User:KarlChiniara/sandbox

Walid S. Chiniara, Esq. is the founder of Chiniara & Co. He is an international finance lawyer, an artisan,

and a thought leader in the field of governance, its history, and philosophical foundation.

After 15 exciting years practicing law across several jurisdictions, Walid spent the last 25+ years serving

families in business, looking to preserve and grow their Wealth in the hands of future generations.

He worked alongside over 165 iconic families from around the world, building family offices, managing

conflict, and devising family-specific tools, tailored to address their needs and those of the rising

NextGen. He still acts as homme de confiance to many of them.

Over the years, Walid forged himself a reputation as the go-to person for mission impossible family

business succession planning, and the 7-Step Methodology™ he has developed has been recognized by

his peers as a game changer. For many, it has become the family business succession planning tool par

excellence.

He is an accredited Mediator and a member of the Quebec Bar. He is also, an associate member at

Outer Temple Chambers, in the UK, a fellow at the Institute for Corporate Governance, ESCP Business

School, Paris, France, and a member of the Family Firm Institute (FFI), the Society of Trust and Estate

Planners (STEP), and The International Academy of Trust and Estate Law (TIAETL).

Walid is the recipient of many prestigious awards, a published author, and a regular guest speaker at a

number of regional and international forums. He recently shared his experience in a book

titled: Dynastic planning: a 7-Step Approach to Family Business Succession Planning and Related Conflict

Management.

He is married, and the father of two, Erik and Karl.

Key Professional Dates
Was first sworn in as a lawyer in 1981 (Beirut 1981-1990). In 1989, he joined the Quebec Bar, Canada,

and more recently, in 2023, joined Outer Temple Chambers, in London, UK, as an associate member.

In 1982, joined Sidley & Austin in Chicago and a few years later, moved to Montreal to join Stikeman,

Elliott where he focused on cross-border M&A/Antitrust and project financing.

In 1991, joined Alcatel CIT, Paris, the then largest telecommunications manufacturing company in the

world, where he contributed to setting up its project financing arm across Eastern Europe and South-

East Asia.

In 1998, his professional life took a different turn, when he was invited to become Consigliere for one of

the most prominent and successful NxGen family business entrepreneurs in the Middle East.

In 2001, established his own virtual multi-family office, and has since worked alongside over 165 families

in business, looking to become more competitive in a global and increasingly unstable world. He still acts

as a Personne de Confiance to a number of them.

In 2014, joined Deloitte to set up and lead the Middle Eastern chapter of its Family Enterprise Consulting

practice and help build its global family office platform.

In 2022, stepped down, and was later joined by his son, Karl, to establish Chiniara & Co., a boutique

private client firm serving elite families in business (www.chiniarandco.com)

In 2023, established The Chiniara Foundation, for the study and advancement of the ‘Law’ in matters

pertaining to family business succession planning, to complement the work undertaken to date by

business and management schools (www.chiniara.foundation)