AERTH – Family Business Advisory GCC for Governance & Continuity
Family enterprises carry unique complexity where ownership, management, and family relationships overlap. Effective family business advisory in the GCC requires governance structures that balance family harmony with business performance, while succession planning addresses both leadership capability and emotional legacy.
Aerth provides strategic legal architecture for family businesses and family offices across the GCC and MENA, supporting enterprises seeking professionalized governance, generational transition, and long-term continuity.
Service Focus
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Family Constitution Development
We deliver family governance advisory through the development of family constitutions, governance principles, and decision-making frameworks that define how families and businesses interact over time.Family Council & Assembly Structures
Design of family governance bodies—family councils for strategic oversight, family assemblies for broader stakeholder engagement, and protocols for how family voice influences business decisions without undermining professional management.Ownership Structure & Equity Architecture
Our family business advisory GCC includes strategic ownership and equity structuring, addressing voting rights, transfer restrictions, liquidity considerations, and long-term ownership continuity. -
Leadership Succession Strategy
Systematic planning for transition from founding generation to next generation leadership—assessment of successor readiness, development roadmaps, transition timelines, and governance structures supporting new leadership during critical period.Ownership Transition Planning
Design of wealth transfer strategies, gifting programs, trust structures, and mechanisms transferring ownership across generations while addressing tax efficiency, control preservation, and equitable treatment of heirs with different roles in the enterprise.Next Generation Preparation
Development of education programs, mentorship structures, and progressive responsibility pathways preparing next generation for ownership stewardship and potential leadership roles—ensuring continuity of family business acumen. -
Strategic Planning for Family Enterprises
Facilitation of family business strategic planning addressing unique considerations: balancing growth ambitions with risk tolerance, evaluating diversification opportunities, assessing acquisition or divestment decisions, and aligning business strategy with family objectives.Shareholder Agreement Design
Comprehensive shareholder agreements addressing buy-sell provisions, valuation methodologies, transfer restrictions, dispute resolution mechanisms, and provisions protecting both business continuity and individual shareholder rights.Family Office Structure & Governance
For families establishing or restructuring family offices—design of investment governance, service delivery models, family member engagement protocols, and operational structures supporting multi-generational wealth stewardship. -
Dispute Prevention & Resolution Frameworks
Proactive design of conflict resolution mechanisms—mediation protocols, independent advisor structures, and deadlock-breaking provisions—enabling family to address disagreements before they threaten business continuity or family relationships.Exit & Liquidity Solutions
When family members seek liquidity or wish to exit business involvement, we design fair mechanisms—redemption provisions, staged buyouts, external sale processes, or trust-based solutions—balancing departing member's needs with remaining family's interests.Family Communication Protocols
Development of structured communication frameworks ensuring information flows appropriately to family stakeholders while protecting confidentiality, managing expectations, and preventing misunderstanding from information asymmetry. -
Estate Planning Integration
Coordination of business succession with comprehensive estate planning—wills, trusts, charitable structures, and wealth transfer mechanisms ensuring business succession aligns with broader legacy objectives.Philanthropic Structure Design
For families seeking to institutionalize charitable giving—design of foundation structures, grant-making frameworks, family engagement in philanthropy, and governance ensuring charitable mission endures across generations.Family Legacy & Values Preservation
Facilitation of family legacy conversations, documentation of family history and values, and creation of mechanisms ensuring core principles guide future generations even as specific business activities evolve. -
Sharia Compliance for Family Wealth
For families seeking Islamic wealth structuring—design of Sharia-compliant ownership arrangements, inheritance planning aligned with Islamic principles, and wealth transfer mechanisms satisfying both religious obligations and family objectives.Cross-Border Family Complexity
Advisory for families with international operations, multi-jurisdictional assets, or family members residing across borders—addressing tax treaty implications, estate planning complexity, and regulatory compliance across jurisdictions.Employment & Compensation Frameworks
Design of fair compensation structures for family members active in business versus passive owners, establishing merit-based advancement criteria, and creating protocols for family employment addressing both business performance needs and family relationship preservation.
