Zhao Min Chou
Zhao Min Chou
Senior Associate | WongPartnership
JURISDICTION
Singapore
TOP SPECIALISMS
Estates: Planning
Family Office
Trusts: Planning
Office Location
Singapore
Short Biography
Min is dual qualified in Singapore and Malaysia, which allows her to do various estate and succession planning in both countries. She also has considerable experience in cross border succession planning and structuring of diverse asset classes in multiple jurisdictions, such as Indonesia and China. Min is fluent in Mandarin Chinese and Malay. She frequently advises ultra high-net worth individuals and families on succession planning, setup of trust structures, asset protection, family business succession, family governance, as well as wills, probate and administration of estate matters. Min also advises clients on the establishment and management of family offices and fund vehicles, from structuring and incorporating the family offices and fund vehicles and making the relevant applications for tax incentives.
What is your favorite restaurant to take a client or colleague to?
What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
What was your first job?
What is the book you recommend to everyone?
What changes do you expect to see in your practice over the next year?
Yi Lee
Yi Lee
Managing Associate | Stephenson Harwood
JURISDICTION
TOP SPECIALISMS
Estates: Planning
Family Office
Trusts: Planning
Office Location
Singapore
Short Biography
Yi is a managing associate in Stephenson Harwood's Singapore private wealth team. She specialises in trusts and a broad range of private wealth matters ranging from establishing family offices, regulatory matters, charitable giving, international tax planning, relocation advisory and developing efficient succession planning structures. She is fluent in Mandarin and English and is passionate about mental health and wellness.
What is your favorite restaurant to take a client or colleague to?
What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
What was your first job?
What is the book you recommend to everyone?
What changes do you expect to see in your practice over the next year?
Wendy Sim
Wendy Sim
Managing Director | ZEDRA
JURISDICTION
TOP SPECIALISMS
Charitable Planning and Philanthropy
Family Governance and Business
Trusts & Trusteeship
Office Location
Singapore
Short Biography
Wendy has nearly three decades experience working for global financial institutions and private banks with expertise within the Trust, Wealth Structuring and Fiduciary sectors. During her career, she has worked extensively with multi-jurisdictional families and family offices, with varied assets and multiple cross border requirements. Her experience includes establishing and consulting on complex family holdings and governance structures for global clients with structures based in Asia. She also has expertise advising and establishing philanthropy related structures. Wendy is a former lawyer, who specialised in trust litigation and structuring during her time in legal practice. She holds a TEP qualification and is a past Treasurer of the Singapore Branch of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP). In addition, she is a faculty member of Wealth Management Institute, Singapore and a Senior Member of the Global-Asia Family Office Circle.
What is your favorite restaurant to take a client or colleague to?
What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
What was your first job?
What is the book you recommend to everyone?
What changes do you expect to see in your practice over the next year?
Vikna Rajah
Vikna Rajah
Executive Management Commitee Partner Head, Tax and Trusts & Private Client Practices Co-Head, Private Client | Rajah & Tann Singapore
JURISDICTION
TOP SPECIALISMS
Family Office
Trusts: Planning
Tax Advisory
Office Location
Singapore
Short Biography
I am a member of Rajah & Tann’s Executive Management Committee and head of the firm’s Tax and Trust & Private Client Practices. As a leading Trust & Private Wealth lawyer in South-east Asia, I am regularly engaged to advise leading trust companies and ultra-high net worth families to create family offices and multi-generational trusts that best address their succession planning needs. Most recently, I won “Lawyer of the Year” for Trusts and Estates in Singapore by The Best Lawyers in Singapore 2022, as well as “Private Client Lawyer of the Year” at The Asia Legal Awards 2017. I am recognised as one of the world’s Top 250 Private Client Lawyers by Legal Week’s Private Client Global Elite 2018. I am also ranked as a Leading Individual for Private Wealth by both The Legal 500 Asia Pacific since 2017 and the Chambers High Net Worth Guide since 2017.
What is your favorite restaurant to take a client or colleague to?
1880 Singapore
What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
"If you're not moving forward then you're falling behind."
What was your first job?
Commercial Litigation and International Arbitration
What is the book you recommend to everyone?
Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity, Book by Bill Gifford and Peter Attia
What changes do you expect to see in your practice over the next year?
An increase in Family Governance work
Valerie Chui
Valerie Chui
Director - Business Development | Trident Trust Company (Singapore) Pte. Limited
JURISDICTION
TOP SPECIALISMS
Estates: Planning
Family Office
Trusts: Planning
Office Location
Singapore
Short Biography
With a total of 10 years of industry experience, including four years spent providing trust and corporate administration services before moving into business development. Valerie has extensive knowledge of the North Asian market for private clients and expertise in establishing a broad range of structures from basic estate and legacy planning to complex trust structures for family business governance.
What is your favorite restaurant to take a client or colleague to?
What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
What was your first job?
What is the book you recommend to everyone?
What changes do you expect to see in your practice over the next year?
