News

Leading offshore law firm, Mourant Ozannes, has advised FirstGroup plc on its rights issue to raise approximately £615 million.

Leading offshore law firm, Mourant Ozannes, has advised phone retailer Carphone Warehouse Group plc on its placing to raise funds for the proposed acquisition of CPW Europe.

Jersey Heritage is excited to announce the launch of its very first Annual - a fun, educational publication designed specifically to help older school children engage with the Island's history and culture.

The States of Jersey has voted overwhelmingly in favour of the implementation of the Discrimination (Jersey) Law 201- (the Law). Subject to Privy Council assent being granted, the Law is expected to come into force in the second half of 2014. 

Mourant Ozannes has strengthened its Channel Island property team with the appointment of an experienced commercial property senior associate.

It was announced last week that the Hong Kong government agreed to sign a double tax agreement with Guernsey.

Mourant Ozannes has been named Legal Team of the Year at the inaugural STEP Caribbean Awards. The awards have been established by STEP Caribbean in 2013 to highlight excellence among private client lawyers. 

The expertise of Mourant Ozannes' property teams in Guernsey and Jersey has been recognised with the highest rankings from one of the industry's leading directories.

We reported in our recent briefing that the English Court in HSBC v. Tambrook Jersey Limited [2013] EWHC 866 (Ch) rejected a letter of request from the Jersey Court asking that Tambrook be placed into an UK administration ahead of a pre-pack deal for the sale of the company or its assets. We are now pleased to report that the decision of Mann J. was overturned on appeal on 1 May 2013 so it is business as usual. 

Two lawyers from Mourant Ozannes will be taking a working lunch with a difference this month, when they pedal for pounds outside the Post Office to raise money for Les Bourgs Hospice.

Mourant Ozannes has been named Offshore Law Firm of the Year by Chambers Europe, one of the leading legal directories in the world.

Mourant Ozannes has maintained its position as the leading offshore law firm, according to one of the world's most respected legal directories.

Mourant Ozannes has been named Best Offshore Law Firm at the HFM European Hedge Fund Services Awards. 

International law firm Mourant Ozannes is delighted to announce the date for its third annual International Trusts & Private Client Conference in the Cayman Islands. The conference will be held on Friday 4 October 2013 at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman.

Trust experts from Jersey and the UK discussed the latest trends and opportunities in the High Net Worth sector, at the Mourant Ozannes IBC International Trust and Private Client Forum at the end of last week.

In a move likely to shake up the Guernsey legal market, leading offshore law firm, Mourant Ozannes, has announced that Barney Lee will be joining the firm as a partner in its Guernsey corporate practice.

In response to the criticism, the Minister for Social Security appointed Darren Newman (an independent employment law expert) to undertake a review of the Tribunal's decisions in the 2012 calendar year. The final report prepared by Mr Newman was presented to the States of Jersey on 16 April 2013.

Trust experts from Guernsey and the UK met recently to discuss the latest trends and opportunities in the High Net Worth sector, at the Mourant Ozannes IBC International Trust and Private Client Forum.

Leading offshore law firm, Mourant Ozannes, has advised on a €350 million Private Equity Fund for DPE Deutsche Private Equity. The team, led by partner Joel Hernandez and assisted by Kerill O'Shaughnessy, Jonathon MacFeeters, Matt Satchell and Stefan Chinniah, provided Jersey advice in connection with the launch and closing of DPE Germany II and its related feeder fund (DPE II). 

Leading offshore law firm, Mourant Ozannes, has provided Jersey advice to a consortium of investors on the £700m sale-and-leaseback of a portfolio of 12 UK private hospitals from the Spire Healthcare Group.

The Summer Music programme of nine events at the Town Church, running from April to September, will showcase outstanding musical talent from Guernsey as well as bringing accomplished European performers to our shores.

The Cayman Islands Government (CIG) confirmed on 25 March its continuing implementation of measures which will ensure that the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (CIMA) will be ready for the July 2013 implementation of Europe's Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive (AIFMD). 

Heritage gem Watler's Cemetery was becoming overgrown with vegetation, so law firm Mourant Ozannes with its commitment to support the built and natural environment stepped up to help. 

The respective governments of the Cayman Islands, Guernsey and Jersey have recently made separate announcements concerning their intention to enhance existing tax information exchange arrangements with the UK. Read our latest briefing for more information.

Leading offshore firm, Mourant Ozannes, has appointed Sonia Starvis to lead its non-contentious property practice in the Cayman Islands. 

Young Jersey heritage buffs and culture vultures are receiving the latest edition of the Jersey Heritage My History Scrapbook this week, as excitement mounts towards the start of this year's jam-packed season of activities and events.

Leading offshore law firm, Mourant Ozannes, has made three senior management appointments. 

Leading Offshore law firm, Mourant Ozannes, has advised Standard Life Wealth on its decision to buy Newton Management's private client division in a deal worth up to £83.5m.

