Bringing together senior voices from both planning and litigation, this session explores the reality behind complex family structures and disputes. While well-designed plans aim to preserve wealth and harmony, the truth is that families fall out, structures are challenged, and disputes can escalate into litigation. Through real-world examples and firsthand experiences — including high-profile cases such as Wong — speakers will share practical lessons on what can go wrong, why it happens, and what lawyers can learn from it. 

Family offices are becoming an increasingly powerful force in the private wealth landscape, bringing more players into the management of wealth. With insights from an experienced trustee and family office expert, this session will explore whether family offices are reshaping the role of traditional advisers, and where lawyers sit within this evolving dynamic. We’ll also examine the tensions that can arise between lawyers, wealth managers, trustees, and in-house teams — and what effective collaboration looks like in practice.

Wealthy families are more mobile than ever, but their legal, tax and succession structures often struggle to keep pace; advisers must navigate increasingly complex cross-border challenges. This session explores the practical realities of advising internationally mobile clients, including tax residency issues, conflicting advice from different jurisdictions, and the risks that arise when family, assets and decision-makers are located around the world.  

What does effective leadership look like in a modern law firm? This session explores how to get the best out of people and teams, from handling difficult personalities to fostering collaboration and positive working environments. We’ll look at how leaders can adapt their style to suit different individuals — including more introverted team members — and how to create a culture where people can develop and flourish, without assuming everyone is driven by the same goals, such as partnership. 

As a new generation enters and reshapes the legal profession, expectations around leadership are changing. This session focuses on what drives people to stay, grow, and succeed within a firm today. What motivates individuals? What kind of leadership encourages engagement, loyalty, and high performance? We’ll explore how firms can evolve to meet these expectations and support a more diverse range of ambitions, working styles, and career paths.