David Apfel is an experienced Accounting and Audit professional with over 30 years in the profession.  His professional career has seen him work for both private and public companies at a high level, in a variety of industries.

David started his career with PKF South Africa, one of the largest mid-tier accounting firms in South Africa, providing multi-disciplinary auditing, accounting and business advisory services.  Moving to the UK in 1994, he joined Hamlet Group Plc, a company listed on the London Stock Exchange, as financial controller.

David moved to New Zealand in 2011 and joined Cone Marshall Limited to look after the financial reporting needs of their clients.  Later, becoming a director of Cone Marshall Services Ltd, he helped grow the accounting and tax offerings provided by Cone Marshall.

International Financial Reporting Standards, usually called IFRS, are standards issued by the IFRS Foundation and the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) to provide a common global language for business affairs so that company accounts are understandable and comparable across international boundaries.   David has experience of providing clients in multiple jurisdictions with solutions to their reporting obligations, in particular, South Africa, New Zealand, The United States and the United Kingdom.

During a brief period in his career, David took time off to qualify as an SAP consultant and, using his accounting experience and skills, helped develop training material and deliver end user training for SAP UK.  He is currently a member of Chartered Accountants Australia New Zealand and works as CFO for the Cone Marshall group of companies.

Sean joined our Swiss office in 2019 as Managing Director. He began his career in the fiduciary sector in 2003, and has since worked for international private Banks and held senior roles at reputed independent Trust companies. Sean has considerable operational and technical experience, servicing UHNW families from the Middle East, Africa, the United Kingdom and Latin America. Sean holds a degree in Finance and Business Law from Stirling University in Scotland, is a certified Trust and Estate Practitioner and holds the SACTM. He excels at resolving challenging international issues for his clients, whatever they might be. Sean was brought up in Geneva and is bi-lingual in English and French. Sean has a passion for beautiful cars, science and technology, and enjoys mountain climbing and skiing.

Tatiana started her career in the trust industry back in 2001 with Barclays Trust in Geneva, where she stayed until 2017 as Trust Manager – Associate Director (under their new name, Zedra Trust Company). She is joining us from Integritas Trust/Trident Trust (formerly Santander Trust) in Geneva where she has been their Head of Administration since 2018. Tatiana is of Colombian origin and is a Swiss national. She is TEP qualified, speaks Spanish, English and French and brings with her extensive trust administration, managerial and client facing experience.

Ivan Martini is the Managing Director of CM Services UY S.A. in Montevideo, Uruguay.

Martini is a STEP certified Argentine lawyer with a Masters Degree at NYU. Before joining Cone Marshall in Uruguay Martini worked as a Wealth Planning Advisor specializing in Latin America for the private banking divisions of Coutts & Co., Merrill Lynch, HSBC, Barclays and Julius Baer. He has held said positions in the Cayman Islands, Uruguay, the US and Switzerland, travelling regularly to all of Latin America. Martini´s working relationship with his clients’ legal and tax advisors provides him with extensive and updated knowledge of the Latin American regulatory framework, which proves vital at the time of finding the right estate planning solution for his clients.

Martini speaks five languages including Spanish, English, Portuguese, Italian and French.

Director Gerente

Ivan Martini es Director Gerente de CM Services UY S.A. en Montevideo, Uruguay.

El Sr. Martini es un abogado argentino certificado por STEP con maestría en la Universidad de Nueva York. Previo a unirse a Cone Marshall en Uruguay, el Sr. Martini trabajó como asesor en planificación patrimonial, especializándose en Latinoamérica para divisiones de banca privada de Coutts & Co. Merrill Lynch, HSBC, Barclays y Julius Baer. Ha mantenido dichas posiciones en las Islas Caiman, Uruguay, Estados Unidos y Suiza, viajando regularmente por toda Latinoamérica.
Las relaciones entabladas por el Sr. Martini y los asesores legales e impositivos de sus clientes le han dado una vasto conocimiento y lo ha mantenido actualizado en materia de marcos regulatorios en Latinoamérica, lo que resulta vital a la hora de encontrar soluciones para sus clientes con respecto a temas de planificación patrimonial.

El Sr. Martini habla cinco lenguas, incluyendo español, inglés, portugués, italiano y francés.

Katrina Robinson is responsible for business operations in the U.S., business development, and acting as a liaison with the Cone Marshall group. Robinson is an attorney admitted to practice in New York. She has worked with family offices and private clients. Prior to law school, she worked as a portfolio manager with an international wealth management team at the Royal Bank of Canada in New York City. Originally from Kingston, Jamaica, she is a graduate of Princeton University, University of Cambridge and Cardozo School of Law. She speaks Spanish and Portuguese.

