International business law firm Lawrence Graham LLP has hired widely-respected trusts partner Zac Lucas.
Dual UK and British Virgin Islands (BVI)-qualified, Zac will be based in the firm’s Singapore office which opened earlier this year.
Zac specialises in international trust and estate planning with a particular focus on business and succession planning. He has created numerous innovative BVI trust solutions which take advantage of the provisions of the Virgin Islands Special Trusts Act 2003.
Currently a partner and head of private client at Ogier in the BVI, Zac is regularly instructed by international law firms, professional trust companies, leading private banks and wealthy families on all matters relating to trust law and private client planning.
Zac is deputy chairman of The Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) BVI and chairman of the STEP Law Reform Committee which is responsible for considering and sponsoring amendments to trust legislation in the BVI.
Lawrence Graham consolidated its 21 years of business in South East Asia by forming an alliance with Singapore law firm PK Wong and Associates LLC earlier this year. Nick Jacob, who is one of the best known private client lawyers operating in East Asia, and senior associate Dan Ugur divide their time between London and Singapore advising significant business families, UHNWs and their advisers. Nick Jacob is also deputy chairman of STEP worldwide. Nick and Dan will be working closely with Zac to back him up in the region, which will include most of the countries in South East Asia. The firm will be building its Singapore base of the back of Zac’s hiring, and he will be running the Private Client team in Asia.
Nick Jacob commented: “Zac’s reputation and trusts expertise will give us a formidable offering in the region, which will further enhance what we believe is the firm’s excellent reputation in East Asia for private capital work. We have seen a very significant step up in Family Governance and trust work in the region over the last twelve months, and Zac’s hire is a major stepping stone to achieving our aspiration of building the strongest private client offering in East Asia”.
Zac Lucas said: “I am looking forward to joining the team at Lawrence Graham – it has a market-leading reputation. By establishing a permanent presence in South East Asia, the firm has made a statement of intent to consolidate and expand in a very dynamic region. This strategy ties in particularly well with my current practice.”
Singapore is Lawrence Graham’s fourth overseas office following openings in Monaco, Dubai and Moscow. It is one of the world’s oldest law firms established over 280 years ago in London. Work from its overseas clients now accounts for over 40 per cent of revenue.
