Full Rights of AudienceFamily Wealth Planning & Asset Structuring
Corporate Structures for Family Wealth Protection
Protecting family wealth requires more than traditional estate planning; it demands robust legal structures that secure assets across generations. The UAE offers world-class frameworks such as trusts, foundations, and holding companies through ADGM, DIFC, and RAK ICC, enabling families to centralise ownership, manage succession, and preserve long-term control. ATB Legal assists clients in establishing and maintaining corporate structures tailored to their personal, business, and multi-jurisdictional needs. Our approach integrates family dynamics, asset protection goals, global estate considerations, and tax efficiencies to create future-proof solutions that safeguard wealth with clarity, continuity, and legal certainty.
Why Families Need Corporate Wealth Structures
Modern families, particularly entrepreneurs, investors, and high-net-worth individuals, often hold complex portfolios: businesses, real estate, investments, offshore assets, family enterprises, and long-term legacy plans. Without proper structuring, these estates face risks such as fragmentation during inheritance, exposure to disputes, operational disruption, creditor claims, and governance breakdowns.
Corporate structures provide stability, continuity, and controlled transfer of wealth. ATB Legal helps families build legal vehicles that protect assets during their lifetime and ensure seamless succession afterward.
Our Wealth Protection & Structuring Services
- Establishing Family Foundations (ADGM, DIFC, RAK ICC)
Foundations are the gold-standard vehicle for long-term family wealth protection. We assist with:
- drafting charters and by-laws
- defining roles of founders, guardians, and beneficiaries
- transferring assets (local or international) into the structure
- governance and distribution policies
- compliance with regulatory authorities
ADGM, DIFC and RAK ICC foundations offer high privacy, strong legal certainty, and no forced-heirship application, ideal for multinational families.
- Trust Creation & Management
For families preferring common-law structures, we help set up:
- discretionary trusts
- family trusts
- purpose trusts
- business-succession trusts
We work closely with licensed trustees to ensure proper administration and asset management aligned with the client’s goals.
- Holding Company Structuring
A holding company consolidates ownership of businesses, real estate, and investments. We provide:
- customised entity selection
- corporate governance frameworks
- shareholding structures that support multi-generational control
- integration with Wills, foundations, or trusts
Holding companies streamline succession, reduce administrative burden, and protect operational businesses from personal disputes.
- Business Succession Planning
Family businesses often fail during generational transitions. ATB Legal prepares:
- succession roadmaps
- share transfer mechanisms
- voting rights and management continuity plans
- family constitutions and governance rules
Our planning reduces conflict and ensures continuity of leadership and values.
- Asset Protection & Risk Mitigation
Corporate structures shield family wealth from:
- creditor claims
- commercial disputes
- marital disputes
- fragmentation during inheritance
- operational disruption due to death or incapacity
By placing assets into corporate or foundation structures, families significantly enhance resilience and legal separation.
- Integrating Structures with Wills & Personal Status Planning
Corporate vehicles do not replace Wills; they complement them. We ensure:
- alignment between foundation governance and succession planning
- smooth transfer of control to heirs
- prevention of forced distribution
- protection of minors and vulnerable beneficiaries
This ensures that family wealth passes as intended, without unnecessary court involvement.
Cross-Border Wealth Considerations
Many UAE families have global assets and heirs in different jurisdictions. ATB Legal provides:
- tax-agnostic structuring advice
- conflict-of-law analysis
- guidance on the recognition of UAE structures abroad
- integration with foreign trusts or holding companies
We ensure the structure functions seamlessly beyond UAE borders.
Who Benefits from Wealth Protection Structures?
- business owners and entrepreneurs
- families with multi-generational wealth
- clients with assets in multiple countries
- investors with high-value real estate portfolios
- individuals seeking privacy and asset ring-fencing
- families needing stable guardianship and inheritance mechanisms
Our Process
- Family & Wealth Mapping – Understanding assets, goals, and family dynamics.
- Structure Selection – Choosing between a foundation, trust, or holding company.
- Drafting Governing Documents – Charters, by-laws, share structures, governance rules.
- Registration & Approvals – Liaising with ADGM, DIFC, or RAK ICC authorities.
- Asset Transfer & Implementation – Moving holdings into the structure legally.
- Ongoing Advisory – Amendments, compliance, and annual support.
FAQFrequently Asked Questions-Wealth Protection
1. What is the advantage of creating a foundation or trust?
Foundations and trusts protect assets from fragmentation, provide long-term governance, and prevent forced distribution under inheritance laws. They are ideal for securing multi-generational wealth.
2. Which is better — a foundation or a trust?
It depends on your goals. Foundations offer civil-law–based governance and strong control mechanisms, while trusts provide flexible common-law arrangements. We advise based on your structure, assets, and jurisdictions.
3. Is a holding company necessary for family businesses?
A holding company centralises ownership, protects operational entities, and simplifies succession. It is especially useful for families with multiple businesses or assets.
4. Can foreign assets be placed in UAE structures?
Often yes, depending on local laws. Many clients successfully use ADGM or DIFC foundations to hold international shares, companies, and investments.
