RMW Law LLP

RMW Law is a boutique private client firm founded by John Riches and Samantha Morgan in 2011, with Stuart Skeffington joining as partner in 2021.

Distinctive Approach

We operate a "reverse leverage" model, deliberately maintaining a low ratio of associates and counsel to partners. This means our partners work directly with clients, delivering sophisticated solutions with unparalleled efficiency. Rather than seeking to expand our client base continuously, we focus on serving a select number of families over the very long-term, building enduring partnerships that can span generations.

Expertise and Innovation

We specialize in sophisticated family governance, estate planning, and succession strategies involving complex fiduciary structures, trusts, and foundations. Our partners bring over a century of combined experience to tackle the unique challenges facing globally wealthy clients.

Global Practice and Recognition

All three partners have been consistently ranked by Chambers & Partners, remarkable for a specialist boutique firm and testament to our exceptional reputation in both the domestic and international private client arenas. Our firm is also ranked within the Chambers High Net Worth guide, recognising our cutting-edge legal offering.

Commitment to the Profession

We actively shape the future of private client practice through thought leadership, policy consultation, and international conference presentations. This forward-thinking approach gives our clients a distinct advantage in navigating evolving regulatory landscapes.

RMW Law's private wealth management practice serves individuals, entrepreneurs and families with sophisticated, holistic solutions designed to preserve and transfer wealth across generations. Our approach combines technical excellence with deep understanding of the complex personal, commercial, and governance challenges that accompany substantial wealth.

As a boutique firm, we operate with exceptional agility, implementing substantial projects independently or serving as strategic coordinators for complex, multi-jurisdictional initiatives involving multiple advisors.

A distinctive component of our approach is to deconstruct any planning proposition into its simplest components before devising any proposed strategy or solution. In this sense, we see ourselves as problem solvers rather than advisers who merely restate the existing law.

Comprehensive Wealth Structuring

Our distinctive methodology begins with comprehensive analysis of existing structures to identify complexities and isolate key issues. We then develop tailored strategies that create streamlined structures, which are easily governed by fiduciaries, enforced by supervisors, and understood by beneficial owners.

We design sophisticated wealth structures addressing family governance, succession planning, tax efficiency and asset protection. Our expertise encompasses traditional trust arrangements and innovative fiduciary structures, including private trust companies and foundations within multi-layered architectures.

Collaborative Approach and Long-Term Relationships

Sophisticated wealth structures require appropriate stewardship to function effectively. We work seamlessly with clients' existing advisers and family offices, or if desired, can recommend suitable professionals from our established network.

Our reverse leverage model enables close, long-term relationships with our clients, fostering deep understanding of their evolving needs. As circumstances change, be it through family transitions, regulatory developments, or commercial opportunities, we provide timely advice and structural adjustments.

International Expertise and Family Governance

With clients based globally, we have particular expertise in managing international wealth structures, including cross-border tax implications, regulatory compliance, and coordination with overseas advisers.

We place special emphasis on comprehensive family governance arrangements ensuring long-term success across generations. Our solutions extend beyond traditional structures to encompass all forms of wealth holding, enabling entrepreneurs to articulate their vision while providing frameworks for family collaboration.

We establish family constitutions, governance protocols, and decision-making frameworks that promote harmony and provide clear mechanisms for beneficial owners to engage with fiduciaries. This prepares next-generation family members for responsible wealth stewardship, equipping them with tools necessary to maintain effective oversight across changing circumstances.