Wei is a leading US tax lawyer in Asia. Prior to relocating to Asia in 2014, she practised in New York and Connecticut. Wei assists clients in the creation and administration of wealth planning structures to protect and grow wealth in a tax efficient manner and for succession of wealth in multi-generational families. Her clients include business owners and wealthy families based in Asia and the US.
Wei advises high-net-worth clients, family offices and fund principals on cross border trust and estate planning issues. She often advises clients on onshore and offshore trusts, succession planning and governance of wealth planning structures. In addition, a substantial part of her practice involves planning for US legal and tax issues, including trusts for US beneficiaries, trusts created by US tax residents and wealth planning structures with US persons as fiduciaries. She advises on expatriation from the US, pre-immigration to the US, investment in US real estate and US federal tax and reporting compliance.
Wei is a regular speaker at wealth planning conferences in Hong Kong and China and provides training to private banks on wealth planning and tax related issues.
Wei is named as a leading private wealth practitioner in Chambers’ HNW Guide 2021-2022. She is also recognised as a leading individual in tax and trusts in The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2020-2023 and ALB Asia's Top 15 Private Wealth Lawyers 2022. She has also received industry awards from Wealthbriefing Asia and China Law & Practice.
Key Experience
- Represented the co-founders of a leading Internet company in establishing their respective family trust structures, modifying the existing trust structures and providing the corresponding tax advice.
- Represented the founder of a significant international company with PRC business operations in relation to pre-IPO trust structuring, taking into account US tax and PRC tax considerations.
- Represented the founder of a renowned venture capital fund in setting up the offshore and US trust structures, and advising on the related taxation matters.
- Represented a well-known social media platform company in the creation of an employee benefits trust.
- Represented the founder of a renowned asset management company in establishing a private trust company and a family trust structure.
- Represented a founder of a leading ecommerce platform on tax and wealth planning prior to US tax residency.
- Represented a founder of an Internet company in the creation of an offshore trust, the restructuring of a US domestic trust, the creation of a US qualified charitable organisation, in light of various tax and succession issues.
- Represented the founder of an Internet company in matters related to emigrating from Hong Kong to the US, including pre-immigration trusts, exit strategies in relation to the existing business and investment structures (which involve legal matters in the British Virgin Islands and Hong Kong), residency planning, and solutions that tackle long-standing tax compliance issues.
- Represented various US clients in Asia in relation to their US tax controversy and compliance matters, from individual HNW clients to global UHNW and large-profile families.
- Represented the founders of a Hong Kong-listed company in property development, provision of elderly care services and start-up investments, in the design and implementation of a succession plan.
Qualifications
New York Bar 2011
Connecticut Bar 2011
California 2016
Hong Kong 2020
Career History
Partner, Mishcon de Reya
Managing Director, Hong Kong office, Withers LLP
Partner, Withers LLP
Boston University School of Laws. JD
Tsinghua University School of Law, LLB