Crossley, Ashley

Ashley Crossley

Partner
Baker & McKenzie LLP

Biography

Ashley Crossley is head of the Wealth Management Department in the London office. He has been chair of the Firm’s Europe and Middle East Wealth Management Practice Group as well as serving as a member of Baker McKenzie’s Global Wealth Management Steering Committee and coordinating partner for the Firm’s global banking relationships. He also heads the Firm's Middle East practice. He is recognized as a leader in his area of practice by Legal 500, Citywealth and Chambers Global. Ashley frequently speaks at external conferences and seminars, and is the editor of STEP's Russia/CIS directory. Ashley is qualified as a barrister and solicitor.

Practice Focus

Ashley specialises advising clients — particularly those from the Middle East — on cross-border trust and tax-related issues. He also advises governments and global financial institutions on compliance and regulatory issues, including disclosure and exchange of information. Ashley advises high net worth individuals, families and global financial institutions on cross-border tax and trust structuring, asset protection, multijurisdictional investment structures, as well as contentious and non-contentious trust work. He has extensive experience in establishing private trust companies and tax-efficient venture capital, as well as pre-IPO tax structures and other private equity structures.

Representative Legal Matters

  • Acting for several international private banks and advising on structuring of fund invested vehicles in excess of GBP500 million.
  • Acting for several governments and global financial institutions on the exchange of information in tax matters and OECD and EU requirements.
  • Acting on one of the largest limited partnership structures in the Far East worth GBP5.3 billion.
  • Providing advice to one of the world's wealthiest Russian/CIS entrepreneurs on listing companies on the London Stock Exchange.
  • Providing tax and trust planning advice for a leading family in the Middle East including advising on the application of Shari'a law.

Professional Associations and Memberships

  • STEP

Admissions

  • England & Wales~United Kingdom (2003)

Education

  • Oxford University (Jesus College) (Master of Arts Law) (1996)
  • Oxford University (Jesus College) (B.A. Law) (1994)

Languages

  • English

Author, "Offshore Tax Planning Trends and Developments," International Trust and Corporate Planning

Editor, STEP's Russia/CIS directory

Speaker, external conferences including the "Securities & Investment Institutes' Private Client Wealth Management Congress for Family Office Management", the "Portfolio International's Expatriate Finance Clinic" and "Jordans Annual Offshore Tax Planning Trends and Developments Conference."

He is quoted in the Financial Times on matters of topical interest.