Welcome to L&S Trust Services

We’re trusted on trusts – and have leading firm credentials

Experienced, independent and serving private and corporate clients with interests all over the world for more than 50 years. L&S Trust Services provides a broad range of individually tailored fiduciary services through L&S Trust Services SA in Geneva and Zurich, and L&S Services LP in Guernsey. Both companies coordinate the expertise of specialists from our parent Lenz & Staehelin – the world’s Swiss law firm.

Harnessing Switzerland’s leading edge through L&S Trust Services SA

L&S Trust Services SA is a Swiss company incorporated in 1969 and Lenz & Staehelin-owned. It’s a founding member of SATC (Swiss Association of Trust Companies) and also affiliated to SO-FIT, the Supervisory Organisation for Financial Intermediaries & Trustees.

The company’s location in Switzerland offers valuable benefits – a country where one third of the world’s private wealth is managed through its advanced banking, wealth management and fiduciary services. 

Switzerland is right in the heart of Europe with excellent global connections and a convenient time zone. It’s politically and economically stable, with a highly skilled multilingual workforce. And, critically, it enables trusts governed by the law of recognised trust jurisdictions beyond its borders to be used as effective wealth management vehicles that Swiss-based trustees can efficiently establish and manage.

Streamlined trusts management built around multi-jurisdiction recognition

Since ratification of the Hague Convention on the Law Applicable to Trusts and on their Recognition in 2007, a trust established in a foreign jurisdiction is recognised under Swiss law and governed by the law chosen by the settlor in the trust deed. This may be the law of any jurisdiction with a well-established trust law, such as the USA, England, Jersey, Guernsey, the Cayman Islands or British Virgin Islands (BVI). 

The implications of this are significant – especially for families requiring several trusts with different applicable laws to accommodate different tax and regulatory requirements. Under Swiss law, these structures can all be conveniently managed from Switzerland by one trustee located in one jurisdiction.

Trusts also enjoy a favourable environment in Switzerland as they are not subject to Swiss taxes. And neither are the trust’s settlor and beneficiaries, provided they are not Swiss tax residents.

High-quality wealth planning in one convenient place

Switzerland’s dynamic mix of high-end banking, legal, accounting and insurance services presents a unique opportunity to reduce the time and costs required to establish and run a high-quality wealth or succession planning vehicle. It consolidates all the elements involved in the proper functioning of a trust in one convenient place.  

L&S Services LP – your direct route to Guernsey

L&S Services LP is a Guernsey Limited Partnership established by Lenz & Staehelin that holds a full fiduciary licence under the law regulating trustees in the Bailiwick of Guernsey. 

The second largest of the Channel Islands off the north-west coast of France, Guernsey offers advantages as an English-speaking common law jurisdiction. Its special tax status, coupled with continuous, stable self-government for more than 900 years, strict confidentiality, excellent communications and a highly trained workforce combine to make Guernsey an attractive offshore centre.
 

The British Crown dependency that shapes its own destiny

Guernsey holds a unique global position that comes with many advantages. It’s part of the British Isles, but not within the United Kingdom. This means that, as a dependency of the British Crown, the island benefits from the UK government’s responsibility for its international relationships and defence.

At the same time, Guernsey has its own legislature, executive and judiciary with complete responsibility for internal affairs, including legislation for taxation and company law. And it has a special relationship with the European Union as defined by Protocol 3 to the Treaty of Accession of the UK to the Community. This Protocol excludes Guernsey from most Treaty of Rome effects – apart from those concerning trade – and provides a special arrangement allowing for the free movement of goods between the Island and EU member countries.

This special relationship makes Guernsey fiscally independent so it can determine and collect its own taxes. It’s free from capital gains, sales, corporation, inheritance and withholding taxes. What’s more, there’s no VAT or exchange control.