Family offices and wealth planners are increasingly concerned at the likelihood of greater US government regulation, while the industry expects more focus on due diligence, a proliferation of business models and more emphasis on risk management, according to a leading practitioner in the field.

The conclusions were drawn by the Advanced Planning & Family Office Practice Group in a statement outlining a series of talks by Thomas Handler, a partner in Handler Thayer, and chairman of the group.

"Family offices have proliferated as families of means have endeavored to achieve greater security for their businesses, financial assets and loved ones," said Handler.

"Accordingly, in the last 20 years there has been an explosion of virtual family offices (VFOs), single family offices (SFOs) and multi-family offices (MFOs) focused on helping families achieve these goals," he said in a statement.

Handler is talking on these issues at a number of speaking engagements later in the year, starting with:

- Family Office Association Spring Global Summit in Greenwich, Connecticut, 29 April.  

- The Family Wealth Alliance CEO Roundtable and Spring Event held in Oakbrook, Illinois; Handler will be presenting New Regulatory Issues and Tax Legislation 10-12 May. 

- He is also talking about Avanced Estate Planning in a Changing Regulatory and Economic Environment at the 2010 New Family Office Forum in Chicago, Illinois, hosted by the International Institute for Research on 15-17 June.

- Handler is also presenting at the Opal Financial Group Family Office/Private Wealth Management Conference, Rhode Island on 21-23 July.