Butterfield Group has announced that Butterfield Trust, comprising six independently incorporated trust companies located in key financial centers, has been named Trust Company of the Year at the 10th annual STEP Private Client Awards.

STEP -- the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners -- is the worldwide professional association for those advising families across generations. STEP Private Client Awards are highly respected in the industry, with nominees put through a rigorous, practitioner-led judging process. Winners are considered by STEP to be the best in the industry in their areas of specialization.

"Just being shortlisted is a great achievement, so the firms and individuals who won should be very proud indeed, said Paul Stibbard, chair of the Private Client Awards Presiding Judges.

"Butterfield Trust has a robust fiduciary offering, global reach, a sophisticated client delivery team and has made a significant investment in technology. Their collaborative approach internally (and externally) enables clients to have a single relationship with the company across jurisdictions and they have displayed a rigorous approach to compliance and regulatory issues."

Michael Collins, Butterfield's chief executive officer, said, "We are honored that Butterfield Trust has been recognized by our peer-professionals as Trust Company of the Year from a pool of candidates that included many well-known international institutions. The provision of personalized service, through which local fiduciary relationship managers draw upon the expertise and resources of the entire Butterfield Trust network to meet each client's unique needs, is a hallmark of our service approach. This award affirms that that approach, and the quality of the solutions we're able to offer are considered best-in-class by STEP. Congratulations to the entire Butterfield Trust team on receiving this important accolade."

Bob Moore, Butterfield's head of group trust, said, "For more than 75 years -- since that advent of offshore trust legislation -- Butterfield has been providing trust and estate services to international clients. Trust and fiduciary services remains a core business for the group, and an area of continued strategic importance. Being awarded the STEP Trust Company of the Year designation reflects the breadth of solutions and the expertise that Butterfield Trust has developed over those many years, along with our focus on client service excellence."

Tim Colclough, managing director of Butterfield Trust (Bahamas) Limited, said, "Here in Nassau, we have 31 professionals who are an integral part of The Butterfield Trust network, providing a full range of fiduciary services to international clients as well as local residents, and expert assistance to our overseas colleagues in the use of Bahamas fiduciary structures. We are proud to share this award with our colleagues across Butterfield Trust."

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