Family Office Advisory

Greenberg Glusker’s Family Office Advisory group serves as outside counsel to U.S. and international families with single- and multi-family office structures, providing a coordinated legal solution with specialized expertise in close collaboration with family office personnel and its other external advisors.

Our multidisciplinary teams are structured around the specific needs of each family office and the family or families it serves, enabling us to deliver fully integrated legal guidance addressing their tax, corporate, employment, real estate, estate planning, privacy, and litigation needs.

Our approach is grounded in comprehensive, relationship-driven counsel focused on the family’s personal and business objectives—including investment, governance, succession, trusts, and philanthropy—to ensure alignment in planning and execution spanning jurisdictions and multiple generations of the family. In doing so, we bring structure and clarity to complex environments, delivering clear, practical guidance that is actionable and sustainable for the family and its advisors.

Our Multidisciplinary Approach

Tax, Wealth Transfer, and Succession Planning

We provide comprehensive personal tax and wealth transfer planning for successful individuals, businesses, and families served by the family office. Our team advises on trusts and wealth transfer succession structures that address complex income, transfer, state and local, and international tax considerations, while reflecting each family’s values around wealth stewardship, governance, philanthropy, family collaboration and co-investment, and individual autonomy. We also support multi-generational planning, including advising next-generation beneficiaries in understanding family structures and trusts, and their roles within them. We assist U.S. and multinational families with closely-held business interests on succession planning and tax strategy, including in connection with a sale or public offering.

Business Counsel, Corporate, and Investment Matters

We serve as outside general counsel to single and multi-family offices, handling the negotiation and documentation of key contracts, vendor agreements, and financing arrangements. Our team assists families in making private investments, including investments in venture capital, private equity, and private debt funds, co-investments, and direct "angel investments." Family members who serve as operating partners or investment committee members of such funds benefit from our ability to negotiate side letter agreements that secure preferential terms.

We advise family offices on buying, selling, and operating private companies — establishing appropriate investment vehicles to address risk mitigation, privacy, and estate planning objectives. Our attorneys conduct legal due diligence and collaborate with financial, operational, and insurance advisors throughout the transaction process. Because family office transactions often involve non-financial goals, we tailor deal structures accordingly, whether a family's strategy is long-term ownership or a value-maximizing exit.

When family office clients serve as lenders — to family members, affiliated companies, or third parties — we handle the full range of documentation and enforcement considerations. Family offices also frequently obtain financing from financial institutions, and we assist in negotiating and documenting loans, lines of credit, and other credit facilities. Given the high-profile nature of our clients, we approach these matters with attention to family dynamics, privacy, and the use of publicly available databases to secure and enforce repayment obligations.

Employment — Professional Staff and Household Employees

Family offices employ a broad range of individuals, both for the family office and the personal needs of the family— executives, investment and operations teams, estate managers, childcare providers, drivers, and private chefs — each presenting distinct legal considerations. Our employment attorneys advise and defend family offices on the full spectrum of workplace issues, crafting practical, private solutions tailored to the family's governance structure and risk profile.

Our employment counsel covers hiring practices and separations, handbooks and workplace policies, wage-and-hour compliance, confidentiality and privacy agreements, harassment and discrimination prevention, background screening, and cross-jurisdictional compliance. When disputes arise, we handle sensitive situations with the family's priorities in mind — negotiating quiet resolutions where possible and litigating when necessary — always with an eye toward protecting reputation, continuity, and long-term objectives.

Real Estate

We advise family offices on a broad range of real estate matters, including portfolio acquisitions, carry-back financing, sale-leaseback arrangements, joint ventures, and the syndication of commercial property development. Our team structures these transactions to align with the family's investment goals while addressing tax efficiency and estate planning considerations.

Governance and Dispute Resolution

Multigenerational family offices often include members with differing priorities and interests, which can give rise to conflict. Our attorneys help families find common ground and establish governance frameworks that preserve relationships and protect wealth. We negotiate and resolve family disputes and business transactions, including buyouts of a family member's interest in operating entities or jointly owned real estate vehicles.

When litigation is necessary, we represent family offices across a broad range of matters, including as Cumis counsel and in an oversight capacity when insurance-appointed attorneys are involved. We also advise on creditors' rights, including in connection with bankruptcy proceedings involving counterparties, tenants, or borrowers.

Privacy, Cybersecurity, and Data Protection

Privacy and discretion are central to everything we do. Across all practice areas, we employ a range of legal structures, entities, and strategic approaches designed to protect the identities, assets, and activities of family office clients — minimizing public exposure while preserving operational flexibility. We counsel family offices on privacy and data security risks and have represented clients in response to cyber incidents and identity theft matters. Our team works proactively to establish policies and protocols that safeguard sensitive personal and financial information.

Philanthropy and Legacy Planning

We assist families in structuring and maintaining philanthropic vehicles and charitable giving strategies, including complex multi-year grant programs, that reflect their values and long-term legacy goals, integrating these considerations into broader estate planning and family governance frameworks. We also advise on gift-related negotiations, including securing naming rights and other donor recognition benefits, ensuring that the terms of significant contributions align with the family's philanthropic intentions and legacy objectives.