Anna Bruce-Smith

Overview

Anna Bruce-Smith is a Director in the Private Client & Trust department of Conyers Dill & Pearman in the Bermuda office. Anna joined Conyers in 2014 after practicing at a London law firm for over five years.

Anna’s practice covers all areas of private client and trust law with particular focus on international and local trusts and estate planning arrangements. Anna’s expertise includes advising on the establishment of international trust structures and private trust company structures, trust restructuring matters, providing advice to individual and corporate trustees about their duties and obligations and advising on general matters of trust law interpretation.

Anna is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) and was recognised in the 2020 edition of Who’s Who Legal Private Client: Lawyers (Global Leader).

Experience

Experience Highlights

Advising private trust companies which act as trustees of a large group of family trusts with UK resident beneficiaries on general Bermuda trust law matters as well as advising in relation to a contested application to the Bermuda Court to approve a restructuring of the trusts
Advising the trustees on the re-organisation of a Bermuda law trust with US resident beneficiaries leading to a successful application to the Bermuda Court to approve the re-organisation.
Advising on the complex re-organisation of a series of Bermuda law trusts with local and international beneficiaries working closely with US and UK advisors on cross jurisdictional trust and tax issues.
Establishing a Bermuda private trust company structure for an Eastern European resident client involving complex family and corporate governance issues.
Advising cross-jurisdictional beneficiaries of a Bermuda law trust on a corporate property ownership structure of UK real estate liaising with UK and US advisors on trust and corporate tax issues.

Qualifications

Professional Background

Penningtons Manches LLP, London, Associate
Conyers Dill & Pearman, Bermuda (Secondment)

Education

BPP Law School, London, 2004-2006
University of Sheffield, BA (Hons), 2000-2003

Bar Admissions

Bermuda, 2015
England & Wales, Solicitor, 2008

Awards & Accolades

Recognised in the 2021 edition (and since 2019) of Legal 500 Caribbean (trusts/private client)
Recognised as a Global Leader in the 2020 edition of Who's Who Legal (private client)
Recognised in the 2018 edition (since 2015) of Who's Who Legal (private client)

Associations

Member, Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP)
Member of the Bermuda BDA Trust Focus Group
Member of the Private Client Practitioner Top 35 Under 35 Group in 2011, 2012 and 2013

Publications

Private Client & Trust Bulletin April 2021

Bermuda Chapter in the International Trust Disputes, Second Edition (Oxford University Press), 2020

Private Client & Trust Bulletin April 2020

Bermuda: Banking & Wealth Management Update, January 2017

Bermuda Private Client & Trust Bulletin, June 2016

Area(s) of Expertise

Legal Services

Private Client & Trust

Featured Content

Welcome to the fourth edition of our Private Client Bulletin, bringing you the latest private client and trust news and insights from Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, BVI and Asia.

As spring returns we are seeing signs of new life, despite how the pandemic continues to disrupt. These challenging times have led many HNW families and individuals to take a fresh look at their wealth structures and long-term plans, and in some cases where they are based.