5. Are these structures recognised outside the UAE?
ADGM, DIFC, and RAK ICC structures are internationally respected. With proper documentation and foreign counsel coordination, they are widely recognised.
6. Do wealth structures replace Wills?
No. They work together. Corporate structures govern assets placed within them; Wills handle personal assets outside the structure. Combined planning ensures complete protection.
7. How long does it take to set up a foundation or holding company?
Most structures can be set up within days to weeks, depending on complexity and regulatory requirements.
8. Can family members be involved in the governance?
Yes. Families can appoint councils, guardians, committees, or boards to manage the structure according to their values.
9. Is confidentiality maintained?
Yes. UAE foundation and trust regimes offer high levels of privacy, protecting family information and asset ownership details.
Foundations and trusts protect assets from fragmentation, provide long-term governance, and prevent forced distribution under inheritance laws. They are ideal for securing multi-generational wealth.
2. Which is better — a foundation or a trust?
It depends on your goals. Foundations offer civil-law–based governance and strong control mechanisms, while trusts provide flexible common-law arrangements. We advise based on your structure, assets, and jurisdictions.
3. Is a holding company necessary for family businesses?
A holding company centralises ownership, protects operational entities, and simplifies succession. It is especially useful for families with multiple businesses or assets.
4. Can foreign assets be placed in UAE structures?
Often yes, depending on local laws. Many clients successfully use ADGM or DIFC foundations to hold international shares, companies, and investments.
5. Are these structures recognised outside the UAE?
ADGM, DIFC, and RAK ICC structures are internationally respected. With proper documentation and foreign counsel coordination, they are widely recognised.
6. Do wealth structures replace Wills?
No. They work together. Corporate structures govern assets placed within them; Wills handle personal assets outside the structure. Combined planning ensures complete protection.
7. How long does it take to set up a foundation or holding company?
Most structures can be set up within days to weeks, depending on complexity and regulatory requirements.
8. Can family members be involved in the governance?
Yes. Families can appoint councils, guardians, committees, or boards to manage the structure according to their values.
9. Is confidentiality maintained?
Yes. UAE foundation and trust regimes offer high levels of privacy, protecting family information and asset ownership details.
Uncompromising Quality Why Choose ATB Legal for Wealth Protection Structures?
ATB Legal combines strong corporate expertise with deep understanding of personal status and succession laws, a rare and essential combination in wealth protection planning. Our team designs future-ready structures tailored to your family’s values, commercial objectives, and cross-border realities. We deliver confidentiality, precision, and long-term support, ensuring continuity across generations. Clients trust us for strategic thinking, clear governance frameworks, and solutions that truly protect and preserve family wealth.
Meet The Core Team
Our Team of
Lawyers and Experts
LLB, LLM, FCIArb
Asha Treesa Bejoy
LLB
Sudha Sampath
LLB
Jose Joseph
Micro Case Studies
Representative Experience
ADGM Foundation for Multi-Generational Estate Planning: We established an ADGM foundation for a wealthy family with global real estate, private equity holdings, and operating businesses. ATB Legal drafted the charter, governance manual, distribution policies, and multi-tiered control mechanisms to ensure the founder’s long-term wishes were protected. The structure eliminated forced-heirship risk and ensured seamless succession for future generations.
Cross-Border Trust for High-Net-Worth Individual: A client with assets in the UAE, India, and the United States sought a unified asset-protection framework. We structured a hybrid trust arrangement, coordinated with foreign counsel, and created a compliant plan that balanced tax exposure, asset protection, and estate continuity.
Corporate Holding Structure for Business Family: We reorganised a UAE entrepreneur’s multiple companies under a single holding entity to simplify inheritance, enhance asset protection, and streamline corporate governance. The restructuring ensured that voting rights, operational control, and dividend distribution would remain stable during generational transition.
Family Settlement & Governance Framework: We assisted a prominent family in drafting a family constitution and dispute-resolution mechanism integrated with a foundation. This reduced internal conflict and created a sustainable governance model for shared assets and legacy projects.
Cross-Border Trust for High-Net-Worth Individual: A client with assets in the UAE, India, and the United States sought a unified asset-protection framework. We structured a hybrid trust arrangement, coordinated with foreign counsel, and created a compliant plan that balanced tax exposure, asset protection, and estate continuity.
Corporate Holding Structure for Business Family: We reorganised a UAE entrepreneur’s multiple companies under a single holding entity to simplify inheritance, enhance asset protection, and streamline corporate governance. The restructuring ensured that voting rights, operational control, and dividend distribution would remain stable during generational transition.
Family Settlement & Governance Framework: We assisted a prominent family in drafting a family constitution and dispute-resolution mechanism integrated with a foundation. This reduced internal conflict and created a sustainable governance model for shared assets and legacy projects.
Free Legal Consultation
Schedule a 15-minute consultation with our DIFC legal team.
We’ll help you structure your entity, assess compliance needs, or map a dispute strategy tailored to your objectives.
We’ll help you structure your entity, assess compliance needs, or map a dispute strategy tailored to your objectives.
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