What Zetland Fiduciary Group does

Zetland Fiduciary Group is a privately held, Hong Kong-headquartered business consultancy and fiduciary services firm founded in 1987 by a Scottish founder from the Shetland Islands. It provides company formation, corporate administration, trust settlement, accounting, and tax services through five directly operated offices in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore, London, and Dubai, supported by a worldwide network of banking and finance associates, professional advisers, correspondents, and local agents that extends service coverage into jurisdictions such as the Cayman Islands, Seychelles, British Virgin Islands, Panama, Liechtenstein, and the UAE.

The core product shelf combines Corporate Services (incorporation, corporate secretarial, nominee directors, compliance, bank account opening, registered office), Trusts (Hong Kong domestic trusts, offshore private trusts, Private Trust Companies), Foundations across multiple offshore jurisdictions, Client Accounting including CEPA tax structuring, and Family Office solutions for Single and Multi-Family Office clients. Complementary offerings include international remuneration and Hong Kong residency/work permit advisory, China market entry support (WFOEs, joint ventures, sourcing), shelf companies, and asset-related services such as yacht and aircraft registration. The firm publishes a multilingual website in eight languages and a recurring newsletter that covers regulatory and tax developments across its key markets, functioning as its primary demand generation channel.

The business operates on a fee-based professional services model with case-by-case pricing tailored to client mandates; revenue, headcount, and contract values are not publicly disclosed. Target customer segments — entrepreneurs and growth companies, established multinational firms, and family offices with high-net-worth individuals — are served through direct advisory relationships by multilingual teams proficient in English, Cantonese and Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, Russian, Ukrainian, and French. No proprietary technology platform, APIs, or AI/ML capabilities are disclosed; service delivery is human-advisory.

Name

Zetland Fiduciary Group

Legal name

Zetland Fiduciary Group

Website

https://zetland.biz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Zetland Fiduciary Group is a privately held, Hong Kong-headquartered fiduciary and corporate services firm founded in 1987, offering company formation, trust settlement, accounting and tax services to entrepreneurs, multinational firms, and family offices across offices in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore, London, and Dubai.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Corporate Services & Fiduciary Advisory

NAICS

Trust, Fiduciary, and Custody Activities (523991), Trusts, Estates, and Agency Accounts (52592)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Trust Administration & Fiduciary Accounting Services (FSAAANAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family Office Trust & Fiduciary Services (FSAEAKAF), Trust & Fiduciary Advisory for HNW/UHNW (Trust Structuring & Trustee Oversight) (FSAAABAF), Estate Planning & Trust Structuring Advisory (FSAEAKAC)

Keywords

• Corporate administration services
• International trust services
• Foundation formation services
• Family office services
• Company formation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Central

HQ country

Hong Kong SAR China

HQ region

Asia

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Professional Fiduciary Services: Fee-based professional services including company formation, corporate administration, trust settlement, accounting and tax services. The firm operates on a professional services model delivering tailored fiduciary and administrative services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Zetland Fiduciary Group is a privately owned business consultancy founded in 1987 that provides tailored fiduciary and corporate administration services to entrepreneurs, growth companies, established multinational firms, and family offices worldwide. Its core offerings span company formation and corporate administration, trust settlement (Hong Kong and offshore), foundation establishment across multiple jurisdictions, client accounting and tax structuring, and family office services. The firm operates from offices in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore, London, and Dubai, supported by a multilingual team and a global network of advisers.

