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Clientele and Services
Ashford International Law PC advises families, family businesses, fiduciaries, financial institutions and professional advisors on matters connecting the United States and Western Europe. Matters start at USD 3 million in asset or estate value; most lie between USD 20 million and USD 100 million.
Clientele
Most matters involve Germany, France and Switzerland. The firm works alongside a family’s existing advisers or leads the US side end to end.
Families and Individuals
- Americans living in Western Europe, or with children, assets or an inheritance there
- Non-US citizens living in the United States
- Western European families with US real estate, securities or heirs
- American families preparing the next generation
Family Businesses and Investors
- Western European family businesses forming or running a US subsidiary
- Owners of closely held US businesses
- Passive investors in US real estate, securities and minority interests
Fiduciaries and Financial Institutions
- US executors and administrators of estates with heirs abroad
- Trustees of trusts with beneficiaries abroad
- Agents under powers of attorney
- US financial institutions
Professional Advisors
- US attorneys, CPAs, enrolled agents, financial advisors and trust officers
- Notaries, attorneys and tax advisers in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France and Belgium
- Family offices
Services
Six areas of practice. Each names the website where the subject is covered in detail.
Estate Planning
- International estate planning
- Estate planning with overseas beneficiaries
- Estate planning with foreign assets
- Planning for non-US citizens
- Transfers to a non-citizen spouse and the qualified domestic trust
- Marital agreements
- Charitable planning
In detail on InternationalEstateLaw.com and the four country sites
Asset and Tax Planning
- Tax planning with non-US assets
- Asset and tax planning for Americans moving to Western Europe
- Planning before a move to the United States
- Tax treaty analysis
- Lifetime gifts and the gift tax
- Expatriation and the exit tax under section 877A
In detail on InternationalEstateLaw.com
Tax Compliance
- Income tax returns with foreign accounts, trusts and companies
- FBAR (FinCEN Form 114) and Form 8938
- Forms 3520 and 3520-A for foreign trusts and foreign gifts
- Form 5471 for interests in foreign companies
- Estate and gift tax returns, including Form 706-NA
- FIRPTA withholding certificates on sales by foreign owners
In detail on InternationalEstateLaw.com
Estates and Trusts
- Estate settlements in Washington DC, Virginia, Maryland, California and Germany
- Ancillary probate for the US assets of nonresidents
- Transfer certificates and the release of blocked US accounts
- Withholding and reporting on distributions to beneficiaries abroad
- Fiduciary services
- Trust and estate litigation
In detail on InternationalEstateLaw.com and, in German, Vermoegen-USA.com
Family Businesses
- Formation of the US subsidiary, entity choice and capitalization
- Agreements between parent and subsidiary
- Outside counsel on governance, contracts, employment and corporate formalities
- Business succession planning for the owning family
In detail, in German, on Vermoegen-USA.com, and on InternationalEstateLaw.com
Families and the Next Generation
- Family governance
- Preparation of the successor generation
- Planning for the transfer of wealth across several generations
- Coordination with the family’s other advisers
Set out on this website, for American families without cross-border ties as well as for international families
Representative Matters
USD 44 million
Estate value
An estate with residences in Germany and the United States.
EUR 400 million
Family assets
The compulsory portion of a disinherited daughter resident in the United States.
USD 20 million
Estate value
The continuity of a German family business.
USD 8 million
Matter value
A fraudulent codicil in an estate of about USD 70 million in Washington DC; litigation conducted for the German heirs to a satisfactory conclusion.
USD 38 million
Asset level
American trusts with beneficiaries in Germany and France, restructured to work for a beneficiary in all three countries.
USD 8 to 14 million
Estate values
German rental real estate, precious metals and vacation properties in Western Europe.
The matters are described without names or identifying details. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Recurring Matters
- Estates of German decedents with beneficiaries in the United States
- Settlement of US estates for beneficiaries abroad
- Estates and assets spread across several countries
- Lifetime structuring and ongoing advice on US assets
- Cross-border estate plans
- Western European passive investors in the United States
- Western European owners of closely held US businesses
- Family businesses from the German-speaking countries with US subsidiaries
- US executors and administrators
- Agents under powers of attorney
- US financial institutions
Where to Read More
The firm’s articles, guides and webinars are published on the website written for each readership.
| Reader | Website | Language |
|---|---|---|
| Americans with ties to Germany | GermanyUSAlawtaxfinance.com | English |
| German speakers with US assets, a US residence or a US inheritance | Vermoegen-USA.com | German |
| Americans with ties to France | FranceUSAlawtaxfinance.com | English |
| French speakers with US assets, a US residence or a US inheritance | patrimoine-americain.com | French |
| Families of other nationalities, Americans with assets elsewhere abroad, US advisors, fiduciaries and financial institutions | InternationalEstateLaw.com | English |
| American families preparing the next generation | ashfordinternationallaw.com | English, German, French |
Initial Consultation
An initial consultation package is available in estate planning and in estate settlement matters. Fees and the request form are on the Offices and Contact page.