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David Warren to Speak at Pepperdine University’s Global Family Office Summit in Switzerland Bridgeford Trust Company is pleased to announce that David Warren, Co-Founder & Chairman, will be a featured speaker at Pepperdine University’s Global Family Office Summit, taking place October 19-23, 2026, at Château d’Hauteville in Switzerland. While in Switzerland, David will also be hosting a gathering and leading a fireside chat in Zurich on Thursday, October 22. Colleagues and friends in the area are invited to join us for drinks and conversation, with additional details below! The inaugural Pepperdine Summit will bring together business-owning families, family office professionals, and industry experts for discussions on multigenerational wealth planning, family governance, succession, philanthropy, and the evolving global financial landscape. As part of the summit’s programming on October 19, David will participate in a panel discussion exploring the history and evolution of trust law, from its origins in medieval England to modern trust structures in the United States and beyond. The discussion will cover the emergence of progressive U.S. trust jurisdictions such as South Dakota, Wyoming, and Nevada, including planning opportunities involving Dynasty Trusts, Directed Trusts, asset protection, and decanting, as well as cross-border considerations for internationally connected families. Bridgeford Trust Company invites colleagues and friends in the area to join us for a gathering in Zurich on Thursday, October 22, alongside our friends at UMA Wealth, BFI Infinity, and Trusted Advisor! The evening will feature a fireside chat led by David Warren exploring the impact of domestic and international geopolitical uncertainty on trust planning, along with an opportunity to enjoy drinks, conversation, and connect with colleagues and friends. Date & Time: Thursday, October 22, 2026 at 5:00 PM If you’re interested in joining us, please contact us so we can plan accordingly. Unable to join us for drinks? David would still welcome the opportunity to connect while he’s in Switzerland. Please reach out if you’d like to coordinate a time to meet during his visit. For ultra-high-net-worth families purchasing a yacht or private aircraft, significant attention is often given to the acquisition itself. But these assets can become part of a family’s lifestyle for decades, carry meaningful ongoing expenses and liability exposure, and ultimately become part of a broader estate and legacy. How they are owned can be just as important as the purchase itself. Rather than holding the asset individually, a yacht or aircraft may be owned through an LLC or other entity that is ultimately held within a properly designed trust. For families already incorporating South Dakota trusts into their estate and wealth planning, this can create additional opportunities around asset protection, privacy, control, and succession. As the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show approaches, we look forward to connecting with clients, advisors, and industry professionals at Cocktails at the Marina on October 29, where we’ll have the opportunity to discuss trust planning considerations for yachts and other unique assets. If you’re attending the show, we hope you’ll join us! Event details and RSVP information are included below. Yachts and private aircraft are significant assets, but they also carry unique operational and liability considerations. An appropriately structured ownership entity may help separate the asset from other personal or family holdings. That entity can then be incorporated into a broader South Dakota trust designed around the family’s asset protection and estate planning objectives. Depending on the family’s circumstances and objectives, South Dakota’s Domestic Asset Protection Trust laws may provide an additional layer of protection against future third-party creditor claims while offering considerable flexibility in the design and administration of the trust. Privacy is another important consideration for many families holding substantial assets. South Dakota’s nationally recognized privacy and quiet trust statutes provide families and their advisors with significant flexibility when establishing trusts for long-term wealth planning. These laws are designed to provide privacy—not secrecy—and can help protect sensitive family and trust information from public disclosure. For families already focused on maintaining discretion around their businesses, investments, residences, and other holdings, considering privacy when structuring ownership of a yacht or private aircraft can be a natural extension of the broader planning process. South Dakota’s directed trust laws are particularly well suited for assets that require specialized knowledge or ongoing management. A Directed Trust separates trust administration from investment, distribution, and other designated decision-making responsibilities. This allows families to retain trusted advisors or other designated fiduciaries while an independent South Dakota trustee provides trust administration. For yachts and private aircraft, that flexibility can be especially valuable. Families may already work with aviation professionals, yacht managers, family offices, or other advisors who understand the asset and the family’s objectives. A Directed Trust can allow those relationships and areas of expertise to remain part of the overall structure. Ownership of a yacht or aircraft can raise important long-term questions. Who should own the asset in the future? Who should be permitted to use it? Who will make decisions about maintenance, expenses, or an eventual sale? A properly drafted trust can establish a framework for those decisions in advance. For families using Dynasty Trusts or other multigenerational planning strategies, a yacht or private aircraft can become part of the same long-term approach used for businesses, real estate, investments, and other significant family assets. For families that own or are considering the purchase of a yacht or private aircraft, South Dakota trust planning can provide direction, control, and flexibility in how these assets are owned, managed, protected, and ultimately passed to future generations. Bridgeford Trust Company and Affinity will host Cocktails at the Marina during the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, bringing together clients, advisors, and industry professionals for an evening of conversation and connection. October 29, 2026 | 4:00–6:00 p.m. To learn more about how South Dakota trust planning may support yachts, private aircraft, and other unique