About Ria
The business matters.
The people do, too.
I’m Ria N. Mankee-Sookram—an attorney and advisor helping families connect ownership, succession and the transfer of wealth with the decisions their business and relationships need.
Attorney-at-Law · Family Business & Wealth Advisor
A carefully drafted document is part of the work. Understanding whether a family can put it into practice is another.
Growing up around family enterprises in Trinidad & Tobago, I saw how a business built over decades could become vulnerable when the next generation inherited responsibility without a clear plan.
That experience shapes my work today. I help families connect the legal arrangements for ownership and succession with the conversations about roles, expectations and the future.
My practice brings together over 15 years’ experience in legal, advisory and dispute resolution work, with an understanding of the particular circumstances facing Caribbean and diaspora families.
What guides my work
Careful thinking.
Clear decisions.
Understand before prescribing.
Each family has its own history, relationships and goals. The starting point is understanding those circumstances.
Connect the pieces.
Leadership, ownership, governance and family expectations affect one another. Advice is more useful when those connections are visible.
Make the work practical.
The aim is understandable arrangements that support decisions and can be put into practice.
Professional background
Experience supporting
a wider perspective.
- Attorney-at-Law · LLB · LEC
- TEP · Trust and Estate Practitioner
- CFBA · Family Business Advising credential
- ACFWA · Family Wealth Advising credential
- MCIArb · Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
- Certified Mediator · Arbitrator
- Licensed Insolvency Trustee
- Negotiation & Leadership · Harvard Law School
Chair, Family Business Association of the Caribbean. Author of The Seven Domains of the Family Business: The Journey to a Multigenerational Legacy.
I also teach and speak on succession, family business governance and related professional topics.
Explore speaking & trainingThe thinking behind the work
The LEGACY DNA.
I developed the LEGACY DNA to help families examine six connected dimensions of their enterprise, from leadership and ownership to communication and personal priorities.
It provides a structured way to see the wider picture and identify what to address next.
Explore the frameworkYour next decision
deserves careful thought.
Tell me what you are considering for your family or business. We can explore how my experience fits the work you need.