CEO e Diretora, Teton Trust Company

Katrina Robinson é responsável pelas operações nos Estados Unidos, pelo desenvolvimento de negócios e atua como ponto de contato com o Grupo Cone Marshall. Katrina é advogada admitida na New York Bar Association e trabalha há anos com clientes pessoas físicas, famílias e family offices. Anteriormente à carreira jurída, ela trabalhou como gerente de portfólio de um time internacional de wealth management do Royal Bank of Canada em Nova Iorque. Nascida em Kingston, na Jamaica, Katrina se formou na Universidade de Princeton, na Universidade de Cambridge e na Cardozo School of Law. Ela é fluente em inglês e espanhol e fala português.

CEO y Directora Ejecutiva, Socia, Miembro del directorio.

Katrina Robinson es responsable de operaciones de negocios en los Estados Unidos, desarrollo de negocios, y actúa como nodo del grupo Cone Marshall.

La Sra. Robinson es una abogada con matrícula habilitante para practicar derecho en Nueva York. Ha trabajado con Family Offices y clientes privados. Previo a sus estudios de derecho, trabajó como administradora de carteras con un equipo de administración de patrimonio internacional en el Royal Bank of Canada en la Ciudad de Nueva York. Proveniente de Kingston, Jamaica, se graduó en la Universidad de Princeton, Universidad de Cambridge y facultad de Derecho de Cardozo de Nueva York.

Habla español y portugués.

Prior to forming TTC, Geoffrey Cone founded the law practice Cone Marshall Limited (“Cone Marshall”), then known as Cone and Co., in Auckland, New Zealand in 1998. Cone continues to serve as Principal of Cone Marshall and practices in the area of trust and tax planning.

Cone began practicing commercial litigation as well as tax and trust advisory work in 1980. As Partner and Chairman of Partners at a leading Christchurch law firm, his tenure was marked by cases at all levels of the New Zealand courts as leading counsel and the Privy Council in London.

Later, Cone took his comprehensive litigation and advisory experience and further applied it by serving as a litigator in the British West Indies for two years. Cone graduated from University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand with an LLB and honours, and a Post Graduate Diploma in Tax and Trust law with distinction.

David Harris has over 40 years of practical experience in both law and investment banking, specializing in UK private and international business clients, as well as public companies. Early in his career, he practiced law for 12 years and became a partner in the London law firm of Nabarro Nathanson focusing upon taxation and property law.

After leaving Nabarros in 1982 he joined NM Rothschild & Sons Ltd., London investment bankers, where he pioneered the development of the Bank’s international trust business and lead this for the next 26 years. In 1985 he became a Fellow of the Institute of Taxation by thesis on the taxation of private companies.

In 1987 David was appointed to the main board of NM Rothschild & Sons Limited in London. He also served as a director of many other Rothschild Group companies outside the UK and worked with senior members of the Rothschild family.  In the same year David was appointed the London CEO of the Rothschild Trust Group which became successful in Europe, the USA, Latin America, Asia and South Africa.

David became non executive in 2005 and was later appointed Chairman until his retirement in 2008.

Paolo Panico has experience in law and business as the Chairman of Private Trustees SA, an independent trust company based in Luxembourg. Panico, who speaks eight languages, is qualified as a solicitor in Scotland and as an “avocat à la Cour” in Luxembourg. He also serves as an adjunct law professor at the University of Luxembourg and the University of Liechtenstein, where he teaches international and comparative trust law.

In 2017 Panico was appointed Chairman of the STEP Europe Region and he became a Council Member of STEP as January 1st, 2021. Panico is a member of the International Academy of Estate and Trusts Law (TIAETL), Vice Chairman of the International Tax Planning Association (ITPA), and a council member of the Italian Trust Society (Associazione “Il Trust in Italia”).

His publications include Private Foundations, Law and Practice (Oxford University Press, 2014), and International Trust Laws (Oxford University Press, 2010; second and entirely revised edition, 2017).

Douglas Barnes is an attorney and member of the New York Bar. He has a focus on corporate law practice on early-stage companies and technology-related transactions. Before embarking on a career in law, Barnes had a fifteen-year career in the IT field that progressed from developing banking and accounting software to co-founding the security software company C2Net (now part of Red Hat). Prior to launching his own law firm in 2015, Barnes practiced corporate and technology transactions law at Sullivan and Cromwell, Milbank, and Gibson Dunn. Barnes grew up very close to Wyoming, in Fort Collins, Colorado, and maintains close connections to the area. Barnes received his J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law and also has a B.S. in Computer Science from Colorado State University and a B.A. in Humanities from the University of Texas at Austin.

