Adrian Pilcher

Although Adrian’s background is predominantly in trusts and private client matters, he advises clients on a wide range of issues.

Adrian’s expertise in trusts, for example, allowed him to expand his practice into pensions law, and his extensive work with professional trustees and pensions trustees has extended his areas of expertise into financial services, anti-money laundering and compliance regulations as well as mergers and acquisitions involving financial services operators.

Recognised as an expert in the area of trusts, Adrian has been instrumental in the development of the law in this area, having been involved in the drafting of the Private Trust Companies Act 2015 and the Private Foundation Act 2017. His technical expertise in trusts and compliance matters led to Adrian being instructed by HM Government of Gibraltar to transpose into Gibraltar law the EU’s Fifth Anti-money laundering directive via the Proceeds of Crime 2015 (Amendment) Regulations 2020. Since then Adrian has been regularly instructed by HMGoG to further develop the financial services regulatory landscape, particularly in relation to matters concerning compliance and transparency, and has consequently contributed to the drafting of the Proceeds of Crime 2015 (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act 2021, the Proceeds of Crime 2015 (Transfer of Virtual Assets) Regulations 2021 and the Proceeds of Crime 2015 (Relevant Financial Business) (Registration) Regulations 2021.

Adrian’s technical expertise in this area also led to his instruction during the authorised administration of one of Gibraltar’s largest professional trustee service providers, where his brief included overseeing the transfer of trusteeship of all active trusts to alternative service providers.

Recognised also as an expert in the area of pensions, Adrian has been instrumental in the development of the law in this area too, having been involved in the drafting of the Financial Services (Pensions) Regulations 2017 (later replaced by the Financial Services (Personal Pensions) Regulations 2020).

As regards his pensions practice, Adrian is instructed by clients on a wide range of matters including, for example, advising on the issues arising from acquisitions or mergers between large corporations including the restructuring of existing pensions arrangements or the establishment of new pension arrangements and the termination of existing pension arrangements. He also advises on the restructuring of pension arrangements outside of a merger or acquisition context, including ‘buy-ins’, ‘buy-outs’, block transfers of benefits between schemes and scheme closures (both to new membership as well as to future accrual of benefits).

The above notwithstanding, Adrian remains most active in the private client and family office space, advising high-profile High Net Worth Individuals and families, locally and internationally, on a wide array of matters including wealth and succession planning, tax and family governance. He acts as trustee in relation to a number of private family trusts and as director of various family-owned investment holding corporate entities.

Adrian was appointed Chair of the Gibraltar branch of The Society of Trusts and Estate Practitioners (STEP) on 22 June 2023.