I’ve set up, moved, and managed trusts with all ten of these firms in Hong Kong. Some were for my own family. Some were for clients I help as a family office advisor. I’ve sat in trustee meetings. I’ve dealt with fee sheets, KYC forms, and those long bank calls. I’ve waited through typhoon days and Lunar New Year slowdowns. So yes, I’ve lived it.
If you’d like a punchy, list-only rundown to skim in under two minutes, I posted one over on Popdex—have a look at my snapshot of Hong Kong’s Top 10 Independent Trust Companies.
Quick note before we start. “Independent” here means non-bank, TCSP-licensed firms. They help run trusts, SPVs, and private trust companies. And they deal with banks, lawyers, and taxes. Sounds dry. But the people make or break it.
If you want the official word on who needs a licence to run trust business in Hong Kong, the Securities and Futures Commission keeps an up-to-date checklist on its site. Likewise, the Companies Registry’s guidance note for Trust or Company Service Providers spells out exactly how TCSPs should handle CDD, ongoing monitoring, and record-keeping.
Also, this is my view. Not legal advice. Ask a lawyer for details. Cool? Cool.
How I judge them (real simple)
- People: Do they call back fast? Do they think ahead?
- Process: Is onboarding clear? Are minutes and records tight?
- Price: Are fees fair and plain?
- Pace: Can they get stuff done when a bank says, “We need it by Friday”?
- Fit: Are they right for a founder, a family, or a fund?
You know what? Fit matters most.
1) Trident Trust (Hong Kong)
Trident is steady. Old school, in a good way.
Real case: I set up a BVI discretionary trust for a startup founder. We used a private trust company. DBS Hong Kong opened the account in about six weeks, which is quick now. The minutes were clean. No drama.
What I liked:
- Clear steps. No fuzzy bits.
- Solid with cross-border stuff.
What bugged me:
- Very paper-heavy. Wet ink forms again and again.
- No love for crypto or anything “new.”
Best for: Founders with BVI/Cayman links. Folks who want calm over flash.
2) ZEDRA (Hong Kong)
Warm people. Private-client tone.
Real case: A Hong Kong family needed a simple family trust. We did a letter of wishes in English and Chinese. Their admin team caught a share transfer typo that saved us a week of back-and-forth with the registrar. Little things, big help.
What I liked:
- Reports are tidy. Easy for the family to read.
- Good hand-holding, but not pushy.
What bugged me:
- Fees can stack. Each extra task adds a bit.
Best for: First-time trust users. Busy owners who want clear care.
3) Ocorian (Hong Kong)
More corporate feel. Strong with SPVs and plans tied to funds.
Real case: We used an employee benefit trust around an ESOP. Their governance notes were sharp. HR loved the checklist.
What I liked:
- Good with fund or deal calendars.
- They keep filings on time.
What bugged me:
- Phone queues. Email is better than calling.
Best for: PE and VC teams. Companies doing plans for staff.
4) JTC (Hong Kong)
Careful and very “governance first.”
Real case: We built a reserved powers trust for art and a boat share. They even flagged an insurance gap on the art move. That saved a headache.
What I liked:
- Meeting minutes are textbook clean.
- Risk reviews feel grown-up.
What bugged me:
- Not the fastest. They’d rather be right than fast. Fair, but still.
Best for: Families who want clean records and no mess years later.
5) Equiom (Hong Kong)
Friendly and human. A little like a boutique shop.
Real case: We moved admin for an older Cook Islands trust to their Hong Kong team. They handled the handover with no fuss and kept the original spirit of the trust.
What I liked:
- Good at dealing with legacy files.
- Straight talk on fees.
What bugged me:
- One year, we had some staff changes mid-project. It settled down.
Best for: Long-held trusts that need a careful refresh.
6) Vistra (Hong Kong)
Big network. Bank-friendly.
Real case: We set up a private trust company for a multi-juris family with a Singapore holdco. HSBC asked for more KYC mid-way (shocker). Vistra had the right contacts and got it done.
What I liked:
- Reach across many hubs.
- Knows how banks think.
What bugged me:
- Big-firm feel. You may meet many faces.
Best for: Cross-border families with moving parts.
7) Asiaciti Trust (Hong Kong)
Asia roots. Conservative now, which can be a plus.
Real case: Pre-IPO trust before a Hong Kong listing. They kept a tight line on disclosures and timing with counsel. No leaks. No loose ends.
What I liked:
- Good with tax and listing timelines.
- Firm on risk rules.
What bugged me:
- Extra checks can slow the train, but it keeps it safe.
Best for: Families near a big event, like a sale or listing.
8) Hawksford (Hong Kong)
Nimble. Entrepreneur-friendly.
Real case: A small owner with a China WFOE used a Hong Kong trust to hold the shares. Onboarding was quick. We had Chinese and English packs ready for the bank in one week.
What I liked:
- Fast replies. Clear asks.
- Good with China-facing docs.
What bugged me:
- Fewer in-house add-ons like investment reporting.
Best for: First-time founders and simple holding needs.
9) Amicorp (Hong Kong)
Creative and multilingual.
Real case: A Latin American family based in Hong Kong needed Spanish docs for grandparents and English for the bank. Amicorp handled both sets and kept the names and accents right. That stuff matters.
What I liked:
- Cross-language work is smooth.
- Will think around a roadblock.
What bugged me:
- We hit one admin error on a date. They fixed it fast and owned it.
Best for: Families with mixed language and many IDs.
10) TMF (Hong Kong)
Huge platform. Good for corporate trusts and payroll links.
Real case: We set up an employee benefit trust tied to global payroll. Their systems talked to each other. Less spreadsheet chaos for HR.
What I liked:
- Strong systems. Good controls.
- Easy for big companies.
What bugged me:
- Can feel a bit formal. Emails read like policy notes.
Best for: Large groups and plan-heavy setups.
Fees I’ve actually paid (ballpark)
Every file is different. But from my invoices over recent years:
- Setup: about HKD 40,000 to 250,000
- Yearly admin: about HKD 25,000 to 120,000
- Extras (banking, changes, big reviews): hourly or fixed, and it adds up
Tip: Ask for a fee cap on routine items. Ask what “out-of-pocket” means. Small line items snowball.
Little things that saved me time
- Ask for a bilingual letter of wishes if your family uses two languages.
- Keep a “KYC pack” ready: passport, proof of address, source of wealth note, company charts.
- Name a clear point person. Too many CCs slow things down.
- Ask who the successor trustee will be. What if your trustee quits?
- For CRS/FATCA, get a one-page summary in plain English. No one likes guessing forms.
- For bank accounts, check which banks they work with often. HSBC, DBS, and Standard Chartered each have their own quirks.
Honestly, tiny prep beats big panic.
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So, who should you pick?
If you want to see which names are getting buzz beyond my circle, a quick scroll through Popdex can show you which firms and topics are spiking in real-time.
- Need simple, steady: Trident, Equiom, Hawks