Ada joined Cone Marshall HK office in 2022 as Chief Relationship Officer. She is responsible for business development and client relationships across Asia especially in HK and China.
Ada has worked in the finance industry and has a strong banking and insurance background specialized in business strategy and sales management. She has worked with clients and their advisors to find solutions to their wealth planning needs. She has over 20 years of experience in management positions including 15 years in the banking and finance industry. Her extensive experience includes she was the Chief Executive and Responsible Officer of Citi Insurance Brokers of Citibank (HK), Head of Cross Border Banking Services in Hang Seng Bank (HK) and Head of Cross Border Business Development in China Citic Bank International. Ada received her BSS from The University of Hong Kong, she holds a Diploma in Trust & Estate Planning from The Society of Business Practitioners in England and a Certificate of Occupational Competence in Estate Planning and Trust Management of the People’s Republic of China. Ada is fluent in Cantonese, Mandarin and English.

Claudia completed her conjoint degrees BCom/LLB at the University of Auckland. Prior to entering practice in a leading New Zealand law firm in 2004, she worked in the Auckland office of Ernst & Young, focusing on tax. She has also worked in the Island of Guernsey, the Channel Islands, for almost 6 years for two leading offshore law firms and was at the time enrolled and admitted to practice as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales.

Claudia specialises in all aspects of trust, private client, and international wealth planning. Claudia has advised a wide range of clients, both residents and non-residents, on local and foreign trusts, tax residency, asset protection, FATCA, Common Reporting Standards, international tax, and trust law issues. Claudia is recognised as a specialist and has been appointed for a second term to 2 Auckland District Law Society committees, namely, The AML/CFT Law Committee and the Trust Law Committee. She advises clients in respect to asset protection, establishment, administration, restructuring and winding up/termination of clients’ personal, investment and business structures including trusts, companies, and limited partnerships. She also advises clients in respect to their compliance, regulatory and anti-money laundering obligations.

She has advised many of the leading international trust companies, high net worth individuals, private companies, family businesses, multi-national banks, and globally renowned financial services organisations. Claudia is a full member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners. She has published a number of articles in Private Client Practitioner, Tax Planning International and Trust & Trustees. Claudia also contributes to the New Zealand chapter of The Private Wealth & Private Client Law Review for the International Comparatives Legal Guide (ICLG).

Shanna is a solicitor at Cone Marshall. She graduated from the University of Auckland, New Zealand with a BCom and LLB. She joined Cone Marshall’s Auckland office in 2016 while still in law school where she assisted the solicitors with foreign trust administration. After fully qualifying as a Barrister and Solicitor in New Zealand, Shanna moved to the Hong Kong office to work closely with their Asian clients on the setting up of bespoke structures for these clients and the administration of their domestic and foreign structures. Born in China and raised in New Zealand, Shanna is fluent in both Mandarin and English. Her background and language skills allow her to better understand the clients’ needs and concerns and finding a solution for them. She also assists with the management of Cone Marshall’s Hong Kong trustee companies.

Gerard Aquilina has had an extensive career spanning over 44 years in law, investment and private banking and he has worked in the US, Europe, Saudi Arabia and Brazil. He has held senior leadership positions at four global private banks including: CEO Merrill Lynch International Trust Company, CEO HSBC Private Bank for the Americas, Barclays Wealth Regional Head (and later Vice Chairman) for Europe, Middle East, Africa and Latin America, and most recently Vice Chairman UBS Global Emerging Markets where he was relationship manager for key clients.

He earned his BA at Columbia University, a JD from The American University in Washington, DC and an LLM from the University of London. Gerard is a member of The Society of Trust and Estate Planners, the International Tax Planning Association.

David Harris has over 40 years of practical experience in both law and investment banking, specializing in UK private and international business clients, as well as public companies. Early in his career, he practiced law for 12 years and became a partner in the London law firm of Nabarro Nathanson focusing upon taxation and property law.

After leaving Nabarros in 1982 he joined NM Rothschild & Sons Ltd., London investment bankers, where he pioneered the development of the Bank’s international trust business and lead this for the next 26 years. In 1985 he became a Fellow of the Institute of Taxation by thesis on the taxation of private companies.

In 1987 David was appointed to the main board of NM Rothschild & Sons Limited in London. He also served as a director of many other Rothschild Group companies outside the UK and worked with senior members of the Rothschild family. In the same year David was appointed the London CEO of the Rothschild Trust Group which became successful in Europe, the USA, Latin America, Asia and South Africa.