Product overview

Zetland Fiduciary Group operates as a comprehensive fiduciary and corporate services firm offering an integrated suite of professional services. The portfolio centers on core fiduciary offerings including Corporate Services (incorporation, secretarial, compliance, nominee directors, bank account opening), Trusts (Hong Kong and offshore structures, Private Trust Companies), Foundations (established across Cayman Islands, Seychelles, BVI, Panama, Liechtenstein, UAE), Client Accounting (bookkeeping and CEPA tax structuring), and Family Office services (Single and Multi-Family Office structures). The company complements these with Human Resources services, China market entry support (WFOE/joint ventures, sourcing), and supplementary business support including shelf companies, yacht/aircraft registration, and office establishment. A newsletter resource provides ongoing regulatory and market insights. The company maintains offices in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore, London, and Dubai, serving an international clientele through multilingual teams proficient in English, Chinese (Cantonese and Mandarin), Japanese, Russian, Ukrainian, and French.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Corporate Services Comprehensive corporate administrative services including company incorporation and administration, corporate secretarial duties, nominee director appointments, regulatory compliance support, bank account opening assistance, and registered office facilities for businesses establishing presence in key financial jurisdictions. Targeted at entrepreneurs, growth companies, and established multinational firms.
• Trusts Fiduciary trust services encompassing Hong Kong domestic trusts, offshore private trust structures, and establishment of Private Trust Companies (PTCs) for wealth preservation and succession planning purposes. Targeted at family offices and high-net-worth individuals seeking tailored trust arrangements.
• Foundations Foundation formation and administration services across multiple jurisdictions including Cayman Islands, Seychelles, British Virgin Islands (BVI), Panama, Liechtenstein, and United Arab Emirates (UAE), offering asset protection and wealth structuring vehicles. Targeted at high-net-worth individuals and family offices seeking cross-border wealth structuring.
• Client Accounting Accounting and bookkeeping services combined with CEPA (Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement) tax structuring advisory for clients operating in or connected to mainland China markets. Targeted at entrepreneurs and multinational firms requiring cross-border accounting and tax support.
• Family Office Wealth management support services including Single Family Office (SFO) and Multi-Family Office (MFO) structures for high-net-worth families seeking integrated financial administration, governance, and succession planning. Targeted at family offices and high-net-worth individuals.
• Shelf Companies Pre-incorporated company structures available for immediate acquisition, enabling rapid establishment of corporate entities for time-sensitive business initiatives. Targeted at entrepreneurs and growth companies seeking expedited market entry.
• Human Resources Services International remuneration planning, HR structuring advisory, and assistance with Hong Kong residency and work permit applications for expatriate employees and their dependents. Targeted at multinational firms and entrepreneurs establishing operations in Hong Kong.
• China Services Specialized advisory for China market entry including sourcing services and Wholly Foreign-Owned Enterprise (WFOE) and joint venture formation support for international businesses expanding into mainland China. Targeted at multinational firms and growth companies entering or expanding within the Chinese market.
• Other Business Support Services Additional advisory services including yacht and aircraft registration, office establishment support, and money lending facilitation, complemented by introductions to legal, insurance, banking, and consulting professionals within the firm's global network. Targeted at entrepreneurs, family offices, and growth companies.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Tianyuan Law FirmcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZetland collaborated with Tianyuan Law Firm to host a successful wealth management conference in Shenzhen. The partnership focuses on providing wealth management insights and strategies for clients, combining legal expertise with fiduciary services.
• Zhongrong Trust Family OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZetland collaborated with Tianyuan Law Firm and Zhongrong Trust Family Office to host a successful wealth management sharing meeting. This partnership brings together trust family office expertise with fiduciary services for comprehensive wealth management solutions.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ocorian: Specialist fiduciary, trust, corporate and fund administration firm with offices in Hong Kong, Singapore, Dubai and London. Closest like-for-like peer given its trust administration, foundation, PTC and family office services targeting HNW and institutional clients.
• Harneys: Offshore law firm with substantial corporate services practice in BVI, Cayman, Cyprus and Hong Kong. Overlaps with Zetland's offshore foundation, corporate structuring and fiduciary services.
• Maples Group: Offshore legal, fiduciary and fund services group with deep Cayman/BVI/Irish operations. Directly comparable to Zetland's offshore foundation and trust administration lines across the same jurisdictions Zetland supports.
• Appleby: Offshore legal and fiduciary services firm operating across BVI, Cayman, Jersey, Guernsey and other offshore centres. Comparable to Zetland's offshore foundation and corporate administration offering.
• Sovereign Group: Independent corporate services and fiduciary firm with strong Hong Kong, Singapore, Dubai and European presence. Closely comparable to Zetland across corporate administration, trusts and family office.
• Conyers: Bermuda/Cayman/BVI-domiciled offshore law and corporate services firm. Directly competes in the same offshore foundation and trust structuring niche Zetland services from Hong Kong.
• Trident Trust: Independent provider of fiduciary, trust, corporate and fund administration services with offices across Hong Kong, Singapore, BVI, Cayman, Seychelles and Dubai. Highly comparable footprint and service mix to Zetland.

Broad incumbents

• Vistra: International corporate services and fund administration platform with strong Asia presence. Overlaps directly with Zetland's company formation, trust and compliance offerings across Hong Kong, Singapore, BVI and Dubai.
• TMF Group: Global provider of corporate secretarial, accounting, tax, HR and fund administration services across 80+ jurisdictions. Directly comparable to Zetland's corporate services and multi-jurisdictional administration offering, but operates at significantly larger scale.
• FormaPoint (formerly First Names Group, now part of Ocorian): Multi-jurisdictional trust, corporate and fund administration provider with deep Asia-Pacific presence pre-Ocorian combination. Comparable to Zetland's integrated corporate, trust and family office service model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zetland-fiduciary-group

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Zetland Fiduciary Group