A UK finance firm has struck a deal with a French wealth manager to create a new joint venture specialising in pension transfer services to British expatriates in France.

The Alexander Beard Group and Lyon based Wealth Management firm KMH Gestion Privée have teamed up to create Alexander Beard (France) SAS, it was revealed this morning.

The new company is primarily focused on two areas of business:

• Assisting foreign companies wishing to establish a place of business in France, providing employee benefit services.

• Wealth management and pension transfer services to British expatriates in France and French nationals working in the UK as well as those who may have returned to France with UK pension benefits.

KMH Founder Partners Nicolas Medan and Guillaume Hublot said in a statement: “KMH has expanded considerably over the last few years primarily through three acquisitions and the creation of a Swiss entity based in Geneva. The joint venture with Alexander Beard Group to create Alexander Beard France is an opportunity for our firm to offer specific expertise in risk and wealth management together with the 30 years’ experience of Alexander Beard Group in providing consultancy services to high range international businesses and British expatriates”.

Paul Beard, Alexander Beard group founder and executive chairman, said: “Alexander Beard’s international employee benefit division is the fastest growing of our 4 component parts and the decision to have a French offering in this context was driven largely by questions and requests from our existing international corporate client base.

“More and more international companies, particular those from the USA, are expanding their footprint in Europe and following the opening of our office in the Netherlands in November 2014 and the recent appointment of a country manager in Germany this is the next logical step in us growing to meet the demands of our expanding international corporate client base.

“Additionally our long standing experience in providing wealth management services to British expatriates and since the acquisition of Le Pretre & Partners at the end of 2014, providing UK based wealth management services to French nationals working in the UK all lead to this logical development in our business”.