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Special Counsel
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LLB
Bethan Read is a special counsel at Morris and leads the firm's private client team. Bethan is qualified in both New Zealand and England and Wales. Bethan specialises in non-contentious private client services and is considered a trusted advisor to clients.
Bethan has extensive experience in creating bespoke structures for clients focussed on the protection of assets from professional, business and relationship risk through the use of trusts and relationship property agreements. Bethan is also an expert at creating personalised succession arrangements for clients to manage their assets both during their lifetime and for future generations through wills, enduring powers of attorney, property sharing agreements as well as detailed succession plans and memoranda of wishes.
Having previously acted as trustee for numerous international high-net worth trusts, Bethan is well positioned to set up robust trust structures as well as guide trustees on how to operate and manage trusts correctly and properly.
Bethan began her career at top tier firms in the Channel Islands and London, where she gained high-level experience in private client advisory matters. More recently, Bethan was a director and head of the trust legal team of an international trust company based in New Zealand and subsequently worked for a national New Zealand law firm, providing her with invaluable insight on the needs of both clients and trustees.
Bethan is an affiliate member of STEP and holds a STEP Advanced Certificate in Trust Disputes. Bethan frequently presents at industry conferences in New Zealand on how to set up and run an effective trust, estate planning for individuals and in an elder law context and the responsibilities of being a trustee.
Experience
Assisting ultra-high net worth individual through the creation of a bespoke inheritance structure by creating a family trust, business trust, will and succession plan.
Restructuring seven business and family trusts for a high net worth individual to reduce inherent business and relationship risk in those trusts.
Creation of a charitable trust as part of a married couple’s philanthropic succession planning.
Preparing a relationship agreement for a high net worth individual for their partner to contract out of relationship claims against several trusts and companies both domestically and internationally.
Preparing a property sharing agreement for an ultra-high net worth individual to document unequal equitable shares and contributions in their family home.
Preparing complex wills for a married couple involving the creation of a discretionary family trust to be established on their death in various different situations for their children and future generations.
Establishing a business trust for ultra-high net worth individual’s new business venture and liaising with their team of accountants and corporate planners to implement a strategy to protect the business from relationship risk.
Providing pre-emptive advice to the executor of an estate on their duties in the administration of their mother’s estate in light of potential claims under the Family Protection Act 1955 as well as possible breach of trust claims.
Publications
“The privilege of being a trustee: can a trustee ever avoid disclosure of legal advice in New Zealand?” (2021) 19(3) TQR 21.
“Review of recent trust law case developments and their implications” (paper presented through Legalwise, May 2022).
“Estate planning for elderly and vulnerable clients” (paper presented through NZLS, November 2021).
“Trusts in focus: when to use a trust and how to use it well” (paper presented through Legalwise, October 2021).
“Trusts and the ageing trustee” (paper presented through Legalwise, September 2021).
“Part 2: Trust law for new practitioners” (paper presented through CCH Learning, September 2021).
“Part 1: Trust law for new practitioners” (paper presented through CCH Learning, August 2021).
“Being a trustee in today’s climate” (paper presented through Legalwise, March 2021).
Assisting ultra-high net worth individual through the creation of a bespoke inheritance structure by creating a family trust, business trust, will and succession plan.
Restructuring seven business and family trusts for a high net worth individual to reduce inherent business and relationship risk in those trusts.
Creation of a charitable trust as part of a married couple’s philanthropic succession planning.
Preparing a relationship agreement for a high net worth individual for their partner to contract out of relationship claims against several trusts and companies both domestically and internationally.
Preparing a property sharing agreement for an ultra-high net worth individual to document unequal equitable shares and contributions in their family home.
Preparing complex wills for a married couple involving the creation of a discretionary family trust to be established on their death in various different situations for their children and future generations.
Establishing a business trust for ultra-high net worth individual’s new business venture and liaising with their team of accountants and corporate planners to implement a strategy to protect the business from relationship risk.
Providing pre-emptive advice to the executor of an estate on their duties in the administration of their mother’s estate in light of potential claims under the Family Protection Act 1955 as well as possible breach of trust claims.
“The privilege of being a trustee: can a trustee ever avoid disclosure of legal advice in New Zealand?” (2021) 19(3) TQR 21.
“Review of recent trust law case developments and their implications” (paper presented through Legalwise, May 2022).
“Estate planning for elderly and vulnerable clients” (paper presented through NZLS, November 2021).
“Trusts in focus: when to use a trust and how to use it well” (paper presented through Legalwise, October 2021).
“Trusts and the ageing trustee” (paper presented through Legalwise, September 2021).
“Part 2: Trust law for new practitioners” (paper presented through CCH Learning, September 2021).
“Part 1: Trust law for new practitioners” (paper presented through CCH Learning, August 2021).
“Being a trustee in today’s climate” (paper presented through Legalwise, March 2021).
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