The Legal 500

Ogier is one of the world’s leading providers of offshore legal and fiduciary services, with a presence in ten jurisdictions, covering all time zones.

The firm: The Ogier group employs over 850 staff worldwide and has long-established relationships with many of the world’s leading international financial institutions, professional advisers and regulatory bodies, and has been at the forefront of the development of the offshore financial markets for more than 50 years. Ogier offers its clients the strength in depth to handle the largest, most demanding and most complex offshore transactions, and prides itself on providing expert, efficient and cost-effective legal and fiduciary services across all time zones.

Ogier provides advice on all aspects of BVI, Cayman, Guernsey and Jersey law and has won 25 industry awards in the last three years for its offshore services.

In 2010 Ogier established a Channel Islands practice at its Hong Kong office to offer Guernsey and Jersey legal services to clients in the Asian time zone. This will compliment the BVI and Cayman services already on offer in Hong Kong.

Types of work undertaken: Banking: the team advises on all areas of banking regulation, commercial lending, acquisition finance, security, and the establishment and operation of banking institutions, and represents ISDA in Jersey, Guernsey and BVI.

Corporate and commercial: the team has extensive experience of advising on multi-jurisdictional transactions, the establishment of corporate vehicles, investment trusts and partnerships, as well as advising on private placements, initial and other public offerings, mergers and acquisitions, reorganisations, joint ventures and disposals.

Fiduciary services: the team provides professional administration, company secretarial and accounting services to trusts, companies and limited partnerships.

Investment funds: the team provides advice on fund formation, structures, regulation, deregistration, termination and ongoing advice to investment funds, managers and investors. Ogier is a recognised listing agent for the Channel Islands Stock Exchange (CISX) and Cayman Islands Stock Exchange (CSX).

Capital markets: the team provides specialist offshore legal advice on all aspects of establishing and operating offshore SPVs and listing agent services in relation to listings of debt and equity on the CISX in the Channel Islands and the CSX in the Cayman Islands.

Restructuring and insolvency: the team has extensive cross-border and international experience, advising on contentious and non-contentious offshore restructuring and insolvency matters, often advising in conjunction with onshore counsel and other professional services providers in connection with company structures.

Ogier London provides advice on all aspects of both Cayman Islands and the British Virgin Islands law in a European time zone. The team acts for a broad range of clients, from start-ups to household names in the finance, corporate and funds arenas. The team has extensive experience in the IPO market and, as of end November 2010, Ogier London has been instructed on 75% of all BVI listings on London’s AIM Market in 2010.

All the fee-earners in London have extensive experience in the onshore and offshore markets having joined Ogier from leading London or other offshore law firms and thus bring a wealth of international knowledge and experience in their respective areas. Ogier’s key differentiator is the ability to deliver proactive, technically accurate, commercial advice which displays an understanding of its clients business and needs in relation to both BVI and Cayman issues. This advice is consistently delivered and is rewarded with the numerous repeat instructions that the London office, and Ogier group as a whole, receive.

In addition, the firm’s London-based fiduciary services team is authorised and regulated by the financial services authority and has particular expertise in fund administration, including real estate, private equity and hedge fund investment vehicles particularly for SIPP investors. The London team also provides securitisation administration services for investment banks and other large financial institutions, unregulated collective investment schemes as well as FSA regulated operator services.

Other offices: BVI, Bahrain, Cayman Islands, Dublin, Guernsey, Hong Kong, Jersey, Shanghai, Tokyo

Number of resident partners 2
Number of resident fee-earners 4
Total number of partners 51
Total number of fee-earners 187

Ogier is one of the world’s leading providers of offshore legal and fiduciary services, with a presence in ten jurisdictions, covering all time zones.

The firm: The Ogier group employs over 850 staff worldwide and has long-established relationships with many of the world’s leading international financial institutions, professional advisers and regulatory bodies, and has been at the forefront of the development of the offshore financial markets for more than 50 years. Ogier offers its clients the strength in depth to handle the largest, most demanding and most complex offshore transactions, and prides itself on providing expert, efficient and cost-effective legal and fiduciary services across all time zones.

Ogier provides advice on all aspects of BVI, Cayman, Guernsey and Jersey law and has won 25 industry awards in the last three years for its offshore services.

In 2010 Ogier established a Channel Islands practice at its Hong Kong office to offer Guernsey and Jersey legal services to clients in the Asian time zone.

Types of work undertaken: Banking: the banking team advises on all areas of banking regulation, documentation, security, and the establishment and operation of banking institutions, and represents ISDA in Jersey and Guernsey.

Commercial litigation: the team advises on the technical, strategic and procedural aspects across the spectrum of problems and disputes which arise in the offshore environment. This includes advice in relation to trusts, companies, shareholder issues, directors’ duties, investment performance, banking and other financial transactions, as well as fraud and asset tracing claims, and regulatory advice.

Corporate and commercial: the team has extensive experience in advising on the establishment of many forms of domestic and cross-border corporate vehicles, investment trusts and partnerships, as well as advising on private placements, initial and other public offerings, mergers and acquisitions, reorganisations, joint ventures and disposals.

