Alec R. Anderson is Global Head of Trust & Private Client and a director in the Bermuda office of Conyers Dill & Pearman. He is also a director and President of Codan Trust Company Limited, a licensed trust company and a controlled affiliate of Conyers Dill & Pearman. Alec joined Conyers in 1985 and became partner in 1991.

Alec's practice includes trust and estate planning for international private clients, advising on various cross border transactions involving trusts, especially the restructuring, modification and variation of trusts. Alec also has expertise in trust dispute resolution and assisting mediated resolution of contentious trust matters. Additionally, his practice includes involvement in the protection of family wealth from divorce and other litigation.

Alec is a regular speaker at conferences and contributor to trade and legal publications. He is author of the Bermuda Chapters in International Estate Planning (published by Mathew Bender, edited by Henry Christensen III), International Trust Precedents (published by Sweet & Maxwell) and International Charities (published by Wiley & Sons). He wrote a chapter on The Statutory Non-Charitable Purpose Trusts: Equity, Fiduciaries and Trusts, published by Carswell, and is co-author of the Bermuda chapter of the STEP publication "A Practical Guide to the Transfer of Trusteeships". He is the author of the chapter on Trust & Private Client Practice in Bermuda in the new book Offshore Commercial Law in Bermuda by Chief Justice Ian Kawaley and is the Bermuda editor of Trusts & Trustees Journal.

Recent Experience

• Numerous in camera applications to the Bermuda court under Section 47 of Bermuda’s Trustee Act 1975 resulting in successful reorganisations of Bermuda trusts; helped develop new jurisdiction of the Bermuda Court under Section 47 to provide for variations of trusts in certain circumstances without the requirement for the formal consent of all beneficiaries, which has augmented tax planning opportunities for multi-jurisdictional families. Advised several trusts on this worth in excess of several hundred millions and in one case, over $1 billion.
• Advising on the complex reorganisation of a Bermuda law trust with Italian resident beneficiaries which involved substantive advice on cross-jurisdictional issues, including complex mandatory succession right issues; this project involved negotiating a settlement of a dispute between principal beneficiaries via UK court approval after moving a Bermuda trust to the UK. The solution of compromise saved millions of pounds in legal fees.
• Acted for the Trustees in one of the most substantial offshore trust transactions in many years, a Court approved (but highly negotiated) split of several billion dollars' worth of operating businesses between family branches involving over 25 beneficiaries: significantly improved the tax planning profile of the assets, improved liability protection for the trustees, obtained approval for the substitution of a Bermuda PTC limited by guarantee in place of individual trustees, and satisfied the Court that proper fiduciary considerations justified splitting the trust assets, without a formal valuation being determined.
• Advising a corporate trustee on the private acquisition of a publically-listed UK company for the benefit of a high profile client, involving implications concerning UK tax law, Swiss tax law, UK securities law and Bermuda trust law, with the trustees located in Bermuda.

Professional Background

• Macfarlanes, London, 1985
• No. 1 Brick Court, London, 1984

Education

• London School of Economics, LLB, 1983
• University of Virginia, B.A. Foreign Affairs, 1980

Bar Admissions

• England & Wales, 1984
• Bermuda, 1985
• New York State, 1985

Industry Associations

• Chairman, The Bermuda Task Force Committee on the International Trust Industry
• The International Academy of Estate and Trust Law
• Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP)
• International Member, The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC)
• Member, ACTEC International Estate Planning Committee

Industry Accolades

• Recognised leading private client lawyer, Chambers Global 2012
• Recognised trust & private client lawyer, Legal 500 2011: “Alec is clearly the best person for trust work in Bermuda.”
• Recognised leading international private client lawyer, Chambers Global 2011: “dynamic and energetic, and an extremely well-known and committed lawyer.”
• CityWealth Leaders List 2011
• Endorsed as a leading private client lawyer, PLC Which Lawyer 2011
• Recommended leading private client lawyer, Legal 500 2010
• Recognised leading international private client lawyer, Chambers Global 2010: "very well respected with a significant reputation"
• Recommended leading private client lawyer, Legal 500 2009: "highly respected expert"
• Private Client Practitioner's Top 50 most influential private client lawyers, 2009

Articles

• Private Client Q&A: Bermuda
• Modification of Trusts and Planning for Change: Bermuda

Press Releases

• Conyers hosts Trusts Forum in London
• Conyers Lawyers Named in Citywealth Leaders List
• Conyers Partner Named to list of 50 most Powerful Private Client Advisors
• Conyers Dill & Pearman Partner named first ever international member of ACTEC