Lawyer Monthly Magazine - July 2019 Edition

RODRIGO ALONSO MARTINS Rodrigo Martins – CEO and Head of Wealth Planning Strategies at Ripol Alliance Global Wealth Strategies (www.ripolalliance. com) and Head of International Taxation and Wealth Planning at Ronaldo Martins & Advogados (www.ronaldomartins.adv.br ). I have obtained an Economic Degree on PUC - Pontificia Universidade Catolica in 1999 and at the same time, in the year 2000, I also started my Legal Degree at FMU, concluding this degree on the year 2005. From the age of 19, I started working at my family’s law office named Ronaldo Martins & Advogados (www.ronaldomartins.adv.br) . I started as a regular trainee working on the tax area. By 2002/2003, I started to work directly with the main partner of the office (Ronaldo Martins) on the Tax Area developing National and International Tax Planning for Local and Multinational Companies as well as to individuals, providing for the last, all the support in terms of legal wealth management and protection. Thus, in the past years till the present date due to the work developed at the office, my expertise in managing onshore and offshore structures increased significantly, providing confidant legal support to clients of our office. This expertise involves not only the tax aspects of the client, but also his financial structure and possible corporate structures to handle the clients’ wealth, thus providing a full and in-depth planning for the clients providing the lower tax burden possible to the client always taking into account not only the local laws but all the tax treaties possibilities in addition to foreign laws to achieve the most successful planning possible. Also, during this same period, I was able to go to the University of California in Davis in 2006 for the Program of Orientation in USA Law, which gave a broad overview of the most important issues to be addressed when considering global corporations or legal issues. In addition I attended to several other courses in Brazil in different subjects such as International Tax Law provided by IBDT and Transfer Price and other legal matters, also participating on events from the American Chamber of Commerce in Brazil, the British Chamber of Commerce (Britcham) in Brazil, Annual Meetings from the International Bar Association (IBA), American Bar Association (ABA) and the International Fiscal Association (IFA). I concluded a postgraduate education course on Merge & Acquisitions at the International Institute of Social Sciences - IICS, in conjunction with Vanderbilt University in Nashville, USA and also attended courses such as: Private Wealth Management Program – Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. In 2010 I was invited by HSBC Private Bank (Suisse) S.A. in Geneva to be part of their Latam Wealth Planning Team where I held and the developed the Wealth Planning position with the specific focus on the Brazilian Market. Having an extensive experience on Brazilian Law (focused on Tax, Succession and Corporate Law), and considering the Market size, I developed the position exclusively with Brazilian clients, by working closely with the relationship managers on supporting their service rendering and relationship with the Private Bank clients. With full access to the final client, on the current position, I was responsible for developing the evaluation of the client’s wealth planning situation and propose coherent and efficient solutions in terms of the wealth and succession planning through intensive use of Trusts, Private Trust Companies and other solutions. In 2013 until 2015, due to the successful development of the Wealth Planning for individuals on the Brazilian Market and the increasing demand, on a strategic decision of HSBC, I was relocated to Brazil to be able to fulfil the increasing demand, setting and developing this new position of Senior Wealth Planner in HSBC Brazil. In addition to the workalreadyunderdevelopment, I was then responsible for the development of the Wealth Planning department locally and also co-responsible for the country Wealth Planning general guidelines to be applied and followed by HSBC Group worldwide. In May 2015, on a strategic decision, also due to changes on the business direction of HSBC Private Bank and the Wealth Planning offering, I started Ripol Alliance Global Wealth Strategies (www.ripolalliance.com ) in Miami – which is a wealth planning and complex international planning/structuring consulting company where I am the CEO developing not only the business managementbutalsotheposition of Head of Wealth Planning Strategies. Dedicated mainly to the Brazilian clientele focusing on solutions and strategies for international investments on multiple different classes such as banking assets, real estate and economy, including the development of succession planning for the families and businesses. Also, as part of the work, implementing local business for the same clientele interested on expanding their operations to the US market and structuring the operational networking for each business needs such as Fiduciary Agents, Multi-jurisdictional Lawyers, CPAs, Insurance Brokers, Realtors, Banking and Financial Management Professionals, etc. This operation and activities are held integrated with the function, responsibilities and strategies of our Brazilian Law Firm Ronaldo Martins & Advogados (also a family business) which demonstrated to be a very successful business combination on our clients best interests providing a holistic view of legal, business and operational point of views integrating both regions. Finally, for synergy purposes mentioned above, I also hold the position of Head of International Taxation and Wealth Planning at our Brazilian Law Firm Ronaldo Martins & Advogados, although I am based in Miami. 73 Professional Excellence www. lawyer-monthly .com JUL 2019