Fladgate launches family office business under new Walgate non-legal services brand

New unit will be led by Sarah Haile and head of private wealth Jonathan Riley

Top 100 UK firm Fladgate has launched a family office service through its new Walgate brand, which was set up to offer non-legal professional services to its clients.

Walgate Family Office – the first business announced under the Walgate umbrella – will provide a range of administration support for wealthy families, such as financial admin and reporting, human resources, risk management, asset and property management, relocation services and philanthropy. The family office service will be led by Sarah Haile, head of family office services at Fladgate, and partner Jonathan Riley, Fladgate’s head of private wealth. Both are based in London.

Haile said: “Walgate Family Office will deliver all of the benefits of a family office structure without the substantial commitments that accompany one. The way in which wealthy families are looking after their money and personal needs is evolving, with a greater focus on flexibility and value for money. What we have developed represents a highly differentiated service that anticipates our clients’ needs and gives them a commercial advantage.”

Fladgate’s private wealth practice already supports more than 100 high net worth individuals and families in the UK and internationally on a range of matters, with the team experienced in advising influential global families, entrepreneurs, media celebrities and sports stars.

Riley said: “This launch means we are one of only a handful of firms that has a wholly owned family office service. At Fladgate, we recognise the importance of flexibility, privacy, security and efficiency for our wealth clients. In Walgate Family Office, we have created a cost-effective, agile and time-saving resource that gives our clients more time to focus on what is truly important to them.”

Fladgate said it intends to add further non-legal services through its Walgate unit to complement the legal advice and services it provides all under one roof.

Grant Gordon, executive partner at Fladgate, said: “The Walgate brand allows us to tailor our offering to meet our clients’ needs in a way that best suits them, delivering non-legal professional services and management solutions that can work hand in glove with our legal offering at Fladgate.”

Earlier this year, Taylor Wessing secured a team of 11 London-based private client lawyers from Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, following on from November’s hire of private client co-head Damian Bloom and fellow partner Simon Phelps. The move brought the number of Europe-based private client lawyers at Taylor Wessing to more than 100, making it one of the largest teams in the region.

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