For advisors
Keep the client. Keep the assets. Add an institutional trustee.
Opes is being organized as an administrative and directed trust company for RIAs, multi-family offices, independent wealth advisors, and private-bank teams whose clients need corporate fiduciary capacity without giving up the advisory relationship.
All statements describe a proposed service model contingent on regulatory authorization.
Keep the attorney, advisor, investment managers, and assets. Add an institutional trustee built for modern family wealth.
Our commitments to you
A trustee built to work with you—not compete with you.
No required transfer of investment management
Where the instrument establishes directed authority, the advisor may continue to manage the portfolio under an investment director or advisor appointment.
No intention to compete for the relationship
Opes is being organized as a trust company, not an asset manager, broker, or wealth-management firm. We do not intend to build a competing investment offering.
No required custody relationship
Our proposed model does not depend on moving assets to a proprietary custodian in order to serve as administrative trustee.
Clear division of fiduciary responsibility
Investment, distribution, and administrative responsibilities are allocated by the instrument. We intend to document that allocation explicitly for every trust.
Transparent acceptance standards
You should know whether a case is administrable before the family pays for drafting. We intend to publish what we need to evaluate an appointment.
Ongoing partner visibility
Permissioned access to structure, documents, and pending actions is intended to be part of the standard service model, not a special accommodation.
The structure
Where the advisor sits in a directed trust.
In a directed structure, authority is divided by the instrument. The trustee administers; a named director or committee may hold investment or distribution authority.
Proposed administrative trustee
Opes
Fiduciary administration, recordkeeping, and institutional continuity
Estate-planning attorney
Drafts the instrument. Continues to advise the family on legal matters.
RIA or investment director
May continue to manage or direct the investment of trust assets.
Distribution director or committee
May retain discretionary distribution authority under the instrument.
CPA or tax advisor
Continues tax planning, reporting positions, and return preparation.
Family members and beneficiaries
Receive reporting, submit requests, and participate in governance.
Division of responsibility
Who holds which authority depends entirely on the trust instrument and applicable law. This diagram is illustrative.
When to bring us in
Situations we are being built for.
- A client's trust sits with a bank that will not administer the fund interests you recommended.
- A prospect wants Nevada situs but the incumbent trustee requires the portfolio.
- A concentrated founder position needs a corporate trustee before a liquidity event.
- An individual trustee — a sibling, a friend — is no longer able to serve.
- A multi-generational structure needs continuity your firm cannot provide alone.
- A family office wants institutional fiduciary capacity without building a trust company.
Founding Partner Program
We are assembling 25 firms to shape the service model before launch.
Explore the programOpes is not chartered, is not authorized to act as a trustee, and does not provide investment, legal, or tax advice. Any division of responsibility described here depends on the governing instrument and applicable law.