All Resources

Resource Topics

Themes for Family Businesses in 2023

Uncertainty and digitalization are among the challenges. By Patricia M. Angus – Originally published in Trusts & Estates, December 2022 Will 2023 be the year that the pandemic is put behind us? Will the political and economic volatility that defined 2022…

Read More about Themes for Family Businesses in 2023

From Textiles to Multi-generational Wealth: The Shah Family Enterprise

By Patricia M. Angus – Originally published on Columbia CaseWorks, Spring 2024 What are the factors that drove a family-owned chemical company’s success, and how can the family balance monetization of the business with the desire to continue the legacy?

Read More about From Textiles to Multi-generational Wealth: The Shah Family Enterprise

Trust Ownership of Family Businesses:
Planning for the Future

By Patricia M. Angus – Originally published in Trusts & Estates, February 2024 The scenario is all too common. The founders (or non-founding owners) of a family business realize it’s time to do some estate planning. Their email inboxes have been…

Read More about Trust Ownership of Family Businesses: Planning for the Future

Everything Everywhere All at Once?
Family Enterprises in 2024

By Patricia M. Angus – Originally published in Trusts & Estates, January 2024 The  2023  Academy Awards ceremony was quite a sweep for the film Everything Everywhere All at Once,1 which conventions, including genre, casting, plot and the time-space continuum. Looking…

Read More about Everything Everywhere All at Once? Family Enterprises in 2024

Audiobook – The Beneficiary Primer: A Guide for Beneficiaries of Family Trusts

Have you been named as beneficiary of a family trust? Does it feel overwhelming? Are you looking for some practical information to get up to speed fast? Patricia’s essential guidebook is now available as an audiobook. Key concepts are distilled…

Read More about Audiobook – The Beneficiary Primer: A Guide for Beneficiaries of Family Trusts

Wealth Transfer Between Generations, Primer for Trustees and Beneficiaries

In this episode of the podcast Talking Billions, Patricia talks with Bogumil Baranowski of Sicart Associates, LLC. Together they explore:Trusts: what they are, where they come from, purposes they serve.How trusts have changed over the years.Two types of trusts: revocable…

Read More about Wealth Transfer Between Generations, Primer for Trustees and Beneficiaries

Complex Family Enterprise: A new way to describe a growing phenomenon

By Patricia M. Angus – Originally published in Trusts & Estates, March 2023 Trusts and estates practitioners (for example, lawyers, accountants and investment advisors) take their clients as they find them. If you’re writing a will or doing an estate plan,…

Read More about Complex Family Enterprise: A new way to describe a growing phenomenon

Review of Reviews: “How Should Inheritance Law Remediate Inequality?” 97 Wash. L. Rev. __ (forthcoming 2022)

By Patricia M. Angus – Originally published in Trusts & Estates, November 2022 Inequality—or rather, disparity—of wealth is perhaps the most complex and vexing issue of our time.1 The law review article, “How Should Inheritance Law Remediate Inequality?” focuses on the challenges…

Read More about Review of Reviews: “How Should Inheritance Law Remediate Inequality?” 97 Wash. L. Rev. __ (forthcoming 2022)

Your Family Business Needs a Board

By Patricia M. Angus, published in Harvard Business Review, September 08, 2022 A board should be at the helm of any family business, steering the business in the right direction. If you wish to have a business that is resilient and…

Read More about Your Family Business Needs a Board

Mental Health and Estate Planning

Patricia joins Arden O’Connor of the Beyond the Balance Sheet podcast in a discussion about estate planning with mental health and addiction issues in mind. Patricia outlines the first steps that families need to take before starting their estate plans.…

Read More about Mental Health and Estate Planning

In Tax We Trust: Implications of growing societal and client trends

By Patricia M. Angus – Originally published on WealthManagement.com on February 13, 2022 Most private wealth advisors (including trusts and estates lawyers, accountants and investment advisors) assume that a primary goal of their work is to reduce their clients’ taxes…

Read More about In Tax We Trust: Implications of growing societal and client trends

Virtual Fireside Chat with Leading Family Enterprise and Family Office Experts

The role of family offices in structuring and advising families with regards to liquidity events and family dynamics. Strategies for families to intelligently run and manage the risks associated with private wealth and operating businesses concurrently…

Read More about Virtual Fireside Chat with Leading Family Enterprise and Family Office Experts

The Family Governance Pyramid: Enhancing and Guiding Your Family Philanthropy

By Patricia M. Angus – Originally published in NCFP’s Passages July 2021 OVERVIEW Family philanthropy is a very important expression of a family’s commitment to society. It is a high calling for a family that wishes to have an impact…

Read More about The Family Governance Pyramid: Enhancing and Guiding Your Family Philanthropy

Sustainable Growth Drivers for Family Enterprises

This webinar draws from the experiences of different stakeholders, explores how family businesses in Africa have evolved, the challenges faced, and the main drivers behind sustainable growth of these enterprises based on three pillars: economic, environmental, and social.

