Wealth, Fund & Deal Structuring
Smart structures for capital protection, fund setup, and high-stakes deals.
Our Approach
Smart capital needs smart structure. We design bespoke structures for family offices, investors, and founders on how to protect capital, pool investor funds, and structure high-impact deals.
Whether you’re navigating M&A, launching a new fund, or managing cross-border wealth — we provide the frameworks, compliance, and negotiation edge to make it work.
Wealth Structuring
Protect. Optimize. Preserve Legacy.
- Preserving wealth across generations;
- Enhancing tax efficiency through tailored legal frameworks;
- Safeguarding assets from litigation and volatility;
- Designing succession strategies through trusted vehicles;
- Retaining control over ownership and governance.
- Trusts,
- foundations,
- family office structures,
- holding companies,
- international vehicles.
Wealth structuring for a EU UHNW family
Objective: Preserve and grow €250m family wealth across generations, optimize tax, and protect assets from legal and geopolitical risks.
Structure:
a) Holding Company (Luxembourg S.à r.l.)
- Central vehicle consolidating equity stakes in operating businesses, real estate, and VC/PE investments.
- Enables clean separation of personal vs. business assets and facilitates tax-efficient dividend flow.
b) Liechtenstein Family Foundation
- Controls the holding company and provides long-term governance.
- Ensures succession planning and enforces family governance charter.
c) Trust (Guernsey)
- Holds global liquid assets and passive investments.
- Designed for confidentiality, tax optimization, and intergenerational transfer planning.
d) Family Office (Switzerland)
- Manages operations, tax filings, philanthropic giving, reporting, and investment allocation.
- Also acts as a gatekeeper for disbursements and risk control.
e) SPVs for strategic ventures
- Created in specific jurisdictions (Ireland, Netherlands, UAE) for new business investments or joint ventures.
- Tailored for deal-by-deal tax structuring, liability isolation, and investor alignment.
Achievements:
1) Tax optimization
Cross-border dividend routing and deferral through holding structure.
2) Succession readiness
Foundation and trust allow seamless transition to heirs with governance and distribution rules.
3) Asset protection
Legal separation of entities shields core assets from litigation and political instability.
4) Privacy
Trust and foundation setups offer enhanced confidentiality for sensitive ownership structures.
Fund Structuring
Build with clarity. Scale with confidence.
- Selecting the optimal structure: fund (RAIF, SICAV, LP, etc.) or SPV (Sàrl, SCSp, OÜ, Ltd);
- Defining GP/LP or shareholder roles and rights;
- Navigating EU, Swiss, and international regulatory frameworks;
- Designing competitive fee and carry models;
- Enhancing fiscal efficiency and investor appeal.
Fund structuring for a Private Equity platform (Family Office-led)
Objective: Establish a long-term, evergreen investment platform to acquire controlling stakes in mid-sized industrial companies across DACH and CEE regions. Target assets: €15m–€50m EV per deal.
Structure:
a) Fund vehicle in Liechtenstein SICAV (investment company with variable capital)
- Chosen for flexibility, investor confidentiality, and access to EU structures.
- Allows both open- and closed-end compartments for various strategies (real assets, operating companies, etc.).
b) GP / management company
- Structured under a Swiss GmbH
- Manages deals, strategic decisions, value creation, and fund operations.
- Owned by the FO principals.
c) LP/investor base
- Primarily a single-family office (100% LP in phase 1)
- Later phases open to trusted UHNW co-investors and sovereign partners.
d) SPVs
- Each acquisition held via a dedicated SPV in the target country (Germany GmbH / Austrian GmbH / Estonian OÜ).
- Optimizes tax treaty benefits, isolates liabilities, and allows leverage.
e) Distribution strategy
- Flexible reinvestment or dividend policy per compartment.
- Option to trigger distributions or profit crystallizations based on liquidity windows or partial exits.
Achievements:
1) Evergreen structure allows compounding capital across vintages and sectors.
2) Clear separation of risks, tax exposure, and reporting between assets.
3) Confidential and controlled environment for multi-generational wealth deployment.
4) Optional scalability to open select compartments to outside capital.
Deal Structuring
Sophistication meets strategy. Complex transactions with discretion & precision.
- Designing equity/convertible/debt mixes and ownership allocation
- Establishing valuation frameworks and pricing mechanics
- Structuring earn-outs and performance-based elements
- Defining governance rights, board seats, and control terms
- Negotiating exit rights, liquidation preferences, and contingencies
- Asset vs. share acquisitions
- Leveraged buyouts (LBOs)
- Revenue-share and royalty-based deals
- Co-investment and club deal arrangements
- Multi-entity setups across UK, EU, Swiss, US etc.
- Roll-up strategies with phased consolidation via SPVs
- Dual-class equity structures with exit waterfalls
- JVs with asymmetrical contributions (e.g., IP vs. capital/distribution)
- Continuation vehicles and stapled secondaries
- Public-private hybrid financing (EU grants + private capital)
Christopher Voolaid
Founding Partner of QLA
“Sophisticated structuring is the art of harmonizing complexity with clarity, safeguarding legacy while unlocking exceptional value.”
Need Advice? Or Interested in Working Together?
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Contact
EU +372 5662 2965
Fax +372 669 2397
IR (Investor Relations): investors@qla.ee
General Info: info@qla.ee
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Investing involves risk, including the potential loss of principal. Past performance does not guarantee or indicate future results. Any historical returns, projected returns, or probability forecasts may not reflect actual future performance. Although the data we use from third parties is considered reliable, we cannot guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
Neither Christopher Voolaid, QLA nor any of its affiliates provide tax advice and do not represent in any manner that the outcomes described herein will result in any particular tax consequence. Offers to sell, or solicitations of offers to buy, any security can only be made through official offering documents that contain important information about investment objectives, risks, fees and expenses. Prospective investors should consult with a tax, legal and/or financial adviser before making any investment decision.
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