David became non executive in 2005 and was later appointed Chairman until his retirement in 2008.

Matthew is a qualified Legal Executive (registered in New Zealand) having graduated in 2019. He joined the Cone Marshall Group’s Auckland office in early 2022 with his area of expertise being international trust management and private wealth planning.

Matthew, now based within the group’s London office serves as our Principal Trust Officer for all United Kingdom clients. Matthew frequently travels to our Geneva office where he advises on complex international wealth structures for high net worth families and individuals.

Gabriela is responsible for our operations in Brazil, acting as a liaison with the Cone Marshall Group. Graduated from State University of São Paulo (J.D. 2010), Insper – Instituto de Ensino e Pesquisa (LL.M. in Brazilian Taxation 2014) and Georgetown University Law Center (LL.M. in International Taxation 2016). Gabriela is admitted to practise law in Brazil and prior to joing the Group, she worked for top law firms in São Paulo and New York. Gabriela has substantial experience in the area of international tax and estate and wealth planning, mainly with Brazilian clients. She is fluent in Portuguese and English.

Representante no Brasil

Gabriela é responsável por nossas operações brasileiras, atuando como ponto de contato com o Grupo Cone Marshall. Formada em Direito pela UNESP – Franca (2010), pelo Insper – Instituto de Ensino e Pesquisa (LL.M. em Direito Tributário Brasileiro, 2014) e Georgetown University Law Center (LL.M. em Direito Tributário Internacional, 2016). Gabriela é advogada admitida na OAB-SP e, antes de se juntar ao Grupo, ela trabalhou em escritórios de grande prestígio em São Paulo e Nova Iorque. Gabriela tem vasta experiência nas áreas de tributação internacional, gestão e sucessão patrimonial. Ela é fluente em inglês.

Weslley is a Brazilian qualified lawyer and is responsible for our business development and client relationships in Brazil. Graduated from University Centre of João Pessoa – Paraíba (J.D. 2012), he is a member of the Brazilian Bar Association (“OAB”). He joined our New Zealand office in 2021 as Legal Assistant and Trust Officer, and prior to joining the Group, he worked as a lawyer for private and public companies and law firms.

He is fluent in Portuguese and English.

Weslley é advogado qualificado no Brasil sendo responsável tanto pelo desenvolvimento de novos negócios, como pelo gerenciamento de relacionamento com os clientes no Brasil.

Formado em Direito pelo Centro Universitário de João Pessoa – Paraíba (2012),  ele é advogado admitido pela OAB/PB. Weslley se juntou ao Grupo Cone Marshall em 2021 como Assistente Legal e, antes disso, atuou como advogado no Brasil nos setores públicos e em escritórios de advocacia privados.

Ele é fluente em português e em inglês.

Felipe Torres is a Brazilian qualified lawyer and is the trust officer for the Brazil team. Graduated from the Federal University of Sergipe– Sergipe (J.D. 2014), he is a member of the Brazilian Bar Association (“OAB”). He joined our New Zealand office in 2021 first as an office assistant and later as a Trust Officer, helping both Brazilian and US Teams. Prior to joining the Group, he was a partner in a law firm with specializations in Consumer, Real Estate, and Family Law.

He is fluent in Portuguese and English.

Felipe Torres é um advogado brasileiro qualificado e é o trust officer da equipe do Brasil, ajudando na formação e manutenção de estruturas offshore. Graduado pela Universidade Federal de Sergipe – Sergipe (2014), é membro da Ordem dos Advogados do Brasil (“OAB”). Ele ingressou em nosso escritório na Nova Zelândia em 2021, primeiro como assistente de escritório e depois como Trust Officer, ajudando as equipes brasileiras e americanas. Antes de ingressar no Grupo, foi sócio de um escritório de advocacia com especializações em Direito do Consumidor, Imobiliário e Família.

Ele é fluente em inglês.

Sean joined our Swiss office in 2019 as Managing Director. He began his career in the fiduciary sector in 2003, and has since worked for international private Banks and held senior roles at reputed independent Trust companies. Sean has considerable operational and technical experience, servicing UHNW families from the Middle East, Africa, the United Kingdom and Latin America. Sean holds a degree in Finance and Business Law from Stirling University in Scotland, is a certified Trust and Estate Practitioner and holds the SACTM. He excels at resolving challenging international issues for his clients, whatever they might be. Sean was brought up in Geneva and is bi-lingual in English and French. Sean has a passion for beautiful cars, science and technology, and enjoys mountain climbing and skiing.