Cook Islands Trust Experts Showcase Expertise at California Conference

Cook Islands Finance Team Attends Key Trust and Estate Planning Event in Orange County

Published on Feb. 22, 2026

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The Cook Islands Finance Team recently attended a major trust and estate planning conference in Orange County, California, showcasing the jurisdiction's expertise in trust services to a key target audience of high-net-worth advisers. The event, organized by the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP), brought together around 200 practitioners serving internationally mobile families.

Why it matters

The Cook Islands has positioned itself as a leading international trust jurisdiction, and maintaining a strong presence in the key U.S. market is crucial for driving new business and growth for the local financial services sector. The conference provided an opportunity for the Cook Islands team to directly engage with advisers who make decisions that can translate into new trust business.

The details

The Cook Islands was one of only two non-U.S. based jurisdictions represented at the conference, which the team saw as a significant presence that placed them directly in front of the target audience. They were able to explain the jurisdiction's trust framework, answer technical questions, and position the Cook Islands alongside domestic U.S. trust service alternatives. A highlight was a well-attended technical session delivered by Noovai Aspris of Trustees & Fiduciaries Cook Islands, focusing on foreign asset protection trusts and cross-border structuring.

  • The conference took place on February 18, 2026.
  • The Cook Islands Finance Team also plans to attend conferences in New York in March and Los Angeles in June 2026 as part of their ongoing U.S. outreach.

The players

Tony Fe'ao

Chief Executive Officer of Cook Islands Finance.

Noovai Aspris

Representative from Trustees & Fiduciaries Cook Islands who delivered a technical session at the conference.

Anna Fedosova

Chair of STEP Orange County and VP and Senior Trust Officer at Columbia Trust in California.

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What they’re saying

“When advisers are comparing options, being physically present matters. It allows us to explain how our framework works, answer technical questions directly, and position the Cook Islands clearly alongside US-based (domestic) alternatives for trust services.”

— Tony Fe'ao, Chief Executive Officer, Cook Islands Finance (cookislandsnews.com)

“Including international perspectives is absolutely essential. Having jurisdictions like the Cook Islands represented enriches the educational content, broadens practitioners' understanding of the tools available to them, and strengthens the cross‑border relationships that drive successful outcomes for clients.”

— Anna Fedosova, Chair, STEP Orange County; VP and Senior Trust Officer, Columbia Trust (cookislandsnews.com)

“The value always is keeping Cook Islands at the forefront of advisors' minds here in the US, which is our primary client base. 80-90% approximately of our clients in the Cook Islands trust industry come from the US, so keeping Cook Islands top-of-mind, when thinking about foreign asset protection trusts, is always the value that we get out of attending these conferences.”

— Noovai Aspris, Representative, Trustees & Fiduciaries Cook Islands (cookislandsnews.com)

What’s next

Cook Islands Finance will continue engaging with advisers through STEP and other professional forums as part of its ongoing U.S. outreach, with conferences scheduled in New York in March and Los Angeles in June 2026.

The takeaway

The Cook Islands' strong presence at this key trust and estate planning conference in California demonstrates the jurisdiction's commitment to maintaining visibility and relationships with the influential U.S. adviser community, which is crucial for driving new trust business and growth for the local financial services sector.