For the second year in a row, Mourant Ozannes has gained recognition as the leading offshore law firm for International Trusts & Private Client work by securing more Citywealth Leading Lawyer recommendations than any other.

Hong Kong Managing Partner Paul Christopher talks to Asian Legal Business about increasing interests for private trusts in Asia.

Hong Kong Partner Alex Last has been invited to participate at the HFMWeek Operational Leaders Summit Asia in Macau on February 26, 2013.

Tracy Hylton was admitted as an Attorney-at-Law in the Cayman Islands on 4 February 2013, following the successful completion of her Articles of Clerkship with Mourant Ozannes. 

The Jersey Construction Council has launched its 2013 Winter Seminar Series in conjunction with Mourant Ozannes. Tickets are now available for the first seminar taking place on Thursday 21 February at the Radisson Blu Hotel.

Cayman Islands financial services providers are once again anticipating with interest a regulatory and SEC enforcement seminar organised by Mourant Ozannes in collaboration with international law firm Shearman & Sterling. 

Kung hei fat choi!

Leading offshore law firm, Mourant Ozannes, has promoted eight lawyers to the position of Senior Associate: Amy Demetriou, Andrew Peedom, Carla Benest, Catherine Green, Kerill O'Shaughnessy, Lucy Diggle, Matthew Guthrie and Sonia Smith. Nicholas Fox and Mathew Cook will be appointed Managing Associate.

A recent decision of the UK Supreme Court has clarified the scope of legal advice privilege in limiting it to its traditional incumbents - lawyers. 

Leading offshore law firm, Mourant Ozannes, has strengthened its Litigation practice by recruiting eleven additional litigators in the lead up to 2013. The recruitment is to keep up with increased client demand for the firm's offshore litigation services in the BVI, the Cayman Islands, Guernsey and Jersey.

The Minister for Social Security has lodged the Draft Discrimination (Jersey) Law 201- (the Draft Law) with the States of Jersey. The States will debate the Draft Law on 14 May 2013. Subject to the States adopting the Draft Law in May 2013 and Privy Council assent being granted, the Minister for Social Security is hopeful that the legislation will come into force in the second half of 2014. 

Several students all recently completed internships with leading law firm Mourant Ozannes, gaining valuable insight into several legal practice areas including Funds, Finance and Commercial Litigation. As well as gaining an understanding of the legal work carried out by Mourant Ozannes in Cayman, the interns had an opportunity to work with the firm's corporate services, compliance and accounts departments to see how the business operates.

Leading offshore law firm, Mourant Ozannes, has advised European private equity firm Cinven on the Jersey aspects of its acquisition of two international pharmaceutical businesses, Mercury Pharma and Amdipharm.

Mourant Ozannes will maintain its support for the Cayman Islands Cricket Association by renewing its sponsorship of youth cricket initiatives.

Plans for the 2013 Rotary Youth Speaks Competition are now under way. The national public speaking competition, which is sponsored in Guernsey by Mourant Ozannes, is now open to students at all the secondary schools in the Island and the College of Further Education.

Leading offshore law firm, Mourant Ozannes, has advised BlackRock and Deutsche Bank's RREEF on the scheme to merge the BlackRock UK Property Fund with three of RREEF's sector-specific property funds. The scheme, which completed on 14 December, was announced on Tuesday and creates one the largest property unit trust in the UK.

It is time for the true function of the Cayman Islands to be more widely acknowledged and better understood, according to Neal Lomax, Cayman Managing Partner at law firm Mourant Ozannes. 

With an invitation extended by Shurna Robbins of ICCI, James Wauchope, Partner at leading law firm Mourant Ozannes, which supports an annual academic chairship at ICCI, presented a lecture in the Fall semester on the background, process and development of investment funds in the Cayman Islands to the Business Law class of ICCI. 

Teams led by Simon Gould (Jersey) and John Lewis (Guernsey) have worked alongside KPMG to consider the potential impact of Vickers in the Channel Islands, on behalf of Jersey Finance.

This week, the Hong Kong team enjoyed hosting a thoroughly successful event to mark Mourant Ozannes' official entrance into the Asian market.

Mourant Ozannes has maintained its position as the leading offshore law firm in the Channel Islands, with more top tier rankings across all legal directories than any other firm, following the publication of the Chambers UK directory on 2 November.

Mourant Ozannes has been awarded the 'Best Offshore Law Firm - Client Service Award' at the HFMWeek US Hedge Fund Services Awards 2012. This follows the firm winning the same client service accolade in both the US and Europe in 2011.

Mourant Ozannes in Guernsey and Jersey has maintained its position as the leading offshore law firm in the Channel Islands, following the publication of the latest International Financial Law Review (IFLR) 1000 rankings.

Matthew Shaxson, Managing Associate, and Paul Martin, Senior Associate, advised AIB Bank (CI) Limited in the sale of its investment management business to Rathbone Investment Management.

