The Legal 500

VerrasLaw is a niche commercial, capital markets and investment funds practice in Jersey, advising on cross-border and international transactions. Specialisms include insurance and intellectual property.

The firm: VerrasLaw was established in 2008 to provide specialist, timely and efficient legal services in its core practice areas. Partners Jonathan Bale and Hiren Patel are experienced and highly regarded corporate lawyers. The practice’s capabilities rival those of much larger firms and its lawyers are known for their dedicated and client-focused service. They chose to work in a niche legal practice rather than in an anonymous, impersonal monolith, believing that a smaller, more dynamic environment allows them to personally and collectively deliver a better service to clients.

The firm bases its business on long-term relationships with clients and endeavours to deliver added value on a sustained basis. It takes the time to acquire an in-depth knowledge and understanding of clients’ businesses and the sectors in which they operate.

Its goal is to become a leading commercial Jersey law firm. It will have achieved this when it is acknowledged by its clients and the market as a top-quality provider in each practice area in which it operates, and when no tender list for a client seeking Jersey legal services in such a practice area would be complete without VerrasLaw.

The practice was named 2009 New Law Firm of the Year – Channel Islands, in the ACQ Finance Magazine awards honouring top mergers and acquisitions dealmakers and their transactions.

Types of work undertaken: The investment funds practice pulls together the firm’s expertise in corporate, real estate, commercial, tax and regulatory matters. VerrasLaw’s lawyers have advised on a diverse range of investment funds, from private equity funds, hedge funds, alternative asset class funds and real estate funds to regulated collective investment funds. They have considerable experience in handling complex multi-jurisdictional issues for funds with diverse investor bases. All aspects of the structure and operation of investment funds and the associated investment management structures are dealt with from the structuring of funds, special purpose vehicles and performance fee, carried interest and other incentive arrangements to regulatory issues attaching to the establishment, operation, marketing and distribution of funds.

The firm has a particular specialism in capital markets, especially in advising Asian and Chinese companies on entry to the London markets. Expertise includes the public offering of securities on the PLUS Market, the AIM, LSE and the CISX, secondary listings, reverse take-overs, placings and general equity capital market avice, including ongoing compliance with listing rules and general corporate advice to listed companies. A substantial proportion of VerrasLaw’s client base is made up of companies listed on London markets.

Corporate and commercial expertise covers a wide range of issues affecting businesses from start-ups to long-established companies. VerrasLaw has extensive experience in advising on the plethora of regulatory and legal issues that surround businesses including compliance and corporate governance. Advice is given on all areas of media, telecommunications and information technology and the firm’s lawyers have assisted clients in relation to setting up such businesses worldwide.

Banking and finance expertise includes drafting and completing loan and security documentation, as well as advising lenders and borrowers on structuring of bank financing, lines of credit, external commercial borrowings, offshore guarantees and enforcement rights. Insurance is a specialism including licensed insurance brokerages, captives and intermediaries, as well as reinsurance vehicles.

Corporate finance services include domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions, buy-outs and joint ventures. Project finance, including roads, ports and energy, and structured finance, in particular in shipping and aviation, are specialisms.

Breakdown of work %
General corporate/commercial 20
Capital markets 25
Investment funds 20
M&A, restructuring, takeovers 20
Regulatory 10
Insurance 5

Number of partners 2