Jersey

Mourant, a law firm-led professional services firm, has appointed Adrian Dobbyn as Head of Luxembourg Corporate Governance. Adrian brings more than a decade of legal and corporate experience in private equity, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and corporate restructurings, alongside significant skill in cross-border transactions. In his role as Director within Mourant Governance Services, Adrian will lead and grow Mourant's corporate governance offering in Luxembourg. Services being delivered will include coordination and preparation of board meetings, company secretarial support, liaison officer duties between all related parties including auditors, Luxembourg filings, the maintenance of registers, and board appointments. Melina Howard, Managing Director of Mourant Governance Services (Luxembourg) S.à r.l., commented: "Adrian's appointment is an exciting step in the expansion of our governance services offering here in Luxembourg. His client-focused approach will provide our clients with a top-tier service that combines technical legal knowledge and corporate management expertise with practical insight, and his leadership will be an asset as we continue to broaden our capabilities." Aldric Grosjean, Mourant's Luxembourg Managing Partner, added: "We’re delighted to welcome Adrian to the team. His deep legal expertise and strategic insight into corporate governance will be instrumental in enhancing the strength and breath of our Luxembourg offering." Adrian Dobbyn said: "There’s a clear demand in Luxembourg for corporate governance services delivered with legal standards, and I look forward to offering a service that will deliver real value to our clients." This development marks another phase in Mourant's ongoing growth, which includes Mourant Governance Services (Luxembourg) S.à r.l. being granted its PFS licence by the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier in 2024, positioning the firm to offer a wider range of corporate and fund administration services in the region. Notes to Editors For further information please contact: Chloe Whittaker, External Communications and Content Manager: [email protected] About Mourant Mourant is a law firm-led, professional services business with over 60 years' experience in the financial services sector. We advise on the laws of the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Guernsey, Jersey and Luxembourg and provide specialist entity management, governance, regulatory and consulting services. We are an international and globally-integrated firm with offices in a number of the world's leading international finance centres, including London, Singapore and Hong Kong. Our business is intrinsically linked to the global economy and the capital flows that support it. We serve the needs of our clients in all major time zones, facilitating responsible cross-border finance and investment, the pooling and protection of capital and the resolution of disputes. Our clients include many of the world's leading financial institutions, international corporations, asset managers and institutional investors. We are routinely instructed to work alongside the world's pre-eminent legal, accounting and financial services firms. We have an outstanding reputation for integrity and professional ethics, underpinned by a strong risk management culture. Find out more: mourant.com

Mourant, an international professional services firm with law at its core, is celebrating the appointment of Joel Hernandez as the new Chair of the Jersey Funds Association (JFA), the representative body for Jersey's market-leading funds industry. Joel possesses over 25 years of industry experience and currently heads Mourant's thriving Jersey Investment Funds practice. He specialises in real estate, private equity and venture capital funds, as well as private joint venture arrangements. He regularly advises global fund promoters, joint ventures and international service providers across a variety of asset classes with a particular focus on overseas pension and sovereign fund investors. Before joining Mourant in 2005, Joel worked as a senior lawyer at Australia's largest investment fund manager, advising on areas of trust law, superannuation and managed investments for some of Australia's largest investment funds. Prior to his appointment as Chair, Joel was Vice-Chair and was also Chair of the JFA's Legal and Technical Sub-Committee. In Chambers and Partners UK 2025, Joel is ranked Band 1 in Offshore: Investment Funds, and named a Leading Partner by Legal 500 UK 2025. Joel commented: "I'm honoured to be appointed as Chair of the Jersey Funds Association and I would like to thank the committee and JFA's wider membership for their trust and support. It’s a privilege to take on this role within such a dynamic and respected industry body. "The Jersey funds sector continues to evolve at pace, and it’s an exciting time to help shape the future of our industry. As Chair, I look forward to working with industry, Jersey Government, Jersey Finance and the Jersey Financial Services Commission to ensure Jersey remains a leading jurisdiction for funds globally." In January, the Mourant Investment Funds team once again secured its position as the top legal adviser to investment funds in Jersey, according to leading independent fund industry research company Monterey Insight. Mourant's Jersey Funds team is also consistently placed at the top of the legal ranking tables, with the latest Chambers and Partners UK guide describing the team as enjoying "a formidable reputation."

