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Mourant

Mourant

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Guernsey

1

Private client, trusts and tax

Mourant fields ‘one of the top offshore private wealth teams’ in Guernsey, overseeing the structuring, restructuring and termination of trusts and advising trustees on their administrative and fiduciary duties, while working alongside the firm’s disputes team to tackle contentious trust matters, including attempts to remove trustees or vary trust instruments. Practice head Gilly Kennedy-Smith is well versed in the structuring of trusts and succession plans in addition to related tax matters. Lorcan Higgins joined the team from Australia’s Mills Oakley in September 2024, handling the formation and restructuring of Guernsey trusts. Alexander Hawkins departed the firm in March 2026.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘Gilly Kennedy-Smith exudes confidence in herself and the team around her.’
  • ‘Alexander Hawkins is superb. He has brilliant attention to detail and I have real faith in his advice. He looks at things from all angles and is so proactive.’
  • ‘The team is thorough, approachable, and are largely happy to explain things in granular detail. They take great efforts to get to know the clients, and also the people they are working with. They are excellent at communication and set realistic time frames for results.’
  • ‘Gilly Kennedy-Smith is best in class in the Channel Islands. Simple as that, she is a superb private wealth lawyer and unlike many competitors' leading partners, she has a very strong technical tax background given her previous UK domestic career. In my view, Gilly is the best private wealth lawyer that you can get in the Channel Islands, that is no understatement.’
  • ‘Gilly Kennedy Smith is very friendly, connects the person with the correct expertise, has good knowledge on the subject matter, strives for results and is a good positive role model.’
  • ‘The team is approachable, articulate and has an understanding of the commercial implications of its advice, which is always appreciated.’

Lawyers

Leading partners

The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.

Practice head

Gilly Kennedy-Smith

Other key lawyers

Lorcan Higgins