assets, call (605) 224-9189 or contact us online. Episode 62 is now available on Bridgeford Trust Company’s Delivering Direction & Control podcast! In this episode, David Warren – Co-Founder & Chairman of Bridgeford Trust Company – sits down with Lauren Klein – Co-Founder & Attorney at Flourish Law Group, PLLC – to discuss a more personalized approach to estate planning centered on education, empowerment, and understanding the unique needs of each family. Lauren shares her journey from Biglaw to co-founding Flourish Law Group and explores the importance of planning beyond the documents. The conversation includes special needs trust planning, probate avoidance, privacy, and the role education plays in helping families make informed planning decisions. Lauren also discusses Flourish’s Estate Planning for Busy Parents webinar, designed to make foundational estate planning concepts more accessible. Finally, Lauren shares the inspiration behind Legal + Wealthy You can listen to our latest episode on Bridgeford’s podcast page, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Spotify, and SoundCloud—or watch it on our YouTube channel. Bridgeford Trust Company’s Delivering Direction & Control podcast was developed to educate, challenge, and inspire listeners. As we interview experts in the trust planning arena, we keep listeners updated on developments regarding modern trust law and provide practical discussion on the powerful trust planning opportunities available to advisors around the country and the world—all in an effort to deliver far more direction and control to clients and their advisors than ever before. Check out all of our episodes here: bridgefordtrust.com/podcasts. If you have questions on any of the topics discussed in this latest episode, don’t hesitate to reach out to us through our contact form or call us at (605) 224-9189. Bridgeford Trust Company is looking forward to participating in two upcoming events in Southern California this fall, each bringing together leaders from across the region’s business and professional community. As a sponsor of both events, we look forward to connecting with attendees and invite you to join us! Bridgeford is proud to sponsor the Orange County Business Journal’s 2026 Innovator of the Year Awards, taking place on October 7 at the Irvine Marriott, with the luncheon and awards held from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. Now in its twelfth year, the awards program recognizes Orange County individuals and organizations demonstrating leadership and innovation across a variety of industries and disciplines. Sydney Warren, Managing Director, is serving as a judge for this year’s awards. Sydney and David Warren, Co-Founder & Chairman, will also be hosting a Bridgeford table at the event. If you’ll be in the area and would like to attend, contact us – we’d be happy to have you join us! Bridgeford is also pleased to sponsor the 2027 Economic Forecast, presented by the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce and featuring UC Irvine’s Paul Merage School of Business. The event will be held on October 9 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Balboa Bay Resort in Newport Beach. This annual event brings together Orange County business leaders for insights on the economic outlook and trends shaping the region. This year’s featured speaker is Christopher Schwarz, Professor of Finance and Faculty Director of the Todd & Lisa Halbrook Center for Investment & Wealth Management at UC Irvine’s Paul Merage School of Business. David and Sydney will again be hosting a Bridgeford table and look forward to connecting with members of the Orange County business community. If you’re interested in joining us for the event, contact us to reserve a seat at Bridgeford’s table. For additional information or questions about these upcoming events, please reach out to us through our contact page or call us at (605) 224-9189. Bridgeford Trust Company is proud to announce the launch of Bridgeford NYC, a new office established by our sister company, Bridgeford Advisors (dba Bridgeford), a trust planning advisory firm serving families across the United States and around the world. The addition of a New York City presence represents an exciting next step in Bridgeford’s continued growth, further expanding our national footprint and our ability to bring the power of South Dakota-based fiduciary planning to families and their advisors across the country. We look forward to celebrating the launch of Bridgeford NYC with a special event on November 4; registration details are included below. Located at 104 W 40th Street, near Bryant Park in the heart of Midtown Manhattan, Bridgeford NYC is situated in one of the world’s leading centers for financial services, law, investment management, and private wealth. The new office provides an important local connection for our work with sophisticated families and the advisors who serve them throughout New York and the broader Northeast. Bridgeford NYC joins our existing offices in Miami, Newport Beach, Philadelphia, and the Bay Area, continuing Bridgeford’s strategic expansion into key markets nationwide. Together, these locations support our broader commitment to building strong relationships with families and advisors while expanding the reach of Bridgeford’s independent and strategic approach to trust planning. David Warren, Co-Founder and Chairman of Bridgeford Trust Company and President and CEO of Bridgeford Advisors, shared the following perspective on Bridgeford’s new presence in New York: “New York City is another natural expansion for Bridgeford, given our deep ties and connection to ‘the city that never sleeps.’ Since our inception, NYC was among the first major financial markets to embrace Bridgeford and the power of modern trust law, and we are thrilled to put our flag in the ground in the heart of Manhattan and formally become part of the city’s domestic and international professional community.” Join us as we celebrate the launch of Bridgeford NYC with a ribbon cutting in partnership with the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, and an opportunity to connect with the Bridgeford team and fellow professionals. David Warren will also share insights on trust jurisdiction selection and the benefits of modern trust law for asset protection, privacy, and tax planning. Date & Time: Wednesday, November 4, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. EST For more information about Bridgeford’s expansion into New York City, or to connect with our team, please contact us via our contact page or by calling (605) 224-9189. | |
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