The Legal 500

Jersey

Banking and finance

Banking and finance - ranked: tier 1

Carey Olsen

‘One of the leading firms in the field in Jersey’, Carey Olsen is ‘super-responsive, ready to collaborate, and lives the one-firm approach’. The ‘proactive and accommodating’ team handles a range of deals for both borrowers and lenders, often concerning investment funds, real estate and acquisition finance. Practice head Robin Smith is ‘technically excellent, extremely commercial and a great guy to deal with’ – acting alongside senior associates Kate McCaffrey (‘a pleasure to work with’) and Rose Clements, he handles significant investment fund finance work on the borrower and lender sides. As part of ‘an excellent real estate finance offering willing to engage with the whole deal’, Alex Ohlsson has handled facilities concerning iconic London buildings. Kate Andrews (‘an excellent pair of hands with good commercial judgement’) advised Canada Pension Plan Investment Board Credit Investments on a £240m mezzanine facility made available to Quintain Finance, a Jersey-incorporated real estate developer. Peter German is ‘responsive and helpful – onshore firms trust him when deals stray into untested territory’.

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Commercial property

Commercial property - ranked: tier 1

Carey Olsen

Carey Olsen ‘has an excellent knowledge of property law in Jersey, and also understands the commercial aspects’ of issues concerning construction, industrial leases, residential development and retail leasing. Will Whitehead and Christopher Philpott (who are ‘hardworking, skilful and experienced’) acted alongside Alex Ohlsson for the States of Jersey Development Company (SOJDC), a cornerstone client, on all aspects of the creation of the Jersey International Financial Centre, including construction, financing and leasing. Other work for the SOJDC included advising it on the redevelopment of the conversion of the former Jersey College for Girls site into residential property. In the retail space, Philpott and Whitehead advised Legal and General on the £4.5m sale of a retail unit on King Street. Other clients include Deutsche Bank International, which the firm advised on subletting two of its floors to Vistra; Ports of Jersey, which it advised on a 24-year lease of a boatyard and office space to Sunseeker; and the National Trust for Jersey, which it advised on its purchase and planned renovation of a number of historic buildings on Pitt Street.

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Corporate and commercial

Corporate and commercial - ranked: tier 1

Carey Olsen

Carey Olsen is ‘an excellent firm: professional, capable and able to provide succinct advice’, with ‘a very sound grasp of the detail and black-letter law, which is what clients want from offshore counsel’. The firm’s transactional experience ranges from mergers and private equity acquisitions through to management buyouts. Guy Coltman advised Liberty Media Corporation on the Jersey aspects of its $8bn purchase of Formula One from sellers including CVC Capital Partners; senior associate Paul Burton also acted in this deal and ‘combines technical excellence with a pragmatic and commercial approach – his wide-ranging deal experience makes him able to find pragmatic solutions to the most complex issues’. In another highlight Coltman advised Sanne, a cornerstone client, on the acquisitions of various fiduciary and corporate services companies, including International Financial Services and IFS Trustees. New partner James Willmott ‘leads impeccably in terms of project management and negotiations’; he advised Argus Media on its $1.45bn sale to General Atlantic. Senior associate Katherine Tresca acted alongside Willmott for Quotient – a Jersey-registered company listed on NASDAQ – on a public offering of ordinary shares, which raised $16.3m for the company. Alex Ohlsson handles transactions involving significant onshore real estate portfolios. Mike Jeffrey has retired.