Read More about Sustainable Growth Drivers for Family Enterprises

The Purpose and Power of Family Governance

By Patricia M. Angus – Originally published as a blogpost for NCFP, June, 2021Excerpt from “Passages Issue Brief: Enhancing Your Family Philanthropy with The Family Governance Pyramid” by Ms. Angus. Over the past few decades, practitioners and academics from various disciplines…

Read More about The Purpose and Power of Family Governance

How Should Wealthy Parents Treat Wayward Offspring?

by Emma Jacobs – Originally published in Financial Times on May 26, 2021Giving children too much money, too early, risks indulging them and making them irresponsible. Patricia Angus and other experts offer advice on the delicate balance wealthy parents face…

Read More about How Should Wealthy Parents Treat Wayward Offspring?

Tamarind Learning Podcast: The Beneficiary Primer

In this podcast, Patricia Angus, Managing Director of the Global Family Enterprising Program and Faculty Director of the Enterprising Family Executive Program at Columbia University discusses her book, The Beneficiary Primer, with Kirby Rosplock, PhD, Founder and CEO of Tamarind…

Read More about Tamarind Learning Podcast: The Beneficiary Primer

Primer on Family Trust Beneficiaries:
Things to Consider

In this episode of FFI Practitioner‘s weekly podcast, FFI Fellow Patricia Angus discusses her most recent book, The Beneficiary Primer: A Guide for Beneficiaries of Family Trusts, which serves as a resource for beneficiaries, trustees, advisors, and other practitioners to navigate,…

Read More about Primer on Family Trust Beneficiaries: Things to Consider

Tamarind Learning Podcast: The Trustee Primer

In this podcast, Patricia Angus, Managing Director of the Global Family Enterprising Program and Faculty Director of the Enterprising Family Executive Program at Columbia University discusses her book, The Trustee Primer, with Kirby Rosplock, PhD, Founder and CEO of Tamarind Partners.

Read More about Tamarind Learning Podcast: The Trustee Primer

Guidance for Family Offices: How to approach ESG investing

By Patricia Angus and Camille Korschun – Originally published in Family Enterprise Insights, March 2021 Introduction: Environmental, Social, and Governance investing (ESG investing) is an approach that incorporates factors beyond financial return in an investment decision. Namely, the investor incorporates…

Read More about Guidance for Family Offices: How to approach ESG investing

(Re-)Building Bridges: Reflections on All Hallows’ Eve 2012

Lessons learned from our response to crisis By Patricia M. Angus – Originally published in Trusts & Estates, November 2012 I’m writing this “Building Bridges” column…

Read More

What is a family council and when should a family consider establishing one?

By Patricia M. Angus – Originally published by National Center for Family Philanthropy, October 15, 2012 Many families with multiple branches may elect to set…

Read More

Client Engagement

How to improve participation to achieve better results By Patricia M. Angus – Originally published in Trusts & Estates, September 2012 For more than a decade,…

Read More

A View of the Bridge

An enduring Italian landmark offers up lessons for private wealth advisors By Patricia M. Angus – Originally published in Trusts & Estates, August 2012 While on…

Read More

Being “Good With Clients”

Four common assumptions to avoid By Patricia M. Angus – Originally published in Trusts & Estates, July 2012 As an aspiring lawyer interviewing for an associate…

Read More

Know Your Client?

By Patricia M. Angus – Originally published in Private Wealth Management in 2011 It is hard to discuss private wealth management, espe­cially in the international context,…

Read More

Family Governance Meets Family Dynamics: a Survey and Strategies for Successful Joint Philanthropy

By Patricia M. Angus and Fredda Herz Brown, Ph.D. – Originally published on NCFP Passages in 2007. The Smith family* had been running their foundation…

Read More

A Road Map: Choosing Advisors To Help Your Family With Governance and Family Dynamics

By Jane N. Abitanta, Patricia M. Angus, and Fredda Herz Brown – December 7, 2006 General Tips for Your Selection Process 1.  Consider this a…

Read More

The Family Governance Pyramid: From Principles to Practice

By Patricia M. Angus – Originally published in Journal of Wealth Management in 2005 Virtually every family of significant wealth lives within a family gover­nance…

Read More

Sharing the Family Vacation Home

By Patricia M. Angus – Originally published in WealthManagement.com July 2015 Five tips for making frolicking more likely than fighting. Ahh, summer. A time to…

Read More

Family Governance: A Primer for Philanthropic Families

By Patricia M. Angus – Originally published on NCFP Passages in 2004. Families who engage in philanthropy together have a unique opportunity to make a…

Read More

Ten Facts Every Trust Beneficiary Should Know

By Patricia M. Angus – Originally published in Private Wealth Management in 2003. After years of working with families to establish trusts, and with individual…

Read More