Family Business Advisory

Harmony is Possible

Family Business Advisory Services
We Understand Family Businesses

We’re here to help clients navigate the unique issues that can impact their success.

Finding the balance that leads to growth

Family businesses face the same pressures as other businesses with the additional challenges of maintaining family relationships amid conflict and change. We customize our family business advice based on our clients’ goals – both financial and personal.  We help our clients find clarity to create alignment and build wealth.

  • Family Business Insights
    • Share best practices overview 
    • Perform benchmarking analysis
    • Lead goals and vision development
  • Family Business Preparedness Assessment
    • Conduct key stakeholder interviews (multi-generational)
    • Share insights and observations
    • Prepare and present final recommendations and report
  • Shareholder Sustainability Analysis
    • Review current governance
    • Advise on establishment of new policies (distribution, communication, etc.)
  • Shareholder Communication Strategy
    • Plan and facilitate family meetings
    • Assist with financial reporting: format, frequency and content
  • Transition Planning for Owners
    • Review and advise on succession plans
    • Provide feasibility studies
    • Evaluate estate planning strategy to ensure integration with overall family wealth

Forbes
Family Office, Family Business

How to Conduct Family Meetings That Don’t Turn Into an Episode of ‘Succession’

The Roy family, a media dynasty loosely modeled after the Murdochs (Fox) and Redstones (Viacom), spends its quality time together bitterly debating who will succeed the patriarch, Logan Roy. Although Succession reflects some of the worst realities of family and power dynamics, conversations about wealth and inheritance do not have to be contentious. In fact, family meetings are one of the best ways wealthy families can avoid the misunderstandings and false assumptions that often lead to conflict.
John M. Jennings, JD
John M. Jennings, JDPresident and Chief Strategist of St. Louis Trust & Family Office
Family Office, Family Business

Selecting a Family Office for Your Family

The selection of a Family Office for your family requires a clear understanding of your objectives and a detailed knowledge of the service offerings of the firms you are considering. Family Offices come in all shapes and sizes and with a wide range of capabilities—differentiation among firms is particularly important today since many people and organizations claim to be Family Offices. It is most useful to begin the selection process by writing down in detail what your family needs and what has led you to the decision to investigate Family Offices.
Spencer B. Burke
Spencer B. BurkeSenior Counsel at St. Louis Trust & Family Office
Family Business

The Quest for Longevity: What Can We Learn From Family Businesses About Long-Term Survival?

Being a multi-gen family business is no easy task. The “death rate” (either through merger, sale or other means) is so high that this may mean that there are no general rules for survival, only exceptions. The principle of Survivorship Bias also applies—is multi-gen survival in the family business context just a random phenomenon or the result of the adoption of best practices?
Spencer B. Burke
Spencer B. BurkeSenior Counsel at St. Louis Trust & Family Office