Introduction
An interesting family office conversation with some gatekeepers of families looking to create their own SAFOs prompted this article. It may sound arrogant, but we don't see the big accountancy firms as rivals. We're so much better, which we repeatedly prove by taking their clients. It's become a healthy Mural Crown cycle. A wealthy client approaches a large firm, quickly becomes disillusioned by the lack of communication and explanations forthcoming (usually 2-3 months) and looks for credible alternatives. For this reason, we took some time to talk about the differences and why we believe boutique really does beat scale.
Most people assume firms like KPMG, Deloitte, PwC, and EY operate as unified global machines. The reality is less flattering. These are networks of legally and financially independent partnerships, loosely tethered by branding agreements and coordinating entities. Each national firm has its own agenda, culture, and bottom line.
This model offers them protection from liability, regulatory headaches, and even each other. But it comes at a cost: disjointed advice, sluggish communication, and diluted responsibility. You'll know what we mean if you’ve ever waited three months for a reply only to get four different opinions.
Mural Crown isn’t built that way. We operate as one integrated firm. No handoffs, no silos. Clients interact with the same team based in London, Dubai, or New York. It’s structured for clarity, built for speed, and designed around the complex needs of modern international families.
The Franchise Illusion
On the surface, the Big Four appear seamless. In truth, they mirror franchise chains. They have identical branding and shared templates but entirely separate financial operations. Every local firm fights for profit, and cross-border clients are shuffled like courier packages from one partner to another.
Each country guards its own P&L with territorial zeal. The result? You get multiple scopes of work, overlapping fees, and advice that doesn't always line up. Strategy becomes fragmented. Continuity disappears. It’s integration in theory, fragmentation in practice.
I saw this first-hand with a client expanding into Europe. London passed them to Frankfurt, Frankfurt looped in Paris, and every office behaved like its own separate business. They received three scopes, three invoices, and three contradictory tax strategies. We stepped in, realigned the brief, and delivered one clear recommendation that worked across jurisdictions.
Another time, a UHNW individual in Singapore managed a growing European art collection. Their Big Four adviser introduced five local contacts, each with conflicting views on VAT and import duties. Within two weeks, we streamlined the advisory process, delivered a unified answer, and simplified their logistical challenges. That client hasn’t looked back since.
The Mural Crown Way
At Mural Crown, we don’t pass the baton, we carry it from start to finish.
There is no labyrinth of internal politics or shifting chains of communication. With us, clients speak directly to partners. Decisions are made by those who understand the whole picture. Our advice is centralised, consistent, and always tailored, not just for a region or an asset but for the client as a whole.
Our structure is not just an operational model; it’s a philosophy. It reflects how families with cross-border lives, actually live. No client is ever just a project code or a line item. We know their families, understand their ambitions, and deliver advice that reflects both.
We once worked with a third-generation family enterprise transitioning leadership from Geneva to Cape Town. They had advice from three separate advisory firm, none of which aligned. We built a coherent, cross-jurisdictional framework that honoured legacy, provided regulatory clarity, and worked for the next generation. They told us it was the first time the advice understood their family, not just their balance sheet.
Another client, based between the US and the UAE, was caught in a swirl of tax and compliance complexities. Their previous adviser had overcomplicated the structure and offered no post-implementation guidance. We untangled the setup, clarified their exposure, and provided an ongoing advisory touchpoint. They now speak to the same partner every month, not a rotating cast of associates.
Agility Over Bureaucracy
Yes, the scale is impressive. But in advisory, it’s often a mirage.
The Big Four need consensus. Decisions take time. Risk is prioritised over relevance. Their size breeds delay. Meanwhile, entrepreneurial families are launching businesses, relocating assets, and restructuring their lives in real time. They don’t have six months to wait.
Mural Crown moves fast because we’re structured to. There are no committees, no endless internal escalations, and clients deal with senior decision-makers directly. Strategy isn’t delayed by politics or diluted by process.
And let’s address the elephant in the room: fees. The Big Four charge large-firm prices without consistently delivering large-firm outcomes. At Mural Crown, our clients pay for answers, not overhead. They receive precise, responsive, and commercially relevant advice, not an endless parade of juniors learning on the job.
The Real Global Model
The Big Four promote global coverage. What they really deliver is local service wearing a global badge.
Mural Crown offers something far more effective: one firm that operates seamlessly across borders. There is no brand licensing, no internal competition, just an integrated structure designed to serve ambitious, globally minded clients.
This isn’t about boutique versus scale. It’s about integration versus fragmentation, clarity versus confusion.
For families whose lives, investments, and decisions span multiple countries, that distinction isn’t cosmetic, it’s critical.
We don’t do global by logo. We do it by design.
Mural Crown. One firm. One structure. Built for cross-border life.
