Advisors Highlight Litigation Prevention and Governance Risk in Cross-Border Wealth Structures

Zurich — As internationally mobile families continue to diversify residence, assets and governance frameworks across multiple jurisdictions, advisors are facing increasing pressure to anticipate litigation risks and ensure regulatory resilience. These challenges were a central focus at the inaugural PCD Group Conference in Monaco, which brought together leading legal, tax and advisory professionals to examine the future of governance coordination and dispute prevention in global wealth structuring.

A key session of the conference, “Multi-Jurisdiction Advisory, Governance & Disputes – Coordinating Advice Across Borders: The Advisor’s Perspective,” explored how regulatory fragmentation, geopolitical developments and evolving stakeholder dynamics are reshaping risk-management frameworks in international private client practice.

The panel brought together leading practitioners including Women-In-Law Award Winner Dominique Calcò Labbruzzo, founder of Dominique Calcò Labbruzzo Holistic Law Firm in Zurich; Cécile Vuillier, Founding Partner at META OCTAV; Jo Vanbelle, Managing Partner at Vanbelle Law; and Gary Ashford, International Tax Partner at Harbottle & Lewis.

Speakers addressed the growing operational pressure on banks, wealth managers, family offices and advisory teams tasked with coordinating governance structures across jurisdictions characterised by differing legal systems, compliance expectations and administrative processes.

Dominique Calcò Labbruzzo emphasised that litigation exposure in international wealth structures is often linked not only to technical legal issues but also to governance failures and unresolved behavioural dynamics within complex family or business environments:

“In cross-border wealth structures, disputes rarely arise unexpectedly. They are frequently preceded by identifiable litigation red flags — such as persistent communication breakdown, succession uncertainty, leadership conflicts or mental-health-related pressures affecting decision-making.

Through integrative legal counselling combined with holistic leadership mentoring, my focus is on helping clients and advisory teams recognise these early warning signals, strengthen governance dialogue and reduce the likelihood of costly disputes and reputational exposure.”

David Bell, founder of PCD Group and organiser of the Monaco conference, highlighted the increasing importance of anticipatory governance:

“Our panel highlighted the increasing complexity advisors face in coordinating multi-jurisdictional strategies, especially amid shifting geopolitical and regulatory landscapes. Collaboration across disciplines remains key to delivering resilient solutions for internationally mobile families and structures.”

Cécile Vuillier, Founding Partner at META OCTAV, noted that while regulatory divergence creates operational challenges, it also encourages more robust governance approaches:

“Effective governance in a multi-jurisdictional context requires not only technical expertise, but also a strong ability to anticipate risks, align stakeholders and navigate increasingly complex regulatory and dispute landscapes. Today more than ever, coordination and clarity are key to protecting both structures and reputations.”

Jo Vanbelle, Managing Partner at Vanbelle Law, further underlined the structural realities faced by advisors coordinating international mandates:

“Working effectively across multiple jurisdictions is challenging due to differing legal frameworks, regulatory requirements, cultural norms, and administrative systems, which can create complexity, delays, and risk of non-compliance. However, it also offers opportunities to leverage diverse perspectives, expand market reach, build resilient strategies, and develop adaptable practices. Our added value relies on fully understanding and applying these challenges and opportunities.”

Gary Ashford, International Tax Partner at Harbottle & Lewis, contributed insights into the tax governance implications of cross-border structuring and the growing need for close coordination between legal, tax and fiduciary advisors in an environment characterised by expanding transparency and reporting obligations.

Panel participants agreed that financial institutions and advisory firms must increasingly adopt integrated, forward-looking governance approaches. Early identification of litigation risk factors — including succession tensions, communication failures and stakeholder misalignment — is becoming a critical component of sustainable wealth protection.

Key themes emerging from the discussion included:

• litigation prevention as a core governance strategy
• regulatory fragmentation and compliance exposure
• behavioural risk factors affecting wealth structures
• reputational risk management for financial institutions
• the strategic role of coordinated multi-jurisdiction advisory teams

The PCD Monaco Conference reflects growing demand within the private wealth and financial advisory sectors for platforms addressing governance resilience, dispute prevention and cross-border risk management in an evolving global environment.

Media Contact
Dominique Calcò Labbruzzo Holistic Law Firm
Bachmannweg 9
8046 Zürich, Switzerland
Tel. +41 78 876 82 43
www.holistic-law.com