The term “family office” is hard to define because it appears in so many different forms. There’s a well-known saying, “Once you’ve seen one family office, you’ve only seen one.” Some family offices are comprised of nothing more than a financial advisor. This advisor coordinates services with external tax experts, insurance providers, bankers, brokers, and perhaps […]
Insights
Tell Your Story: A Governance Family Exercise
Stories form culture in powerful ways. Narratives as small as a meme and as large as an epic poem communicate meaning and can create unity among a group of people. Stories have transmitted information across millennia. Good stories are compelling, clear, emotional, and true (metaphorically or literally). Families can and should tell stories in order […]
Why Your Family Might Need a Family Constitution
A family constitution is a morally (rather than legally) binding document that defines the family’s vision, mission, and values, and which broadly explains the legal structure and asset or business operations of the family enterprise. Any family wanting a multi-generational legacy should have a family constitution, especially if the 3rd generation is moving into a […]