Claudia Shan

Claudia is a lawyer who navigates the intricate dynamics and challenges of succession and preserving families' wealth. She provides expert advice on preserving and enhancing a family's wealth to a diverse clientele, including asset protection, the establishment and/or restructuring of structures to hold personal assets, investments, and businesses. Her firm, Avancier Legal, works closely with local and international clients on matters related to domestic and international trust structures (and related entities), cross-border arrangements and transactions, succession planning, as well as guiding them through international tax matters and residency-by-investment matters.

Utilising an extensive local and international network, Claudia assists individuals, entrepreneurs, families, and family offices by serving as “in-house counsel*”, providing professional trustee services, assisting with the ongoing administration of trusts, companies, limited partnerships, and a wide array of global entities and arrangements. Her profound expertise and experience ensure that clients' financial and legal interests are meticulously managed and safeguarded. By providing tailored solutions, she addresses the unique needs of each client, facilitating the effective and compliant management of assets and business structures worldwide.

Claudia started her career as a tax consultant at Ernst & Young.  She later practiced law in in the private client team of a leading New Zealand law firm. While living in Europe for six years, Claudia worked for two international law firms, Ogier and Walkers. Claudia is a dual qualified solicitor, have qualified in England and Wales in 2009. Claudia returned to New Zealand and worked for over 10 years for boutique law firm specialising in private client and private wealth advisory.

*In advising families and their advisors, Claudia regularly serves as "in-house counsel" to family offices and/or family businesses while collaborating with families’ existing lawyers, accountants, bankers and other advisors to provide solutions, on various topics including:

• Corporate governance, family governances and family constitutions etc.
• Identifying and addressing legal issues pertaining to the assets being managed including real property, classic cars, artwork, financial assets, private equity, shares in closely held companies and operating businesses owned by the trustees.
• Directing and/or facilitating transactions, reviewing and/or drafting legal documents such as corporate documents, governance documents, shareholder agreements, commercial contracts etc.
• Directing and managing asset transactions, including reviewing contracts, sale and purchase agreements, banking/financing documents, investment fund agreements and subscriptions etc.
• Advising on compliance regulation in relation to banks, financial advisors, asset managers, custodians, investment products, private equity vehicles and financial assets.
• Advising on the cross-border framework for the collection, reporting, and exchange of personal and financial account information relating to individuals and their related entities who invest globally.
• Identifying and addressing any issues pertaining to the trust structures (and related entities) to ensure they remain in good standing and continue to serve the needs of the founders and their families.