Dear Clients, Friends and Colleagues, The COVID-19 virus has presented each of us and our businesses with new, significant and unprecedented challenges. We would like to update all of you on The Quest Organization’s ongoing efforts and preparations during this global health emergency. We remain open and operational, and we are prepared to continue to… Read more »

Due to a much more complex global environment, family offices are adapting to new challenges from cybersecurity, to market volatility, more direct investments, social media, physical security, human capital, succession planning, the coronavirus, and of course the new generation of family members. In our first of a series of blogs, we will address the hiring… Read more »

Stocks are plunging as investors are moving towards the safety of government bonds, due to the panic over the coronavirus. The yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note sank to 0.7 percent for the first time. Even with a strong job report, the direction of the market has been negative. Many families are shifting their… Read more »

After speaking with numerous Family Offices over the past year, it appears that the biggest issue facing more than 50% of the families that we have spoken with, is the lack of a “true succession plan”. A succession plan is quite challenging for many families because it requires family members to really think carefully about… Read more »

Ultra-high net worth families face many challenges that are associated with wealth management and running a business. From dealing with service providers, to making complex investments, estate and tax planning, succession planning, human capital, risk management, cybersecurity, philanthropy, exit strategies, governance and best practices, it can be daunting. When you add to that conflicts within… Read more »

One of the key conflicts that arises in family offices is family office succession. The older generation is reluctant to “let go” and the younger generation may be eager to take the reins. When the patriarch has started the business and built it to a high level of success, it is extremely difficult for them… Read more »

New Family Office Regulations- Kleinberg, Kaplan, Wolff & Cohen, P.C. In 2012, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) adopted the term “family office” and excluded such entities from registration as an “investment adviser” under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940,as amended. Rather than take the same approach by adopting a regulatory exclusion, the… Read more »

Over the years, the SRI investment options have been increasing. ESG Investments are in public and private markets. The type of investments include alternative investments-private equity, venture capital, real estate, and hedge funds have become the most popular within the impact investing space. Another significant area of ESG investing is community investing,to serve the poor… Read more »

The first step towards implementing an Impact Investing Program is to obtain a unified plan that all family members agree upon. In many cases it is helpful to have an outside party assist with getting everyone on the same page. In some cases one of the family members may become the person who takes the… Read more »

The interest in impact investing by family offices is increasing significantly. While many of them have expressed a strong interest, not as many have actually implemented an ESG program, however we expect that to change quite a bit based upon recent conversations with many of them. Some of the key areas that most families are… Read more »