OUR STRUCTURE

While every client is anxious to learn about "their structure," it is important for Prudential clients and prospective clients to understand 'Our Structure." Prudential Trustees is in fact part of a large international organizational and financial structure. It does not occupy its place in that structure by happenstance. The overall structure, and Prudential's role in that structure are the result of years of careful planning.

Prudential has been installed as the standing Trustee for the Hague Master Trust. The Hague Master trust has been funded by families and investors from Europe and South America. Originally domiciled in Amsterdam, the principals behind this international trust decided some years ago to redomicile to the best tax haven they could find. After substantial legal research and due diligence, they determined that the progressive trust ordinances of the Cook Islands and the island of Nevis possessed the unparalleled statutory and regulatory frameworks. They learned that the Cook Islands rely upon a judiciary that is imported in from New Zealand, a country where tax haven principals are not held in such high regard. That and the physical inaccessibility of the Cooks made Nevis the intelligent choice for the country of reorganization.

Nevis like the Turks & Caicos Islands (a jurisdiction that was declined for other reasons) has no trust registration requirement. While a trust is permitted at any time to register with the Registrar, they are likewise entitled to forego that process in favor of even greater anonymity. Anonymity, privacy, confidentiality, and security are terms that have always appealed to the principals of this Master Trust. That same philosophy and value system has been built into the mission, goals, procedures and legal structure of the standing Trustee, Prudential Trustees, Ltd. Prior to redomiciliation, the role of Trustee was played by a large Netherlands law firm, under contract with the Master Trust. Upon moving to Nevis, it was decided to reorganize the trustee responsibilities under the auspices of a Nevis company authorized to act as trustee for this trust and all of its sub-trusts.

Prudential Trustees, Ltd. was therefore installed as the standing trustee, with the power to settle as many sub-trusts as it deems appropriate for any purpose not prohibited by law or its master deed of trust. The function of Prudential in its role as trustee of the Master Trust, is invisible even to the largest of the many sub-trusts it administers. It is its role in the settlement and administration of sub-trusts that will interest those clients who desire to enjoy client status.

Prudential, while working under the very favorable laws of Nevis, ha determined that the premier venue for the physical administration of the sub-trusts is the Bahamas. Elsewhere on this site are discussions about how this determination was made, but suffice it to say that the country's total political independence and stability, coupled with the existence of a large and mature infrastructure of banks, attorneys, accountants, insurance companies, trust companies, management companies, reliable telecommunications, and strong privacy legislation were among the important factors in this decision.

As a Private Trustee company, Prudential does not actively solicit for new clients. Every true "client" of Prudential is a sub-trust, settled by Prudential under the auspices of the Master Trust. By working through our legal advisory firm in Nassau, American Barristers, PA, Ltd., arrangements can be made for Prudential to settle a new sub-trust, to be funded in a very specific way, and for the appointment of that firm's client as the Protector of this new trust. If the person to be appointed such a Protector is a citizen of the U.S., Canada or any of several other high tax countries, the procedures must be followed in detail to avoid a violation of the laws of those countries. Some of these laws deal with tax issues and others deal with mandatory disclosure issues.

Prudential is specifically structures so that a strategy adopted and implemented by a citizen of the U.S. or some other high tax venue will comply with the letter of the law and not encourage the client to make any false representations or take any other illegal actions. In golf, 90% of the game is the "setup." In many business activities, success or failure is predicted on the quality of the "business plan." In the area of offshore strategic planning, the difference between a legally defensible and fortress strong result and an invitation to criminal behavior or creditor success, is in the correct "structure."

Prudential, place in its international structure was specifically designed to enhance the power of a client's position in any structure administered in whole or in part by Prudential Trustees, Ltd.