Why Kleôm
Effective family business advisory requires deep understanding of family dynamics, cultural context, and emotional complexity. Our experience with family offices and multi-generational enterprises across the GCC and MENA allows us to design governance frameworks that work in practice—not theory.
We emphasize discretion, cultural sensitivity, and pragmatic solutions aligned with how families actually operate.
FAQ
Engagement Architecture
Comprehensive Family Governance Program (6-12 months)
Complete family governance design including family constitution, ownership structuring, succession planning, and implementation support. Ideal for families recognizing need for professionalization or preparing for generational transition.
Focused Initiative (8-16 weeks)
Targeted intervention addressing specific challenge—shareholder agreement, succession plan, family office structure, or conflict resolution. Defined scope, clear deliverables.
Succession Planning Intensive (12-20 weeks)
Dedicated focus on leadership and ownership transition—assessment of next generation readiness, transition roadmap design, governance structures supporting transition, and implementation support through critical period.
Advisory Retainer
Ongoing counsel for families navigating continuous governance evolution. Quarterly strategic sessions, ad hoc advisory as issues emerge, and support for implementation of governance frameworks. Functions as trusted external advisor providing objective perspective on family-business matters.
Mediation & Facilitation Services
When family disagreements emerge, we provide neutral facilitation and mediation services helping family reach resolution while preserving relationships and business continuity.
How We Work
Family business engagements begin with trust. We start by understanding family history, governance dynamics, and stakeholder objectives, followed by confidential interviews and structural assessment.
Deliverables are practical and immediately usable: governance documents, succession frameworks, and communication protocols supporting harmony and performance.
Ready to explore how Aerth can support your family enterprise?
Why Choose Aerth Family Business Advisory?
Legacy Architecture Beyond Wealth Preservation
We work with families at every stage—from multigenerational enterprises seeking to formalize governance, to individuals and families preparing to establish their first family office. Our expertise spans both operational business advisory and the sophisticated infrastructure required for family office establishment.
Succession Planning That Protects Vision & Values
Transition planning is more than legal documentation. We architect succession frameworks that honor founder vision, preserve family values, and ensure continuity across generations without compromising business performance.
Family Office Design & Implementation
For families ready to establish a family office—whether single or multi-family—we provide comprehensive advisory from structure and governance to investment policy, compliance frameworks, and operational setup tailored to wealth complexity and family dynamics.
Professionalization Without Loss of Identity
Family businesses transitioning to professional management face the delicate challenge of maintaining family ownership and culture while introducing institutional discipline. We ensure this evolution strengthens rather than erodes what makes your enterprise unique.
Integrated Governance, Compliance & Operational Excellence
We don't isolate governance from operations. Our approach integrates family governance structures with business management systems, ensuring alignment between ownership vision and day-to-day execution.
Regional & Cultural Fluency in Family Dynamics
Deep understanding of GCC and MENA family business dynamics, including Sharia-compliant structures, regional regulatory environments, and cultural sensitivities around wealth, succession, and intergenerational leadership.
Who We Serve?
Multigenerational Family Enterprises
Established family businesses navigating succession planning, governance formalization, and the transition from founder-led operations to institutionalized family enterprise.
Individuals & Families Establishing Family Offices
High-net-worth individuals and families ready to establish single or multi-family offices, requiring comprehensive advisory on structure, governance, investment policy, and operational frameworks.
Families Establishing or Formalizing Family Businesses
Families seeking to establish a family business entity or formalize existing ventures into structured, professionally managed enterprises with clear governance and operational frameworks.
Family Businesses Professionalizing Operations
Family-owned enterprises transitioning to professional management while preserving family ownership, culture, and values across generations.
Families in Succession or Transition
Families facing critical junctures—leadership transitions, intergenerational wealth transfer, or restructuring—who need experienced counsel to navigate complexity with sensitivity and strategic clarity.
Regional Family Enterprises Across GCC & MENA
Family businesses operating within or expanding across Middle Eastern markets, requiring culturally fluent advisory that understands regional dynamics, Sharia-compliant structures, and jurisdictional nuances.
