Gordon S. Blair is an independent legal and tax consulting firm, established in Monaco in 1920.
Originally created by British legal professionals to support international clients in their mobility projects in Monaco and the region, the firm has acquired unique know-how in managing the civil and tax law implications related to changes in their lives and in their legal environment.
Opening up to new clientele and sustained growth in recent years have enabled Gordon S. Blair to become a benchmark firm in Monaco and the region.
We work with an international clientele of private individuals, wealthy families, and family groups that we support on all of their projects.
We also advise a number of international groups, particularly banking groups, on their activities in Monaco.
Our know-how is based on long experience handling complex matters and scenarios, which has given our teams mastery of the most sophisticated legal techniques and a keen sense of innovation.
In addition, due to the international nature of the matters we handle for our clients, we work closely with a network of professionals in major jurisdictions.
We can thus define and manage complex multi-country engagements and offer a truly global service to our clients.
Our team is made up of around fifty multilingual lawyers and tax specialists, with experience in multiple jurisdictions and environments.
We attach great importance to subject-matter expertise, experience and teamwork. This is why we have organized our firm around client-focused practices, responding as closely as possible to their needs.
Gordon S. Blair is an important player in the Principality’s business environment.
With a large dedicated team, the firm works with companies and their shareholders at every major stage in their development (external growth, equity offerings, changes of ownership, raising funds, negotiating contracts, etc.), for both local and international projects.
Gordon S. Blair is also the leading point of contact in the Principality for top international law firms and specialists.
The success of an M&A transaction is reliant on two important factors: preparation and negotiation.
Whether you are putting your business up for sale, acquiring another, or bringing a partner on board, it is vital to ask the right questions before you start. What are the risks involved? What is the exit strategy? What will happen if things do not work out with the partner?
Our teams are highly experienced in complex negotiations. They have developed a firm approach, but one that smooths the path and avoids creating excessive tension or breakdowns in relations, particularly where the parties will need to work together over the long term.
With a dedicated team specialising in employment law, Gordon S. Blair represents the interests of both employers and employees, residents and non-residents, offering vast experience and creative ideas for resolving complex situations involving both French and Monegasque jurisdictions.
Any natural or legal person who, for their operations, seeks to hire staff is required to apply for authorisation and register their employees with the Monegasque social security and retirement pension regimes, known respectively as CCSS and CAR. Registration entitles the employee to social security benefits.
We provide clients who employ staff in Monaco with our expertise in the field of social security law and HR management. Gordon S. Blair is an intermediary of choice for all of the social security bodies, and enjoys direct and smooth relations with Government departments.
Our specialist teams are regularly asked to conduct social audits. Several issues must be considered in detail, including whether employment contracts comply with applicable laws and regulations, statutory working times are observed, the company’s internal policies and procedures are compliant, etc.
Gordon S. Blair offers a complete service, and we are able to rely on other in-house experts for related subjects such as taxation, pensions, and regulatory issues.
Real estate is traditionally a very active sector in Monaco and in the Côte d’Azur and the region draws investors from around the world.
Combining a unique expertise in the legal and tax aspects of property acquisition and ownership, an intimate knowledge of the market and an excellent reputation among real estate professionals, the teams at Gordon S. Blair advise, accompany and secure investors, whether individuals, family offices or developers, in their real estate projects in these exceptional regions.
Before embarking on a real estate project, it is important to define the objectives: Is this a second home or an investment? Is it intended in whole or part for rental purposes? Is it a personal or group investment? Is the idea to generate to generate a capital gains or passive income?
The answers to these questions will not only enable better tax planning, but also to determine the financing needs, anticipate the passing down of the property to the next generation, and above all, define the ideal acquisition structure.
The applicable taxes should also be anticipated to determine whether a share deal is preferable to an asset deal, by reference in particular to the following aspects:
It will also be necessary to determine the needs in terms of financing and to build a viable financial model: own funds – shareholder loan used for acquisition purposes and/or recourse to a bank loan, the terms of which will have to be closely analyzed.
The choice of an appropriate vehicle in view of the acquisition of the property and its intended use is essential, as a risky or wrong choice can lead to additional costs, particularly in terms of taxation.
Lastly, beyond the pleasure of owning an exceptional property, it is advisable to consider what will happen to it in the event of death, particularly with regard to the civil and tax aspects applicable in the event of transmission to relatives, and to determine under what conditions and at what cost they will be able to enjoy it in turn.
Anticipating the transmission of heritage is crucial for maintaining consensus between family members. In order to reduce the risk of inheritance-related conflicts, it is highly recommendable to organize the devolution of the estate, options for protection of a spouse/protection of spousal interests, intra-family relations, and, as appropriate, anticipate and make advance arrangements to cover situations of vulnerability or inability to manage assets, or to protect family members who may present risks of vulnerability.
Gordon S. Blair has been advising international families on how to protect their estate and the interests of each generation.
We combine expertise, flexibility, and proximity, while relying, if necessary, on independent local professionals.
Most foreign residents in Monaco come from jurisdictions where inheritance laws are often very different from those in the Principality. These residents often also have interests and beneficiaries in quite a few jurisdictions which leads, upon the death of the testator, to international successions that should be controlled and administered from Monaco.
It is therefore essential to anticipate the constraints that could hinder the previously defined transmission objectives.
Any person who is a Monegasque resident at the time of his or her death is subject to the Monegasque inheritance laws which, in particular, provides for forced heirship with a reserved portion of the estate to go to the reserved heirs. However, it is possible to retain the inheritance laws of the country of citizenship, provided this is expressly stipulated by the testator in a will.
Although a civil law jurisdiction, Monaco also recognizes some inheritance tools, such as trusts, subject to a certain number of conditions that are important to know.
