David Frier

David Frier is recognised at the Corporate INTL Global Awards 2026 as “Trust & Estate Service Provider of the Year in Gibraltar”, an accolade tied to his work with Capital Trustees Limited, an owner-managed trust company based in Gibraltar. The award celebrates excellence in the stewardship of trusts, estates and fiduciary structures for private clients and corporations — a discipline in which independence, discretion and long-term relationships are paramount.

About Capital Trustees Limited

Capital Trustees Limited is an owner-managed trust company located in Gibraltar that offers a wide range of trustee and fiduciary administration services to high-net-worth individuals and corporations. According to the firm, its management team comprises the majority of the company’s owners, who are all professionally qualified and bring a proven track record to their engagements. This ownership structure means that the people responsible for client relationships also have a direct stake in the quality and continuity of the service delivered.

The firm is authorised as a Professional Trustee by the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission (permission number 12932) and is registered in Gibraltar under company number 102261. It operates from 30/1 Cornwall’s Lane, P.O. Box 1404, Gibraltar. This regulatory authorisation underlines the firm’s standing as a professional fiduciary operating within a supervised and internationally recognised financial centre.

The benefits of independence

A defining feature of Capital Trustees is its independence. The firm states that its business is managed independently of any financial institution, law firm or similar tied links, and that it works alongside clients’ chosen advisers — including tax advisers, banks, lawyers and investment managers. That independence allows the firm to keep clients’ interests at the heart of its thinking and to offer an optimal, unconflicted choice of investment strategies rather than being channelled towards in-house products. For families and businesses whose affairs span multiple jurisdictions, this neutrality is a meaningful advantage.

The firm sets out a clear set of key values, aiming to build long-term relationships with clients and intermediaries founded on trust and mutual respect. It seeks to achieve this by:

• Taking the time to understand each client’s needs;
• Ensuring that engagements are director-led, providing effective oversight and decision-making;
• Maintaining a flexible and transparent fee-charging structure with realistic quotations for additional work;
• Operating free of institutional links so that investment strategy can be chosen on the client’s merits.

Why Gibraltar for trust and estate planning

Gibraltar is a self-governing British Overseas Territory located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, with its own parliament and legal system. Importantly for trust and estate work, Gibraltar’s trust law is derived from English common law, giving international clients access to a mature, well-understood body of principles governing trustees’ duties, beneficiaries’ rights and the administration of trust assets. As an international financial centre, Gibraltar complies with the standards set by bodies such as the European Union, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which supports its reputation for stability and compliance.

These characteristics make the jurisdiction a natural home for professional trustees serving high-net-worth individuals and corporate clients. Trust and estate service providers in Gibraltar typically handle the establishment and administration of trusts and foundations, the safeguarding and succession of family and business assets, and the coordination of a client’s wider circle of advisers — all within a robustly regulated framework.

Recognised expertise

David Frier’s recognition as Trust & Estate Service Provider of the Year in Gibraltar at the Corporate INTL Global Awards 2026 reflects the qualities that Capital Trustees places at the centre of its practice: professional qualification, a proven track record, director-led attention, transparent dealing and genuine independence. For clients seeking a trusted fiduciary partner in Gibraltar — one that combines the certainty of English common-law trust principles with the responsiveness of an owner-managed firm — Capital Trustees Limited and David Frier represent a compelling choice. The award affirms a service philosophy built on understanding clients’ needs, protecting their interests and sustaining relationships over the long term.