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Deon Beachen is an Executive at ENS in the Private Clients practice. He is a wealth management attorney who has assisted many high-net worth families in maintaining, maximising and transferring their wealth. He specialises in comprehensive onshore and offshore estate planning, including the advisory and formulation of wills for various jurisdictions. His practice has a particular focus on international aspects of estate planning for multi-national families.

Deon represents clients in all aspects of their estate planning needs including tax planning, wealth transfer strategies, business succession planning, asset protection and charitable gifting.

He practises estates and trusts law with a particular focus in the winding-up of deceased estates and the administration of trusts. His practice provides assistance to many international clients requiring executorship and probate services in South Africa, and similarly, to many South African clients requiring probate support internationally. A large component of his practice further involves resolving estates and trusts disputes and the provision of litigation and alternative dispute resolution support in this regard.

Deon also assists clients with the establishment and ongoing implementation of South African and offshore trusts as an appropriate vehicle for strategically diversifying wealth offshore and serving as a hedge in times of economic and political instability, growing family wealth and planning for future generations.

He regularly deals with the Master of the High Court and provides assistance to individuals who are incapable of manging their own financial affairs through curatorship applications via the High Court, and also assists clients in the regularisation of their exchange control affairs with the South African Reserve Bank.

Deon has advised several CEOs and prominent entrepreneurs regarding their tax-effective estate planning and financial advisors on their personal fiduciary-related affairs as well as their clients, and he has presented numerous workshops and seminars on the indispensability of fiduciary services in the creation and preservation of wealth and has authored numerous published articles.

Deon is a member of the Fiduciary Institute of Southern Africa, and of the South African Institute of Tax Professionals.

Deon is recognised as a leading/recommended lawyer by:

• Chambers Private Wealth Guide 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019 – Private Wealth Law; 2024 – High Net Worth (South Africa)
• Best Lawyers® 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017 – Trusts and Estates (South Africa)