Summit’s Trust and Estate Planning practice delivers bespoke, cross-border wealth structuring for international families and individuals. In a globalized world, simply transferring assets at death is not enough — effective planning must “minimize taxes, protect assets, and ensure financial security for future generations. We recognize that each client’s situation is unique, often involving properties, businesses, and investments in multiple countries. As one expert notes, for high-net-worth families with international interests, “effective wealth structuring is essential to protect assets and ensure compliance with complex international regulations”​. Summit’s attorneys and advisors guide clients through these complexities: crafting trusts, foundations, and wills that respect local laws, maximize tax efficiency, and honor the client’s legacy goals. Our collaborative approach spans generations of a family, providing a clear, unified plan that works smoothly across borders​​.

Key Benefits

• Tax Efficiency & Legacy Preservation: Through tools like international trusts and wills, Summit reduces transfer and estate taxes while ensuring wealth passes according to your wishes. For example, multigenerational “dynasty trusts” can significantly minimize estate and gift taxes and guard family assets over decades​brightonjones.com.

• Asset Protection: Legal vehicles such as irrevocable trusts and offshore entities protect assets from creditors, litigation, and political risk. Summit structures trusts in jurisdictions with strong protection laws, preserving family wealth even in volatile environments.

• Compliance & Clarity: We navigate foreign inheritance regimes (including forced heirship laws) so that assets are distributed legally and efficiently across jurisdictions. Our global perspective ensures that a single estate plan will not inadvertently violate conflicting laws abroad.

• Succession Planning: Beyond legal structure, we help articulate family governance, designate guardians for minors, and set up family agreements. This comprehensive planning maintains harmony and fulfills your intentions for wealth transfer worldwide.

Summit’s Integrated Approach

Summit delivers an integrated estate strategy that ties seamlessly into our other services. Our lawyers coordinate with tax specialists to ensure the chosen trust or will structure works optimally under international tax treaties and residency rules. We offer a “partner-led approach rooted in precision,” providing personalized advice aligned with your family’s financial and personal goals​. For instance, we can establish multiple wills (each valid under a different jurisdiction’s law) to cover all overseas assets, while still crafting a coherent single plan. We handle trust administration, liaise with trustees, and regularly review plans as laws change. The result is peace of mind: Summit clients gain comprehensive wealth protection and a clear roadmap for wealth transfer, no matter how complex their cross-border holdings​.

Ideal Clients

Summit’s Trust and Estate Planning is ideal for:

• International Families: Those with family members, heirs, or assets (homes, businesses) in multiple countries.

• Business Owners: Entrepreneurs wanting to ensure their legacy and manage succession of family-owned companies.

• High-Net-Worth Individuals: Clients concerned with privacy, estate tax, and leaving a lasting, tax-efficient legacy.

With Summit, your global estate is structured to fulfill your wishes with minimal friction. We ensure every aspect of your estate is arranged for legal protection and tax efficiency, providing clarity even in the most intricate international scenarios​