIS, and where appropriate, work with local experts in those jurisdictions where we may not be admitted.

We have qualified US, UK, Italian and Russian tax lawyers in Europe, English solicitors in the US, and UK, US and Hong Kong qualified lawyers in Hong Kong, so sophisticated advice from those jurisdictions can, in case of need, be rendered promptly and in the client's home time zone.

Succession planning in every country differs enormously. As do perceptions around succession planning - for example around 70% of the British people don't have a will. Whilst many people understand the importance of having a will and estate plan to safeguard their family's future, more often than not, making a one remains on the ‘too difficult' pile. When those individuals are living and working in a country they were not born in, this can often make the decision making process even harder.

FOCUS, along with Withers, an international law firm with specialist knowledge in cross-border estates and international succession, have put together a survey to help understand awareness levels of this important issue for foreign nationals living in the UK.

Recent work
 

• Advising a client selling a very valuable work of art on the most appropriate tax and gift- planning strategies, bearing in mind a significant charitable intent on the part of the family. Beneficiaries of the plan included family members, charitable trusts and a family-created charitable foundation. Significant tax savings were realized for family members resident in three different jurisdictions.
• Structuring a basket of different asset classes in a number of countries to minimize death duties for the client and to provide for the orderly transfer of those assets to future generations in a form in which the integrity of the underlying holding was maintained.
• Advising a Middle Eastern client with substantial investment assets in Western Europe and the United States in order to minimize death duties in the countries where such assets were owned and to structure the estate plan in conformity with applicable Sharia rules.

We are an equal opportunity employer committed to enhancing diversity within the workplace.

We recognize and value the benefits that a diverse workforce can bring to the organization. Diversity is not limited to gender and ethnicity, and includes factors such as religion or belief, disability, age, marital status and sexual orientation. All our employees and Partners are responsible for the promotion and advancement of equality and diversity within the Firm.

Much of our work on diversity in the last three years has been about putting good monitoring tools in place to ensure that we understand where the gaps are within our workforce, making changes to our strategies and communicating our policy on equal opportunities and diversity to our staff and training those involved in managing and recruiting others.

Since 2002, Withers has experienced a period of growth. The expansion of our client base has highlighted our clients' need for a highly skilled and diverse workforce. The business need to support diversity is evident and Chris Priestley (a Partner in our Commercial group) has been nominated to ensure that Diversity is high on the partnership agenda.

Diversity Audit

In 2006 we undertook our first diversity audit of our workforce, monitoring age, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity and disability. New joiners are monitored on an ongoing basis. Our diversity statistics are published below.

Communication of our commitment to Diversity

Each year our staff are asked to acknowledge their understanding of and commitment to the Firm’s Equal Opportunities Policy as part of our annual audit.

Our Supervisors and Partners receive training to ensure they understand their obligations in implementing our equal opportunity policy in the workplace.

In addition, all interview panelists are trained in the Firm’s approach to diversity and given guidance on our structured skill based approach to interviewing.

Promotion and Access to Development

Opportunities for promotion are communicated and made available to all staff on a fair and equal basis. A skills framework is used in all promotion, appraisal, and pay discussions to ensure a consistent and fair approach across the Firm.

Selection of candiates for promotion to 'Of Counsel or Partner' status is undertaken by a panel of Withers Partners, whose selection decisions are based upon technical expertise and pre-defined partner competencies.

Training is made available to all staff and Partners in line with our business needs. Training needs are recognized formally via our appraisal process, which is objective and skill based, to ensure a fair and equal approach.

Recognition for Diversity

Withers was ranked 2nd (out of the top 100 law firms) for having a high percentage of female equity partners in The Lawyer Career Report Survey 2006.

Withers also ranked 2nd (out of the top 50 firms) for Diversity with respect to women and ranked 1st for Diversity with respect for Gay and Lesbians in the Vault survey 2006.