Purpose trusts are gaining increasing attention as flexible legal tools for a variety of applications — from succession planning and philanthropy to corporate governance and asset protection. This event brings together leading international experts to explore the evolving role of purpose trusts across different jurisdictions, highlighting both theoretical underpinnings and practical developments. Through comparative insights from Italy, the UK, the US, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and San Marino, we will examine how these unique trust structures are shaping the future of wealth planning and legal innovation.
WELCOME
FILIPPO TURATO, Chairman STEP Lugano
SPEAKERS and TOPICS
- ANDREA VICARI, Chief Justice, Court for Trusts and Fiduciary Relationships (San Marino)
Vicari Avvocati (Milan) www.vicariavocati.com
14:20 – 14:40 “The need and role of purpose in trust law: Italian perspectives” - FILIPPO NOSEDA, Visiting Professor King’s College, Partner, Mischom de Reya (London) www.mishcon.com
14:40 – 15:00 "Purpose trusts in off-shore jurisdictions: new uses" - SUSAN GARY, Professor of Law, Emerita, University of Oregon www.law.uoregon.edu
15:00 – 15:20 "Business Succession and Purpose Trust: the case of Patagonia" - Dr. GUILLAUME GRISEL, LL.M., Partner Schellenberg Wittmer, (Geneva) www.swlegal.com
15:20 – 15:40 "Switzerland: recognition of purpose trusts and domestic foundations" - FRANCESCO A. SCHURR, University of Liechtenstein
15:40 – 16:00 "Purpose Trust in San Marino Trust Law " - Dr. JOHANNA NIEGEL, LL.M., LL.M., TEP
Vice President - Industrie- und Finanzkontor Etablissement, Vaduz, Liechtenstein; www.iuf.li
SPEAKERS CV
Adjunct Lecturer - University of Liechtenstein
16:00 – 16:20 "Purpose Trust in Liechtenstein"
ANDREA VICARI is the Founding partner Vicari Avvocati (Milan), specialized in trust and estate planning and litigation, assets protection and all legal aspects related to the patrimony of private clients. Andrea is also Chief Justice of the Court for Trusts and Fiduciary Relations in the Republic of San Marino.
He advised the Government of the Republic of San Marino for the enactment of the trust law (2005) and his major revision (2010), as well as for the enactment of the law on the fiduciary contract (2010) and the laws establishing the Court for Trusts and Fiduciary Relations. He is member of the “International Academy of Trust and Estate Law” and the STEP.
FILIPPO NOSEDA is a Partner in Mishcon Private and a Visiting Professor at King's College, London, where he teaches International and Comparative Trust Law. A dual qualified English solicitor and Swiss lawyer (Rechtsanwalt) he advises clients on international tax and estate planning issues. Able to approach both common law and civil law issues from a practical perspective, he routinely advises on the establishment and restructuring of both trusts and foundations as well as on UK and international tax and succession planning issues, including family governance and disputes. Filippo has also advised a number of governments on the introduction of private foundations' laws and successfully lobbied the Swiss government on the recognition of trusts in 2007 (various amendments to ratification bill).
SUSAN N. GARY, Professor Emerita and formerly Orlando J. and Marian H. Hollis Professor at the University of Oregon School of Law, received her B.A. from Yale University and her J.D. from Columbia University. Before entering academia, she practiced with Mayer, Brown & Platt in Chicago, and with DeBandt, van Hecke & Lagae in Brussels. Professor Gary has taught trusts and estates, estate planning, estate and gift tax, nonprofit organizations, and an undergraduate course on law and families. She has written and spoken about the regulation of charities, fiduciary duties including the prudent investor standard, purpose trusts and stewardship trusts as a new form of business ownership, the definition of family for inheritance purposes, donor intent in connection with restricted charitable gifts, and the use of mediation to manage conflict in the estate planning context. She served as a trustee on the University’s Board of Trustees.
GUILLAUME GRISEL is a Partner in Schellenberg Wittmer’s Private Wealth group. He assists high net worth individuals and families, including entertainers, art collectors and philanthropists. Guillaume Grisel regularly advises banks, wealth managers, family offices and professional trustees in compliance and regulatory matters too. He is the author of the only comprehensive textbook on trust law in Switzerland (Le Trust en Suisse).
FRANCESCO A. SCHURR, is a Full Professor and Chair for Italian Private Law and Comparative Law at the Law School of the University of Innsbruck. Furthermore he is a Visiting Professor for Corporate, Foundation and Trust Law at Business Law School of the University of Liechtenstein. He is admitted to the Bar in Italy and Germany. Furthermore he serves as Judge at the Court for Trusts and Fiduciary Relations in San Marino.
JOHANNA NIEGEL is Vice President and Relationship Manager at Industrie- und Finanzkontor Etablissement, a leading trust company with a tradition and expertise in the long-term and multi-generational preservation of wealth, family values and businesses. She has specialised in corporate, foundation and trust law, family governance and philanthropy in the fiduciary business in Liechtenstein.
Dr. Niegel is the editor of Trusts & Trustees "Private Foundations: A Word Review" (Oxford University Press). She is member of the International Academy of Estate and Trust Law (TIAETL) and teaches in various programs at the University of Liechtenstein. She was awarded the STEP Founder’s Award in 2017.
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Corinne Graf
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