Lead-family guide
Family office co-investment structure checklist
A co-investment structure is ready when the investor group, custody route, subscription mechanics, reporting cadence, transfer policy, and governance rights can all be explained before invitations go out.
- Investor base: number of investors, jurisdictions, professional-investor status, banks, and expected ticket sizes.
- Custody: whether investors need a bankable security or can hold an SPV interest directly.
- Administration: capital calls, subscription documents, registers, reporting, tax packs, and investor updates.
- Governance: consent rights, transfer restrictions, conflict handling, and lead-family approval rights.
- Repeatability: whether this is a one-off investment or the first of a recurring syndication program.
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Will co-investors hold through different private banks? | Multi-bank groups usually need cleaner custody and settlement mechanics. |
| Will the family repeat this workflow? | Repeat deals justify reusable infrastructure and consistent investor communication. |
| Does the investor group need ongoing reporting? | Post-close obligations often drive structure choice as much as closing mechanics. |
| Are transfers possible or expected? | Transfer policy should be defined before subscription. |
The checklist is intentionally operational. Most syndication friction appears after the headline structure is chosen: onboarding, documentation, questions, approvals, settlement, reporting, and support.