Kleinwort Benson has been named Institutional Trust Team of the Year at The Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) Private Client Awards 2013/14.
The awards ceremony took place in London last Wednesday night and saw Kleinwort Benson beat competition from the other finalists, including Butterfield Trust, CIBC Bank and Trust Company (Cayman), Northern Trust and RBC Wealth Management.
Kleinwort Benson was judged to have particularly strong client retention levels and quality of service provided from its offices in the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey.
The annual STEP Private Client Awards promote excellence among many private client advisers, including solicitors, accountants, financial advisers and estate managers.
STEP is the worldwide professional association for practitioners dealing with family inheritance and succession planning. STEP members help families plan for their futures, specialising in a wide range of activities, from drafting a relatively simple will to more complex issues surrounding international families, protection of the vulnerable, family businesses and philanthropic giving.
Sean Baudin, head of fiduciary services, at Kleinwort Benson said: ‘We are very proud to have received this award recognising the hard work and excellence of our teams in the Crown Dependencies.
‘Recognition of this kind is a truly fitting tribute to the entire team’s commitment to high quality client service.’
The panel of judges said: ‘Kleinwort Benson’s record on client retention and referrals from existing clients and professional intermediaries is testament to the quality of the service they offer.
‘We were particularly impressed by the length of service and continuity of relationships with their clients.’