Timmoney Ng
Timmoney Ng
Tax Attorney | Butler Snow
JURISDICTION
TOP SPECIALISMS
Tax Advisory
Office Location
Singapore
Short Biography
Tim is an international tax attorney and focuses his practice on international emerging technology & crypto companies, venture capital, tax structuring for founders & investors, and US outbound & inbound international tax issues (e.g., PFIC, CFC, ECI, GILTI, FDAP, QSBS, portfolio interest exemption, and US tax nexus (also known as US trade or business)). He is experienced with working in the Asia-Pacific's budding technology and fund sectors, which has been a key focus of US technology investment, fundraising, and M&A activity.
What is your favorite restaurant to take a client or colleague to?
What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
What was your first job?
What is the book you recommend to everyone?
What changes do you expect to see in your practice over the next year?
Suzanne Johnston
Suzanne Johnston
Partner | Stephenson Harwood
JURISDICTION
TOP SPECIALISMS
Estates: Planning
Trusts: Planning
Tax Advisory
Office Location
Singapore
Short Biography
Suzanne heads Stephenson Harwood LLP's Singapore private wealth practice. She specialises in UK tax and international wealth planning, focusing on advising HNWI, professional trustees, family offices and private banks in Asia. She has in-depth experience across different practice areas within private wealth, and in multiple jurisdictions throughout the APAC region, bolstered by having lived and worked in Singapore for a decade. Suzanne was in-house legal counsel at a private bank and trust company, giving her a unique insight. She was recognised as a recommended lawyer for private wealth and family law by The Legal 500 2023 and ranked in Chambers & Partners High Net Worth Guide 2023 where she was praised as "exceptionally attentive" and "technically astounding". Suzanne writes on impact investing and acts as a mentor on her firm's female career progression programmes. She is passionate about raising awareness of infertility and baby loss in the legal sector.
What is your favorite restaurant to take a client or colleague to?
Luke's - best steak in Singapore!
What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
One story is good until another story is told.
What was your first job?
Selling shoes at "Barratts Shoes" in Preston for GBP2.00 per hour plus bonus for pushing shoe polish!
What is the book you recommend to everyone?
"The Silence In Between" by Josie Ferguson. I haven't read it yet, as it's only being published in June but Josie is my best friend so...
What changes do you expect to see in your practice over the next year?
I never "expect" anything but I hope we will continue to support each other and grow. I believe we have something special!
Stephanie Pierce
Stephanie Pierce
Managing Associate | Mishcon de Reya
JURISDICTION
TOP SPECIALISMS
Estates: Planning
Trusts: Planning
Tax Advisory
Office Location
Singapore
Short Biography
Stephanie is a Managing Associate in the Singapore office of Mishcon de Reya. She advises on cross-border succession and wealth structuring for high net worth and ultra high net worth international individuals and families, with particular expertise in UK tax and cross-border estate planning.
What is your favorite restaurant to take a client or colleague to?
What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
What was your first job?
What is the book you recommend to everyone?
What changes do you expect to see in your practice over the next year?
Stacy Choong
Stacy Choong
Partner | Withersworldwide
JURISDICTION
TOP SPECIALISMS
Estates: Planning
Family Office
Trusts & Trusteeship
Office Location
Singapore
Short Biography
Stacy advises individuals and families on their estate planning. This includes wills, trusts, family governance/constitution and family/shareholders' agreements, establishing family offices, private trust companies, family charities and foundations. She develops efficient holding structures and succession plans for clients in terms of their personal bankable wealth, real estate investments, special collections and their family businesses. Her practice focuses on families with multi-jurisdictional or multi-generational planning considerations and complex governance requirements. She offers a unique perspective on wealth planning with her experience as a legal advisor and client advisor in a private bank. Stacy was previously a managing director of the wealth advisory team of one of the top global private banks and advised high-net-worth clients on succession planning and wealth structuring. Prior to that, Stacy was a tax and private client partner in the largest full service law firm in Southeast Asia.
What is your favorite restaurant to take a client or colleague to?
What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
What was your first job?
What is the book you recommend to everyone?
What changes do you expect to see in your practice over the next year?
Samantha Ng
Samantha Ng
Senior Associate | Withersworldwide
JURISDICTION
Singapore
TOP SPECIALISMS
Family Governance and Business
Family Office
Trusts: Planning
Office Location
Singapore
Short Biography
Samantha Ng is a senior legal associate in the private client and tax team at Withers KhattarWong. She advises individuals and families on matters relating to their trusts, family governance/constitution and family/shareholders' agreements. She also assists with establishing family offices, private trust companies and family charities. She helps clients with developing efficient holding structures and succession plans, not just for their personal bankable wealth but also for their real estate investments, and their family businesses. Prior to joining Withers KhattarWong, Samantha was an associate in a boutique private client firm which regularly advised and represented private banks and ultra high net worth individuals on complex trust structuring and in contentious trust matters.
What is your favorite restaurant to take a client or colleague to?
What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
What was your first job?
What is the book you recommend to everyone?
What changes do you expect to see in your practice over the next year?