About DFL Fiduciary’s Founder, Daniel F. Lindley
I created DFL Fiduciary Services, LLC (DFL Fiduciary) in 2023 to provide independent, noncorporate fiduciary services to UHNW families who have established trusts for the management, investment and distribution of their wealth.
The fiduciary theme is woven throughout my career. Upon joining Potter Anderson & Corroon in Wilmington, Delaware, I was immersed in fiduciary litigation involving Delaware trusts. Immediately, I was hooked by the subject matter – its combination of technical knowledge and interpersonal relationships. I learned that skilled drafting, thoughtful administration, and meaningful family communication are all key to avoiding fiduciary disputes that wind up in litigation.
As my work advising corporate fiduciaries developed, I drafted and advocated for legislation to enhance Delaware’s stature as a trust jurisdiction. I was the author of legislation repealing Delaware’s long-standing Rule against Perpetuities in 1995 (25 Del. C. § 503), which marked the advent of dynasty trusts in Delaware. I had similar role with Delaware’s second-in-the-nation asset protection trust statute, the Qualified Dispositions in Trust Act in 1997 (12 Del. C. § 3570 et seq). I also represented clients who were seeking limited purpose trust company charters or other regulatory approvals from the Delaware State Bank Commissioner.
In 2001, New York-based U.S. Trust Company persuaded me to leave law practice and become trust counsel to its Delaware affiliate. That role gave me a richer understanding of the day-to-day administration of trusts and the objectives of clients when they seek a fiduciary. In turn, in 2005 Northern Trust Company, the global financial services firm based in Chicago, recruited me to establish, staff and manage Northern Trust’s Delaware trust company.
During my 18 years at Northern Trust, I served as the founding partner and president of The Northern Trust Company of Delaware, managing director of Northern Trust’s Global Family Offices business (GFO) in London and Guernsey, fiduciary practice lead for GFO’s U.S. domestic business and director of fiduciary consulting for GFO.
