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Aliasghar Kanani

Tax Partner, LE/AX Avocats

Aliasghar Kanani is a tax partner with LE/AX. His favorite field of activity is Swiss and International corporate tax law, which covers varied topics, such as international tax planning for multinationals and SMEs, group and financial restructurings. He also advises high net worth individuals on Swiss and international tax planning aspects, as well as non-profit organizations.

Following his graduation in Swiss Law, he obtained a Master of Advanced Studies in business law (MBL). In order to complete this Master degree, he wrote a thesis on “Merger and its tax treatment”. He completed an LL.M. in International Taxation, during which he specialized in Swiss and International Business taxation and wrote a thesis on “IP restructurings”.

Aliasghar Kanani teaches corporate taxation at the High School Arc, Bachelor in Business Law www.he-arc.ch/gestion/bachelor/droit-economique/, member of the University of Applied Sciences of Western Switzerland (HES-SO), as well as at the CAS in taxation of SMEs at the University of Neuchâtel, Law Faculty www.unine.ch/droit/home/formations/formation_continue/cas-en-fiscalite-des-pme.html. In addition, he is a regular speaker at the University of Lausanne, for WEKA Business Media AG and various organizations of which he is an active member. He is also the author of various publications on tax law, in particular in specialized magazines such as Tax News International (TNI) in the USA and for various professional associations.

He has been an active member of the Tax Law Commission of the Association International of Youngs Lawyers (AIJA, www.aija.org), for which he has been the annual national reporter since 2009. He received the Past President Award for his 2009 national report on "Thin capitalization regulations and similar tax limitations on leveraged buy-outs". Finally, he is a member of the International Tax Specialist Group (www.itsgnetwork.com), the International Business Structuring Association (www.theibsa.org) and the Private Client Dining Club (www.pcd.club), as well as the Geneva Bar Association (www.odage.ch) and the International Bar Association (www.ibanet.org). Aliasghar Kanani is fluent in French, English, Hindi/Urdu and Gujarati.

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Dharshi Wijetunga Frei

Anaford

Dharshi Wijetunga Frei heads the international trust practice in the Zurich office.  She has extensive experience in wealth holding and wealth transfer solutions, with a particular interest in trust structuring and tax matters for clients from Asia.

Dharshi comes with many years of international experience, having worked as lawyer in an international law firm and a structuring specialist within a large private bank.  Before joining Anaford, Dharshi was a Director in one of the largest Swiss private banks, focusing on complex trust structures.  As part of her role she relocated from Switzerland to Singapore, to focus on UHNW clients in Asia. Prior to that, Dharshi was a Senior Associate in an international law firm, working in both the Singapore and Zurich offices.  In this role she regularly advised Banks and Trust companies as well as private individuals on all aspects of wealth planning, be it succession solutions, trust structuring, or tax or regulatory matters, with a focus on Asia.

Dharshi’s unique background combined with her experience in both Asia and Europe makes her uniquely qualified to advise international private banks, trust companies and private clients on a broad range of matters including wealth holding structures, business succession and asset protection structures.

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Matthew Ledvina

Anaford

Matthew co-heads the U.S. tax practice in the Zurich office. He specializes in private client practice and accommodating the needs of the private banking industry. His practice focuses on cross-border tax and structuring, asset protection, multi-jurisdictional investment structures, as well as international tax controversy work for Private Clients involving the use of trusts, foundations and other fiduciary arrangements. Matthew also advises Private Clients on non-tax elements of structuring, and has developed specialized knowledge in residence and domicile solutions, including obtaining alternative citizenships in various jurisdictions, in particular European-based programmes.

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Caroline Bennett-Akkaya

PraxisIFM

Caroline is responsible for business development predominately in Switzerland (Geneva, Zurich and Lausanne) together with a Group-wide role in developing the company’s clients and professional relationships.

She has 20 years’ experience in the trust and fiduciary industry in the UK and Switzerland, working with a range of private clients around the world. Prior to joining the Group, Caroline was a Trust and Estate Advisory specialist at Credit Suisse Trust Ltd (in Geneva, Switzerland). Her role focused on HNWI clients in the UK, Turkey, Greece, Asia and South Africa. Previously she held business development roles for independent trust and corporate services providers in the UK. Caroline speaks several languages including French, Turkish, and German.

Caroline has a BA Hons Degree in French Language and Literature, a Chartered Institute of Marketing Diploma, and the STEP Diploma and is an active member of STEP in Switzerland.