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Dispute resolution

Dispute resolution - ranked: tier 1

Carey Olsen

Carey Olsen’s ‘responsive, helpful and knowledgeable’ team covers the full spectrum of dispute resolution work ranging from professional regulation and public law through to trust disputes and civil fraud, however clients single it out as ‘extremely knowledgeable about trust and offshore matters’. Andreas Kistler uses ‘expert knowledge and commercial savvy’ to represent participants in a range of trust disputes, including the defendants in Morelli v Morelli, which concerns allegations of forgery relating to an estate subject to Monégasque law; and Rawlinson & Hunter as trustees subject to a request for confidential trust information by a court in Missouri for the purpose of matrimonial proceedings. Nicolas Journeaux, who ‘provides high-quality realistic advice and backs it up with powerful advocacy’, provides further trust litigation firepower. William Grace is ‘a highly competent practitioner in regulatory matters; he has excellent technical skills backed by years of practical experience’. He is representing the United States federal government in proceeds of crime matters concerning assets in Jersey. ‘Knowledgeable and commercial’ new partner Jeremy Garrood is representing the administrators of BHS on the Jersey law aspects of the retailer’s insolvency. Marcus Pallot, who also handles insolvency matters, is ‘a first-choice advocate when robust advocacy or negotiations are required’. Practice head John Kelleher is acting for the Law Society of Jersey in several public law and human rights cases concerning Jersey’s legal aid system, including a case brought by a man who was refused legal aid challenging the lawfulness of the current legal aid system and its compatibility with the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR); and a challenge by the government to amended regulations. Kelleher’s work also includes competition law.

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Employment

Employment - ranked: tier 1

Carey Olsen

Carey Olsen is ‘first class – the team’s professional expertise is so rock solid, it is able to cover not just Jersey law but its interaction with UK law too’ and ‘advice is always relevant and to the point, straightforward and understandable for a non-lawyer’. The practice handles a range of work for employers across core employment law and pensions issues. Paul Matthams ‘doesn’t flinch from giving bad news; he looks for solutions in light of the circumstances’, and Siobhan Riley’s ‘wonderful expertise makes her easy to discuss matters with’. Counsel Huw Thomas handles discrimination claims, redundancies and employment status litigation. Clients include a range of financial services companies and pensions schemes.

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Investment funds

Investment funds - ranked: tier 1

Carey Olsen

Carey Olsen is ‘a strong and well-respected private funds firm that has great experience in the market across a range of fund types’. The practice advises on a range of fund launches, working with both leading managers and onshore firms. Robert Milner and Daniel O’Connor advised SoftBank on its creation of the SoftBank Vision Fund, a technology fund with over $100bn of capital commitments, including $45bn from the Saudi government’s public investment fund. O’Connor and counsel Christopher Griffin advised Patron Capital Advisers on its fifth real estate fund, which raised €950m including co-investments. James Mulholland is ‘responsive and understands the need to be proactive with the Jersey regulators’; he ‘gives unfussy and practical advice’ to those forming novel and high-value funds. The firm also advises Perella Weinberg Partners, Morgan Stanley and Bluecrest Capital Management.

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Private client, trusts and tax

Private client, trusts and tax - ranked: tier 1

Carey Olsen

Carey Olsen is ‘approachable and professional without being stuffy’ and ‘able to draw on extensive knowledge to ensure comprehensive and pertinent advice as needed’. The firm advises a number of leading trust companies on a range of contentious work, including cross-border probate, as well as strategic work, often concerning family offices. Siobhan Riley, who now heads the practice, is ‘highly experienced and a consummate professional who can quickly identify the key aspects of a deal and supply robust and commercially aware advice’. Paul Matthams also advises on the creation of wealth structures holding nine-figure sums, while Andreas Kistler handles contentious and semi-contentious matters, including disputes concerning trustee appointments and representations of minor and unborn beneficiaries. Alexa Saunders (who is ‘top class, responsive, knowledgeable and professional at all times’) and Keith Dixon (who is ‘calm under pressure and able to deliver practical solutions in a timely manner’) made partner in July 2016. Will Burnell was promoted to senior associate at the start of 2017, he joined the firm in June 2016 from Harneys in the British Virgin Islands. Newly-promoted counsel Stephen Fitzgerald ‘has an outstanding level of service and commitment – he always goes the extra mile to ensure that work is turned around swiftly’.

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Structured finance and securitisation

Structured finance and securitisation - ranked: tier 1

Carey Olsen

Carey Olsen handles a range of bond and note issuances, as well as stock exchange listings. Simon Marks’s expertise covers retail debt securitisations. Kate Andrews, a new partner, also leads on note placements. Clients include issuers, well-known banks and investment funds.

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