Family Offices – A Regional and International Update

Brian is the resident managing partner in Trowers & Hamlins' Bahrain office and heads its corporate team in Bahrain as well its international funds practice. He has 20 years' experience working with clients from or investing in the GCC. He advises clients in respect of public and private company mergers and acquisitions, corporate structuring and regulation (including corporate finance, company and group structuring, shareholders' and joint venture arrangements, constitutional documents and corporate governance) in addition to a broad range of commercial and contractual matters.
Brian also advises a number of banks, private equity clients and sovereign wealth institutions in respect of Bahraini and offshore fund establishment in addition to international private equity investments and disposals. In addition, Brian works on development of board and management incentive platforms, employee benefit trusts, board charters and associated policies for several banking institutions.

Richard provides personal legal support and counsel to some of the world's most prominent individuals, families and family offices. Richard has a particular focus on families in the Middle East, particularly in relation to their interests in the UK, but also on global estate planning and family governance. He is head of Trowers & Hamlins International Private Wealth team and has been consistently regarded as one of the most influential professionals working in the private wealth sector.

Ebtisam has over 20 years of top-level experience in a variety of banking and financial services roles. The first 8 years of her career were spent as a banker in two of the most prestigious international banks (Standard Chartered Bank and Investcorp Bank), this was followed by 15 years as a senior financial regulator at the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB), holding the position of Head of Regulatory Policy and lately as Director of Financial Institutions Supervision, a position still held today. Ebtisam is responsible for all supervisory, strategic and operational aspects of financial institutions in the Kingdom of Bahrain, including investment business, trust service providers, money changers, as well as the responsibility of the authorization and supervision of collective investment undertakings.

Manal Ashoor has over 20 years of experience with the Central Bank of Bahrain. For the first 13 years of her career, she was involved in authorizing and supervising Collective Investment Undertakings (“CIUs”), rising to the position of Head of Mutual Funds Authorization and Supervision. Subsequently, she was assigned the position of Head of Investment Business and Specialized Licensees and is in charge of the supervision of investment business firms, money changes, trust service providers, fund administrators, and Investment firms representative offices. She has recently changed designation to Head of Investment Business, focusing on supervising investment business licensees.
Manal holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from The University of Bahrain, and the ICA International Diploma in Governance, Risk and Compliance.

Her own family having had interests in a variety of different civil and common law jurisdictions, Janice is well versed in the complexities of international asset protection and administration.
An International Compliance Association and Institute of Chartered Secretaries Association qualified law graduate, Janice’s technical ability and experience as a practitioner assists her in supporting ultra-wealthy families juggling stewardship of their existing assets with the demands of an ongoing entrepreneurial journey among the wider family.
Janice leads a team servicing significant single-family offices and supports various UHNWI’s and serial entrepreneurs seeking corporate and regulatory compliance solutions or wishing to establish private or charitable trusts and foundations as part of their estate planning.
Janice travels widely to accommodate client requirements and regularly co-hosts events with a focus on successful succession, family governance and philanthropy.

Amit Kansal is the Group Chief Strategy Officer of RP Group, a diversified conglomerate with operations across Middle East, Asia, USA and Australia, employing over 130,000 employees.
Amit has led creation of the Family Office at the Group, and has also been a key lead towards the introduction and on-going transition to the next generation. He also introduced a unique methodology of investing in PE/VC, after completing an on-campus Advanced Program on Private Equity & Venture Capital from Harvard Business School. Amit also advises Early Stage Companies and is also the CEO of Cutwatr WLL, which is a group company he incubated in RP Group.
Amit comes across with a diverse investment experience of investing globally in all financial investments, Alternative Assets, Private Equity, VC & Digital Transformation in Banks.
Previously, he has also worked with Citibank, N.A., ICICI Bank, during his 22 Years of professional journey.

Nathan joined Praxis in 2022 and he is responsible for developing the Group's fiduciary services business in the UAE.
Nathan is a member of the Society of Trust and Estates Practitioners and, having worked in offshore finance since 2006, has built up his expertise in working with high and ultra-high-net-worth clients throughout the Middle East. Prior to Praxis Nathan spent more than four years as an Associate Director for an independent trust company in Jersey before moving to Dubai in March 2022.
Nathan was featured in eprivateclient's Top 35 under 35 for the UK list for 2016. During 2018 he was named as being a rising star within the private client practitioner community and also featured in the Top 35 under 35 list for the Channel Islands and the UK.

Richard Bregonje was leading the international tax services and the global entrepreneurs and private wealth tax practices of PwC in Kazakhstan before joining PwC Middle East.
Richard has more than 30 years of professional experience in international markets, including the Netherlands and the UK. With that, he brings with him a wealth of experience, having worked with a high profile client portfolio, dealing with the tax authorities and supporting clients in reaching resolutions on complex and challenging matters.
His diverse and extensive industry experience includes oil & gas, mining, renewables, financial services including private equity and sovereign wealth funds as well as working with high net wealth individuals and their families.
Richard holds two Dutch law degrees from the Catholic University of Brabant (tax law) and Erasmus University (civil and corporate law).

Jonathan is Executive Partner - Client Solutions at Ogier, Global Head of Local Legal Services and a Director of Ogier Executor and Trustee Company Limited. As a trusted advisor to key clients, he also holds a number of Directorships on Private Wealth, Family Office and Real Estate company boards.
Jonathan's personal practice covers:
- Advising family offices, businesses and corporates including fund managers, private equity and entrepreneurs
- Private client services including luxury assets such as high value real estate, private aircraft, superyachts, luxury art and car collections
- Private client and corporate relocations for U/HNWIs across Ogier's global network
- Commercial real estate, hotels and resorts and property finance
- Acting for international financial institutuions with an emphasis on private and investment Banks