Commercial property: the team is one of the largest commercial and residential property law teams in Jersey, and Ogier acts in most of Jersey’s major property transactions for buyers, sellers or financiers.

Employee benefits: the team assists with the design, establishment and ongoing administration of many different types of complex employee benefit plans, share ownership plans, deferred compensation structures, employment companies and pension arrangements.

Fiduciary services: Ogier provides professional administration and accounting services to trusts, companies and limited partnerships.

Investment funds: Ogier’s investment funds team provides advice on fund formation, structures, regulation, deregistration, termination and ongoing advice to investment funds and managers. Ogier is a recognised listing agent for the Channel Islands Stock Exchange.

Private client and trusts: this team has extensive experience of advising on the establishment and administration of private trusts, purpose trusts and other vehicles typically used by private clients, as well as advising trustees in relation to transactions undertaken by trusts.

Real estate: the team provides advice on the establishment and administration of real estate holding structures, including offshore and onshore vehicles used for real estate funds, one-off real estate transactions or acquisitions, joint ventures, property development and financing arrangements.

Restructuring and insolvency: the firm’s restructuring and insolvency team has extensive cross-border and international experience advising on contentious and non-contentious offshore restructuring and insolvency matters, often advising in conjunction with onshore counsel and other professional service providers in connection with company structures.

Structured finance: the team provides specialist offshore legal advice on all aspects of establishing and operating offshore SPVs and listing agent services in relation to listings of debt on the CISX in the Channel Islands. Ogier has one of the leading securitisation and capital markets teams, with particular expertise in asset-backed securities, CBOs and ABCP.

Clients: Ogier acts for some of the largest and leading financial institutions, including: investment banks, legal and accounting firms, corporations, trust companies, and high-net-worth individuals.

Other offices: Bahrain, BVI, Cayman Islands, Dublin, Guernsey, Hong Kong, London, Shanghai, Tokyo

Number of resident partners 19
Number of resident fee-earners 85
Total number of partners 51
Total number of fee-earners 187

Ogier is one of the world’s leading providers of offshore legal and fiduciary services, with a presence in ten jurisdictions.

The firm: The Ogier group employs over 850 staff worldwide and has long-established relationships with many of the world’s leading international financial institutions, professional advisers and regulatory bodies, and has been at the forefront of the development of the offshore financial markets for more than 50 years. Ogier offers its clients the strength in depth to handle the largest, most demanding and most complex offshore transactions, and prides itself on providing expert, efficient and cost-effective legal and fiduciary services across all time zones.

Ogier provides advice on all aspects of BVI, Cayman, Guernsey and Jersey law and has won 25 industry awards in the last three years for its offshore services.

In 2010 Ogier established a Channel Islands practice at its Hong Kong office to offer Guernsey and Jersey legal services to clients in the Asian time zone. This will compliment the BVI and Cayman services already on offer at Ogier in Hong Kong.

Types of work undertaken: Banking: the banking team advises on all areas of banking regulation, documentation, security, and the establishment and operation of banking institutions, and represents ISDA in Guernsey, Jersey and the BVI.

Corporate and commercial: the team has extensive experience of advising on the establishment of many forms of domestic and cross-border corporate vehicles, investment trusts and partnerships, as well as advising on private placements, initial and other public offerings, mergers and acquisitions, reorganisations, joint ventures and disposals.

Structured finance: the team provides specialist offshore legal advice on all aspects of establishing and operating offshore SPVs and listing agent services in relation to listings of debt on the CISX in the Channel Islands.

Investment funds: Ogier’s investment funds team provides advice on fund formation, structures, regulation, deregistration, termination and ongoing advice to investment funds and managers. Ogier is a recognised listing agent for the Channel Islands Stock Exchange.

Private client and trusts: this team has extensive experience of advising on the establishment and administration of private trusts, purpose trusts and other vehicles typically used by private clients, as well as advising trustees in relation to transactions undertaken by trusts.

Litigation: the team advises on the technical, strategic and procedural aspects across the spectrum of problems and disputes which arise in the offshore environment. This includes advice in relation to trusts, companies, shareholder issues, directors’ duties, investment performance, banking and other financial transactions, as well as fraud and asset tracing claims, and regulatory advice.

Restructuring and insolvency: the firm’s restructuring and insolvency team has extensive cross-border and international experience advising on contentious and non-contentious offshore restructuring and insolvency matters, often advising in conjunction with onshore counsel and other professional services providers in connection with company structures.

Fiduciary services: Ogier provides professional administration and accounting services to trusts, companies and limited partnerships.

Ogier in Guernsey focuses principally on finance-related matters, including investment funds, banking, corporate, structured finance, trust and estate matters and commercial litigation.

Clients: Ogier acts for some of the largest and leading financial institutions, including: investment banks, legal and accounting firms, corporations, trust companies, and high-net-worth individuals.

Other offices: BVI, Bahrain, Cayman Islands, Dublin, Hong Kong, Jersey, London, Tokyo, Shanghai

Number of resident partners 6
Number of resident fee-earners 35
Total number of partners 51
Total number of fee-earners 187