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Baker McKenzie

Global legal counsel for complex cross-border matters.

Services-only
01 — Overview

What Baker McKenzie does

Baker McKenzie is a global law firm operating across more than 70 offices in over 40 countries, serving multinational corporations, financial institutions, and private clients on cross-border legal matters. For family offices and private wealth principals, the firm offers services spanning tax planning, trusts and estates, private equity transactions, M&A, and regulatory compliance across multiple jurisdictions simultaneously. With 65% of its work described as multijurisdictional, the firm's core proposition is coordinating complex legal matters across borders without requiring clients to manage multiple local firms independently.

The firm's Asia Pacific practice, active since 1963 and operating across 16 offices in the region, has particular depth in tax structuring and trust matters, evidenced by multiple International Tax Review Asia Pacific Awards including Asia Pacific Indirect Tax Law Firm of the Year and Transfer Pricing Law Firm of the Year in 2025. Relevant service areas for wealth principals include:

  • Tax and trust structuring across Asia Pacific, EMEA, and the Americas
  • Private equity fund formation and investment transactions
  • Cross-border M&A advisory
  • Investigations, compliance, and regulatory matters
  • Employment law for family-owned operating businesses

For a family office with assets, operating businesses, or beneficiaries across multiple jurisdictions, Baker McKenzie removes the coordination burden of engaging separate counsel in each country. The trade-off is scale: the firm's primary client base is Global 500 corporations, and family offices without significant cross-border complexity or transaction volume may find the engagement model and cost structure better suited to larger institutional mandates. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is billed on a matter-by-matter basis typical of global law firms.

Trust the firm that knows Asia Pacific's legal landscape like no other.

On Baker McKenzie, from a family-office user
02 — Product & capabilities

What it covers

Core tasks
  • Cross-border tax structuring and planning
  • Trust and estate legal advisory
  • Private equity fund formation and transactions
  • Cross-border M&A legal advisory
  • Regulatory compliance and investigations
  • Employment law for family-owned businesses
Notable features
  • Multijurisdictional legal coordination across 70+ offices
  • Tax and transfer pricing advisory in Asia Pacific
  • Private equity and fund formation legal services
  • Trusts and estates legal structuring
  • M&A transaction advisory
  • Investigations, compliance, and ethics advisory
  • Employment law services
  • Technology, media, and telecommunications legal expertise
  • Pro bono and community legal programs
  • Innovation program (Reinvent) for client service improvement
Assets supported
Private EquityReal Estate
03 — Company

The firm behind it

Software type
Services-only
Headquarters / markets
Asia Pacific, United States, United Kingdom
Offices
Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, Beijing, Shanghai, Taipei, Hong Kong, Seoul
Languages
Multiple (90+ languages spoken across the firm)
Key people
SSteven R. SiekerChief Executive, Asia Pacific / Partner
Recognition
  • Asia Pacific Indirect Tax Law Firm of the Year - International Tax Review Asia Pacific Awards 2025
  • Asia Pacific Transfer Pricing Law Firm of the Year - International Tax Review Asia Pacific Awards 2025
  • Taiwan Law Firm of the Year - Chambers Asia Pacific and Greater China Region Awards 2025
  • Thailand Law Firm of the Year - Chambers Asia Pacific and Greater China Region Awards 2025
  • Malaysia Law Firm of the Year - Chambers Asia Pacific and Greater China Region Awards 2025
  • Law Firm of the Year (Fund Formation): APAC - PERE Global Awards 2024
  • Asia Pacific Trademark Firm of the Year - Asia IP Awards 2024
  • Syndicated Corporate Loan Law Firm of the Year - APLMA Awards 2026
  • Named in GAR 30 2026 - Global Arbitration Review
04 — Clients & fit

Who it’s for

Built for Single Family Office (SFO), Multi Family Office (MFO), Private Wealth Owners / Principals, Investment Teams.