The Legal 500

Bedell Cristin is a leading offshore law firm with an international focus. It is part of Bedell Group, which has over 280 people operating from Jersey, Guernsey, London, Dublin, Geneva, Mauritius and BVI. The firm acts for a range of clients, from financial institutions and high-net-worth individuals to regulatory bodies, government agencies and private investors, having provided expert legal advice to the offshore banking and finance industry since the 1960s.

Bedell Cristin’s size, international outlook and strategic positioning mean it is capable of handling legal advice for complex cross-jurisdictional transactions in key offshore finance centres, with Bedell Trust providing related fiduciary services. The firm specialises in large-scale structured finance and securitisation, investment funds and private equity, regulatory advice, commercial litigation and real estate investment transactions. It also provides local legal services, including conveyancing and family law.

The firm: The firm has an extensive blue-chip client base, including: ABSA Fund Managers, Bank of America, Bank of Nova Scotia, Barclays Bank, Barclays Capital, Barclays Global Investors, Bank of Ireland Securities Service, Bayerische Landesbank, Citibank, Close International Asset Management, Commerzbank, CSFB, Deutsche Bank International, DZ Bank AG, Egg, Kleinwort Benson Group, HSBC, MBNA, RBS 1, Lloyds, RBC, Santander, West LB, Aviva, State Street, Lombard Odier, IK and KFW.

Types of work undertaken: Capital markets and structured finance: this group has a strong reputation in asset-backed finance, having acted as Jersey counsel in some of the most innovative transactions in the market. Together with Bedell Trust and Bedell SPV Management, the practice area provides a ‘one-stop-shop’ for establishing and administering SPVs in Jersey. It also has a busy specialist debt listing practice.

Investment funds and private equity group: focuses on the establishment and legal servicing of pooled investment structures qualifying as public collective investment funds or non-public collective investment schemes, private equity funds and pension schemes. Sponsorship and listing services in connection with the Channel Islands Stock Exchange are available through Bedell Channel Islands Limited, which is a category 1 sponsorship member of the CSIX.

Banking and corporate: advice is provided to banks in Jersey, and Jersey law advice and legal opinions are provided to banks, investment houses and multinationals globally. This group also advises on Jersey elements of international merger and acquisition transactions, joint venture arrangements, shareholders’ agreements/arrangements, and acquisitions/disposals of Jersey companies.

Trusts and private capital group: one of the largest of its kind in the island, including four partners who provide specialist trust and related corporate law advice to individual and institutional clients worldwide. The group provides specialist advice on wealth preservation and management, employee and executive share incentive schemes, bespoke trust drafting, the restructuring of assets held in trust and advice to fiduciaries.

Litigation group: one of the largest in Jersey, with a full range of litigation, dispute resolution and insolvency services. Particular growth has taken place in contentious trust and regulatory work.

Private client and local business group: advises on a wide range of Jersey property and private client matters. Also advises local business clients, with particular expertise in IT and telecoms (acting for, amongst others, Jersey Telecom).

Bedell Trust: a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Bedell Group and a leading independent offshore trust company in Jersey, Guernsey, London, Dublin and Geneva, providing fiduciary and company administration services to institutional and high-net-worth clients. Bedell Trust in Jersey is regulated by the Jersey Financial Services Commission under the Financial Services (Jersey) Law 1998 for the purpose of carrying out trust company business.

Other offices: Guernsey, London, Dublin, Geneva, Mauritius

Number of partners 28
Number of other fee-earners 176

Bedell Cristin is a leading offshore law firm with an international focus. It is part of the Bedell Group, which has over 280 people operating from Guernsey, Jersey, London, Dublin, Geneva, Mauritius and BVI. Acting for a wide range of clients, ranging from financial institutions, multinationals, large corporates and high-net-worth individuals to regulatory bodies, government agencies and private investors, the firm has been providing expert legal advice to the offshore banking and finance industry since the 1960s.

The firm: Bedell Cristin’s size, international outlook and strategic positioning mean it is capable of handling legal advice for complex cross-jurisdictional transactions in key finance centres through Bedell Group, and providing related fiduciary services. The firm specialises in insurance funds, corporate banking and trusts.

The firm has an extensive blue-chip client base, including: ABSA Fund Managers, Bank of America, Bank of Nova Scotia, Barclays Bank, Barclays Capital, Barclays Global Investors, Bank of Ireland Securities Service, Bayerische Landesbank, Citibank, Close International Asset Management, Commerzbank, CSFB, Deutsche Bank International, DZ Bank AG, Egg, Kleinwort Benson Group, HSBC, MBNA, RBS 1, Lloyds, RBC, Santander, West LB, Aviva, State Street, Lombard Odier, IK and KFW.

Types of work undertaken: Insurance: the firm provides advice on all aspects of Guernsey insurance markets, including: insurance; reinsurance; captives; PCCs; ICCs; transformer vehicles and securitisation. This group has some of the leading practitioners in the field and regularly contributes to publications on cutting-edge changes to the law, as well as having considerable experience in advising leading companies in this sector.

Investment funds and private equity group: focuses on the establishment of pooled investment structures qualifying as public collective investment funds or non-public collective investment schemes and private equity funds. Sponsorship and listing services in connection with the Channel Islands Stock Exchange are available through Bedell Channel Islands Limited, which is a category 1 sponsorship member of the CSIX.

Banking and corporate: advice is provided to banks in Guernsey, and Guernsey law advice and legal opinions are provided to banks, investment houses and multinationals globally. The firm also advises on Guernsey elements of international merger and acquisition transactions, joint venture arrangements, shareholders’ agreements/arrangements, and acquisitions/disposals of Guernsey companies.

Capital markets and structured finance: the firm targets the structured finance sector and securitisation, with Bedell Trust able to provide a ‘one-stop shop’ for establishing SPVs in Guernsey.

Litigation: a new service offering introduced in October 2010 and headed by partner Alasdair Davidson, which complements the firm’s long-standing and top-tier ranked Jersey litigation team and enables Bedell Cristin a seamless Channel Islands-wide litigation service.

Bedell Trust: a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Bedell Group providing fiduciary and company administration services to institutional and high-net-worth clients. Bedell Trust is regulated by the Guernsey Financial Services Commission under the Regulation of Fiduciaries, Administration Businesses and Company Directors, etc (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law 2000 for the purpose of carrying out trust company business.

Other offices: Jersey, London, Dublin, Geneva, Mauritius

Number of partners 28
Number of other fee-earners 176