Leading offshore law firm Baker & Partners has welcomed Jennifer Colegate as Partner in the Cayman Islands. In addition to Jennifer’s appointment, Tara Liao has joined the firm's London office to support clients in cross border disputes. Jennifer is a commercial litigator specialising in cross-border insolvency and restructuring. Jennifer’s expertise encompasses contentious workouts and distressed debt situations as well as investigations, asset tracing and enforcement and recovery work. Jennifer is named in the 2024 Legal 500 rankings as a Next Generation Partner. She is also ranked in Band 5 in the Chambers & Partners directory where clients have described her as ‘a standout practitioner’ as well as ‘whip-smart and super-responsive.’ She previously practiced with Mayer Brown in London and Hong Kong before relocating to the Cayman Islands in 2016. Jennifer’s appointment marks the third Partner appointment to the firm’s Cayman Islands office. The continued growth of the office is a result of continued client demand and complex offshore instructions covering restructuring, insolvency and commercial litigation matters. Tara is joining Baker & Partners as Counsel while maintaining her practice as a barrister in the UK and Hong Kong. She is fluent in Cantonese and Mandarin and is dual qualified in the UK and in Hong Kong. She sat as a Deputy District Judge in Hong Kong in 2021 and 2023 and is ranked as a leading junior in the Commercial Disputes category by Legal 500 Asia-Pacific from 2021 to 2024. This year marks the firm's 20th anniversary celebrations. Since its inception by Jersey Advocate Stephen Baker, Baker & Partners has expanded from Jersey into the Cayman Islands, London and BVI and now employs over 50 people. Managing Partner, Stephen Baker commented: “This is an exciting time for the firm as we continue to grow our offices globally. Jennifer has been involved in cases of significant Cayman and international interest spanning a number of industries from investments funds and banking and finance to petrochemicals and commercial real estate. I’m delighted she has made the move to Baker & Partners. Tara is an accomplished lawyer with invaluable expertise, and I look forward to working with her. It has been a great year to celebrate and reflect on our achievements over the past 20 years, and to build the firm to be ready for the next 20. I have no doubt that Jennifer and Tara will play a key role in our continued success for clients.” For over 20 years, Baker & Partners has been at the forefront of some of the most complex and high value offshore commercial and trust litigation. Baker & Partners is unique among offshore law firms in being led by a partnership of very experienced courtroom advocates who have between them conducted a very large number of trials in England, Jersey, the Cayman Islands and the BVI.  

Leading offshore law firm Baker & Partners has welcomed Fleur O’Driscoll as Partner.  This appointment comes at a time when the firm is increasingly supporting clients in Asia with disputes involving significant offshore jurisprudence.  Fleur, who has spent the last 14 years in either the Cayman Islands or Asia, is qualified in both the Cayman Islands and the British Virgin Islands and has experience of large-scale commercial work and cross-border insolvency in both jurisdictions. The addition of Fleur to the team follows the appointment of Tara Liao as Counsel in 2024 and illustrates the firm’s commitment to existing and future clients in Asia. Fleur has spent extensive time in the Asia-Pacific region, including mainland China, since 2017, building on her experience living and working in the Cayman Islands since 2011. Fleur’s practice includes both commercial litigation and contentious insolvency mandates. She is experienced in acting for companies with regards to section 238/dissenter fair value claims and in winding up proceedings for Cayman incorporated, listed companies. She has acted in a number of listed company disputes and proxy battles, including Convoy Global, Fang Holdings Limited and Global Cord Blood Corporation. Her previous experience also includes acting for the liquidators of China Evergrande Group, the world’s most indebted property developer with liabilities in excess of US$300 billion. Fleur’s appointment marks the continued growth of Baker & Partners and is because of continued client demand and complex offshore instructions covering restructuring, insolvency and commercial litigation matters. Managing Partner, Stephen Baker commented: “Increasingly, our clients in Asia want to access litigators in their time zone with an in depth understanding of their local needs, alongside the appropriate credentials and track record in Cayman Islands and BVI cross-border disputes. Fleur’s expertise in this area is firmly established and I am delighted that she has joined us to assist with our growth aspirations.” Partner, Fleur O’Driscoll added “I am very much looking forward to playing a part in Baker & Partners future growth, leveraging my offshore experience and network to expand the firm's capabilities and relationships. Baker & Partners is a specialist, independent dispute resolution firm so I was drawn to the conflict-free and independent model they have in place. There is a commitment to excellence here, with the firm consistently ranked as a top offshore law firm and, as a result, I am delighted to join the firm as a partner, working alongside fantastic teams in the Cayman Islands, BVI, London and Jersey.” For over 20 years, Baker & Partners has been at the forefront of some of the most complex and high value offshore commercial and trust litigation. Baker & Partners is unique among offshore law firms in being led by a partnership of very experienced courtroom advocates who have between them conducted a very large number of trials in England, Jersey, the Cayman Islands and the BVI. Press contact: Kezia Lightfoot, Switch Digital [email protected] +44 (0)1534 708646 About Baker & Partners Baker & Partners is a specialist independent offshore litigation and dispute resolution law firm, headquartered in Jersey, Channel Islands with offices in the Cayman Islands, the British Virgin Islands and London. Since 2003, Baker & Partners has been at the forefront of some of the most complex and high value offshore commercial, trust, and asset recovery litigation.