Withers, the international law firm, has created a separate consulting entity to focus on clients' non-legal issues and reveals that it is considering hiring a dedicated consultant for Asia.

Withers, the international law firm, has created a separate consulting entity to focus on clients' non-legal issues and reveals that it is considering hiring a dedicated consultant for Asia. 

The new arm, Withers Consulting Group, will be launched in the second quarter of 2013 and will initially have consultants based in the UK and US to cater to the growing demand for such a service in Asia. A consultant dedicated to the region will be appointed as the business grows. The firm serves family offices, family enterprises and entrepreneurs. 

The group will provide "innovative consulting services to family offices, complex family enterprises and entrepreneurs in order to help these clients achieve success as defined by them", the firm said. "From guiding entrepreneurs through the initial development of their business interests, to articulating a family’s shared purpose or developing a comprehensive governance design, WCG’s holistic approach addresses both the most important long term challenges that arise for the stewards of family wealth and the critical shorter term needs of entrepreneurs in the wealth creation phase," it continued. The group uses a "sophisticated consulting framework that brings together governance, family dynamics, organisational development and business strategy".

Withers provides legal assistance to clients, but has increasingly been getting requests to offer non-legal support, it said in a statement. 

The time is right for Withers to grow in the Asia-Pacific region where, according to Forbes, 310 of the 1,135 billionaires recorded in 2012 are based. This is up from 77 in 2001.

Data from Credit Suisse also shows that there were 13,000 ultra high net worth individuals, or those with at least $50 million in net assets, in Asia-Pacific in 2012, from the global total of 85,000.

Kenneth McCracken and Amelia Renkert-Thomas will lead Withers Consulting Group from the UK and US, respectively. McCracken is known for co-founding Family Business Solutions, while Renkert-Thomas is a former partner at Withers.