This year, there have been major changes made to the Family Office Services Indices within the Spear’s 500, in order to better reflect the nuances within the industry.
This index, previously known as the Family Business Advisers index, has been renamed to better reflect the breadth and complexity of the roles undertaken by our advisers.
This list includes individuals who provide a range of services to families, including multiple family offices, family business advisers, advisers on family governance, and advisers to families wishing to establish a single family office, but not continuing its operation.
The index sits alongside the Family Office Services Index, which recognises advisers who work almost exclusively with family offices, providing services to them.
As such, both indices, published today alongside the Insurance Advisers index, include a number of new additions, as well as omissions. In many cases, advisers have simply been moved from one index to another that better reflects their current role.
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Jump to: Advisers to high-net-worth families: the complete list
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Best advisers to high-net-worth families: names to know
This list comprises a number of returning favourites and new additions, including Iraj Ispahani, of the eponymous Ispahani Advisory, who enters the index in the Top Flight ranking. Returning advisers Matthew Fleming, of Stonehage Fleming, and Peter Leach, of Peter Leach Associates, have also been promoted to Top Flight. Here are just a few of the names to know.
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David Bowen – Top Recommended
Firm: EY
A partner at EY, David Bowen operates within the Big Four firm’s private client practice service in London, leading the UK and Ireland family office and advisory arm and offering services that include benchmarking, risk reviewing and transforming existing structures.
Familiar with the complexities around both international and domestic structures, Bown specialises in helping international families design, build and operate single family offices.
Read David Bowen’s full profile at Spears500.com
Matthew Fleming – New to Top Flight
Firm: Stonehage Fleming
Drawing on his experience as a partner in his own family business, former cricketer and British Army officer Matthew Fleming founded Stonehage Fleming to support clients in developing and implementing strategies for intergenerational success. The firm provides advice on areas including wealth, trusts, asset management, philanthropy and more.
Read Matthew Fleming’s full profile at Spears500.com
Naomi Rive – Recommended
Firm: Highvern
Jersey-based Naomi Rive is a group director and head of private wealth at Highvern, the award-winning fiduciary and fund services provider. The role allows her to work closely with clients and advisers to set up robust and sustainable wealth planning structures.
‘It is a joy to come to work and see what challenge you are going to face, or what interesting opportunity you are going to get involved with,’ the adviser says of her multi-faceted role, which often involves working with families and individuals across different time zones.
Read Naomi Rive’s full profile on Spears500.com
Peter Leach – New to Top Flight
Firm: Peter Leach Associates
Described as the ‘founding father of family business thinking in the UK’, Peter Leach founded his eponymous firm in 2019. The wide-ranging practice covers advisory work with family enterprises.
Read Peter Leach’s full profile at Spears500.com
Lauri Oinaala – Recommended
Firm: EY
Based in Helsinki, Lauri Oinaala acts as an adviser to high-growth family enterprises across Europe, the Middle East, India and Africa. With more than 10 years exprience working within a family office and its entities, this well-connected adviser is well versed in family dynamics and helping family businesses find their purpose.
‘Successful succession requires knowledge and passion, as well as advanced governance and an open-minded approach to innovation and change,’ he says.
Read Lauri Oinaala’s full profile at Spears500.com
Methodology
In selecting and ranking the best advisers to HNW families, the Spear’s Research Unit conducts extensive research of the market, including interviews with well-informed observers, industry insiders and of course the advisers themselves. These take place both face-to-face, and on video and telephone calls. Candidates for inclusion are asked to fill in a form to provide data and a description of their work and client base. In finalising its selections and rankings, the Spear’s Research Unit employs a proprietary methodology that includes a weighted scoring system. This takes into account factors including an adviser’s standing, reputation, client base, recommendations and testimonials, the firm they represent, their level of engagement with the process and certain industry-specific criteria.
Best advisers to high-net-worth families: the complete list
Find out more
To explore all the Spear’s indices, and to use our find-an-adviser tool to identify the private client adviser who is right for your specific requirements, go to the Spear’s 500 website.
To receive relevant research updates from Spear’s – and thereby give you and your firm the best chance of being included in future Spear’s indices – please register here. If you are an adviser featured in an index and would like to update your profile or provide additional information, please email research@spearswms.com. If you are not featured but would like to be, please fill out our form.
