Marcus Leese

Marcus leads the private wealth team in Hong Kong, advising international trust companies, high net-worth families and their advisors on estate and succession planning, trust and foundation structuring, family governance, charitable structures and philanthropy, wills, probate and estate administration. Marcus also regularly advises business founders, corporate groups and their advisors on employee benefit trusts, ESOPs and similar structures, often as part of pre-IPO planning.

Background and experience

Marcus has in-depth knowledge of trusts, foundations, companies, partnerships and other private wealth structures and their evolution as family members move through different stages of life, and is skilful in adapting these private wealth solutions to meet the specific needs of Asian families. 

He is an admitted and practising Advocate of the Royal Court of Guernsey and BVI solicitor.  He is also admitted as a barrister and solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand and as a solicitor of the High Court of England and Wales.

Having practised with the Auckland office of Arthur Andersen for two years and then with the Auckland office of Russell McVeagh for seven years, he joined the Guernsey office of Ogier in 1999 and became a partner in 2005. He re-located to our Hong Kong office in 2010 on a four year secondment and returned to Guernsey in January 2014.

Marcus is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP). He was also part of The Joint Committee on Trust Law Reform, a body representing STEP, Hong Kong Trustees' Association and other industry groups which worked with and advised the Hong Kong government on the reform of Hong Kong trust law.

Marcus is a Registered Foreign Lawyer regulated by the Law Society of Hong Kong.

Admitted in:
1993 - New Zealand (non practising)
2004 - England and Wales (non practising)
2004 - Guernsey
2010 - British Virgin Islands