Matthew Sperry

He frequently serves as coordinating U.S. counsel for international families and family offices, helping clients navigate complex cross-border structures, investment activities and multigenerational planning objectives. In that role, Matthew works closely with existing legal counsel and other trusted advisors around the world—including fiduciaries, investment professionals and accountants—to develop integrated solutions tailored to the unique needs of globally connected families and family offices.

His practice reflects the increasingly institutional nature of modern global private wealth and family capital. As family offices become increasingly sophisticated and investment-focused, many international families are seeking durable legal, governance and investment platforms capable of supporting multigenerational family objectives. Matthew advises clients on the structures, governance frameworks and investment programs used to preserve, deploy, govern and institutionalize family capital across generations.

A significant portion of Matthew’s practice focuses on helping international families and family offices use the United States as a platform for preserving, deploying, governing and institutionalizing family capital. He advises clients on the strategic use of trusts (both U.S. and non-U.S.), fiduciary structures, private trust companies, family office platforms, family holding company arrangements and tax-efficient investment vehicles designed to support long-term family, governance, succession and investment objectives.

Matthew regularly advises family offices and international families on family office investment structures and programs, direct investments, co-investments, private equity and venture capital investments, operating businesses, real estate investments and other strategic investment activities. Working closely with Pillsbury’s corporate, private equity, venture capital, investment funds, real estate, hospitality and tax teams, he helps clients build and execute sophisticated investment programs tailored to the unique objectives of family capital.

He also advises globally mobile families and entrepreneurs on pre-immigration planning, inbound U.S. investment planning and the tax-efficient establishment of personal, family office and investment structures in the United States. His practice frequently involves helping families align personal residency objectives, family office structures, investment platforms and succession planning strategies with broader long-term goals involving the United States.

Matthew advises clients on wealth succession planning, family governance structures, family investment programs and the strategic use of U.S. and non-U.S. structures to manage taxation, reporting obligations, privacy, asset protection and multigenerational family objectives. He also assists clients in addressing geopolitical, regulatory and economic risks through sophisticated cross-border ownership, investment and fiduciary structures, including investment treaty planning where appropriate.

Unlike many traditional private wealth advisors, Matthew brings experience spanning private wealth, international tax, corporate transactions and private capital. Combined with his background in finance and service as a law clerk to Judge Carolyn P. Chiechi of the United States Tax Court, this multidisciplinary perspective enables him to advise clients on the full lifecycle of family capital—from trusts, fiduciary structures and wealth succession planning to direct investments, operating businesses and sophisticated family office investment programs.

Known for combining sophisticated tax planning and technical advice with practical and commercial judgment, Matthew regularly helps families and family offices navigate unique cross-border situations involving governance, investment activities, succession planning and family capital structures.

Matthew’s clients are located throughout Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Canada. He regularly advises ultra-high-net-worth families, family offices, trustees, entrepreneurs and private investors on matters involving the United States.

Areas of Focus

• Global Family Office & Private Wealth
• Coordinating U.S. Counsel for International Families and Family Offices
• Trusts, Fiduciary Structures and Wealth Succession Planning
• Family Office Architecture and Governance
• Private Trust Companies
• Family Office Investment Structures and Programs
• Direct Investments and Co-Investments
• Private Equity and Venture Capital Investments
• Family Holding Company Structures
• Investment Treaty Planning
• Inbound U.S. Investment Planning
• Pre-Immigration Planning
• Cross-Border Family Capital Structures

• Advises internationally connected families on the strategic use of U.S. and non-U.S. trusts, fiduciary structures, private trust companies, family office platforms and family holding company arrangements.
• Advises globally mobile families and entrepreneurs on pre-immigration planning and the tax-efficient establishment of personal, family office and investment structures in the United States.
• Works closely with existing legal counsel, fiduciaries, investment professionals and accountants around the world to develop integrated solutions for complex cross-border family and investment structures involving the United States.