Family offices’ long-term investment horizons make them ideally suited to private equity investing, but many lack the internal expertise to succeed in the asset class, creating an opportunity for third-party investment boutiques

Most successful business families have a good governance framework in place which evolves through generations and adapts to changing circumstances

As global banks struggle with damaged reputations, smaller investment firms sense an opportunity to win market share and the recent M&A activity could be a sign of things to come

Multi-family offices need to widen the range of services they offer clients, be it in-house or through strategic partnerships, if they are to grow to their full potential

Crackdowns on tax avoidance and evasion are forcing single family offices to change how they manage their affairs, with increasing numbers now outsourcing certain aspects of their business

Many family offices remain overweight equities as markets continue to outperform other mainstream asset classes, but worry that valuations are too high

Paul Kearney, responsible for ultra high net worth clients at Kleinwort Benson, discusses what makes a good relationship manager and why he believes the business models of many family offices simply do not work

Both clients and asset managers are warming to the idea of multi-family offices, while the larger players are taking this threat very seriously