Recommended Structures for Middle Eastern Clients

INTRODUCTION Appleby is the leading provider of offshore legal and fiduciary services to individuals, families and businesses in the Middle East. In 2010 The Lawyer named Appleby as Offshore Law Firm of the year. Our clients range from ruling families, to multinational companies, to wealthy individuals seeking to structure their personal and business assets with a view to the future.

With offices in eight major offshore jurisdictions including Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Guernsey, the Isle of Man, Jersey, Mauritius and the Seychelles as well as offices in London, Hong Kong, Zurich and Bahrain, we offer our Middle East clients an unequalled choice of offshore jurisdictions and a full range of legal, fiduciary and administration services.

Over 800 lawyers and professional specialists deliver sophisticated, specialised services, primarily in the areas of Corporate and Commercial; Litigation and Insolvency; Private Client and Trusts; and Property. We advise global public and private companies, financial institutions, and high net worth individuals, working with them and their advisers to achieve practical solutions, whether in a single location or across multiple jurisdictions.

PRIVATE, FAMILY AND BUSINESS STRUCTURES With the use of offshore structures, families and individuals can ensure that:

Personal wealth is held in a safe and discreet manner Wealth is preserved for the benefit of future generations Businesses are run in an efficient and secure manner Assets are protected from claims by future creditors or against local rules which apply to asset distribution upon death Family members can play an active role in relation to the management of family trusts Appleby has been advising clients on family business holding structures and succession planning with the use of family offices, private trust companies, conventional trusts and foundations, and asset holding vehicles for more than a century and can adapt any such structures to work within Shari'a principles whenever required.

In this brochure, we explore some of the structures which may bring significant benefits to you and your clients.

STRUCTURES 1. Asset Protection Trust The purpose of the asset protection trust ("APT") is to allow the settlor to protect and preserve his assets from future creditors by placing the property and/or cash into a trust so that the settlor no longer has ownership of the settled property and such property is therefore not available...