This question is at the heart of a new case study challenge for students enrolled in the Executive LL.M. in Company, Foundation and Trust Law at the University of Liechtenstein. The initiative offers participants the chance to win a total of CHF 9,000 in prize money. It marks the official launch of the I&F Family Wealth Preservation Award—a joint initiative of the University of Liechtenstein and the Liechtenstein-based fiduciary company Industrie- und Finanzkontor Ets.

The I&F Family Wealth Preservation Award gives Executive LL.M. students a unique opportunity to gain deeper insights into Liechtenstein’s fiduciary sector. The award is structured as a competition in which students solve a practice-oriented case study involving multiple legal and strategic dimensions. This year’s task centres on a third-generation family business that must be restructured in a way that:

• ensures its continuity for future generations,
• allows ongoing management by family members,
• preserves decision-making authority within the family,
• enables adaptability to unforeseen external developments, and
• maintains strong family relationships.

The task highlights that successful wealth structuring goes beyond legal frameworks—it requires broader strategic thinking. The I&F Family Wealth Preservation Award promotes a vital exchange between academia and professional practice. Winners will be selected by an expert jury in December 2025, and their solutions will be presented to the public at a formal award ceremony on 26 January 2026.

Statement by I.D. Gisela Bergmann, Princess of Liechtenstein, CEO and Managing Director of Industrie- und Finanzkontor Ets.: “With the I&F Family Wealth Preservation Award, we aim to deepen the understanding of fiduciary work in Liechtenstein. The core task of a trustee is to assess complex asset situations from a comprehensive and objective perspective, and to structure wealth so that it can be preserved, purposefully managed, and transferred across generations. Fiduciary activity in Liechtenstein involves far more than simply establishing legal entities. Through the Award, we enable students to engage with the diverse requirements of fiduciary practice and raise awareness of its long-term responsibilities.”

Statement by Prof. Dr. Alexandra Butterstein, LL.M., Programme Director of the Executive Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Company, Foundation and Trust Law: “We are very pleased about the strong interest in the I&F Family Wealth Preservation Award, which for the sixth time offers our students the valuable opportunity to apply their academic knowledge to a real-world context. This chance to tackle a multifaceted, complex case from wealth structuring—both academically and practically—perfectly complements the Executive LL.M. The Award specifically prepares participants for the demands of long-term wealth preservation, a skillset essential to their future professional practice.”