Following the opening of a Hong Kong office in January this year, leading offshore law firm, Mourant Ozannes, has announced further expansion with the hire of new partners in the BVI and the launch of a BVI litigation and insolvency practice.

Mourant Ozannes has underlined its position as the leading offshore law firm, according to the latest rankings published by Legal 500 UK today.

The merger brings together two long-established Jersey-based trust services businesses. The merged business comprises almost 100 directors and employees, making it one of Jersey's larger independent fiduciary services companies.

Two teams of swimmers from Mourant Ozannes have completed what is believed to be a 'first' for Channel Island long distance swimming, completing a simultaneous inter-island relay challenge on Saturday 8 September 2012.

Mourant Ozannes is delighted to announce the Chief Justice of theCayman Islands, the Honourable Anthony Smellie Q.C., J.P. as keynote speaker of Mourant Ozannes' International Trusts & Private Client Conference 2012, taking place in October.

Simon has extensive offshore experience and knowledge in the corporate jet and helicopter financing industry. He will be providing an offshore perspective on business jet financing, highlighting some of the benefits of structuring acquisitions offshore and measures to promote lender protection.

Mourant Ozannes has advised Heritage Oil Plc on the Jersey legal aspects of its US$850 million proposed acquisition of a major interest in OML 30, a significant oil producing asset in Nigeria.

The Royal Court of Guernsey has granted worldwide freezing orders and other interim relief in respect of the assets of the Propinvest Group of companies and their directors.

Twelve swimmers from leading offshore law firm Mourant Ozannes will be taking on an exhausting challenge next month as they attempt to swim between Jersey and Guernsey, in opposite directions.

Partner Alex Last discusses fund corporate governance with The Asset Magazine.

Bloomberg will be hosting an event on the 26 July where the discussion will be focused on the changing landscape of the hedge fund industry in Hong Kong.

The Mourant Ozannes property law team is delighted to have sponsored the stunning JEP aerial supplement to coincide with the launch of mourantozannesproperty.com. 

Leading offshore law firm, Mourant Ozannes, has launched the first pan-island website dedicated entirely to property matters across Guernsey and Jersey.

Leading offshore law firm, Mourant Ozannes, has successfully represented la Génerale des Carrières et des Mines Sarl (Gécamines), a state-owned mining company based in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), in an appeal before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.

Leading offshore firm, Mourant Ozannes, has appointed Tracey Forbes as an Articled Clerk.

A team from leading offshore law firm, Mourant Ozannes, has acted as Jersey legal advisors to the Malaysian consortium in connection with their acquisition of London's landmark Battersea Power Station.

Mourant Ozannes, the leading offshore law firm, has advised long standing client Polyus Gold International Limited on the Jersey legal aspects of its premium listing on the London Stock Exchange.

Leading offshore law firm, Mourant Ozannes, has won the largest award of damages ever made by the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands. The US$2.5 billion award was granted by the Chief of Justice of the Cayman Islands in a ruling handed down on 12 June 2012.

Hedgeweek wrote a special report on the Hong Kong Hedge Funds Industry. The report includes an article by Mourant Ozannes' partner Alex Last and senior lawyer Bronwyn King which examines the growth of opportunities for hedge funds in China.

Mourant Ozannes has maintained its position as the leading offshore law firm, according to one of the world's most respected legal directories.

Mourant Ozannes have acted as sole Jersey legal adviser to Polyus Gold International Limited in relation to the sale of shares and global depositary receipts in Polyus Gold representing approximately 7.5% of its issued share capital.

Simon Lawrenson, partner in the Hong Kong office of Mourant Ozannes, wrote an article examining the use of British Virgin Islands companies as the corporate vehicle of choice for the financing and leasing of corporate and private aircraft.

Leading offshore law firm, Mourant Ozannes, has advised European private equity firm Cinven on the Jersey aspects of its acquisition of the Jersey headquartered patent annuity business, CPA Global.

The Law Society Gazette examines the increasing number of law firms becoming multi-jurisdictional and asks Paul Christopher about the opportunities an office in Hong Kong brings for Mourant Ozannes.

China Legal Business examines offshore law firms servicing the Chinese market from Hong Kong and asks why so few have set up physical offices on the mainland.

29 March 2012: The Chief Minister of the States of Jersey and Mourant Ozannes launch the Historic Abuse Redress Scheme. Mourant Ozannes appointed the Scheme Lawyers.

A group of the world's leading fund directors and litigation lawyers met in London yesterday to hear about the key issues they face in the wake of the global financial crisis.

Mourant Ozannes has been recognised for the role it played in two of the year's biggest corporate deals. The results were announced at the International Financial Law Review (IFLR) 13th Annual European Awards, held at the Dorchester Hotel in London last night.

Leading offshore law firm, Mourant Ozannes, has advised long-standing client WNS (Holdings) Limited on its public offering of American Depositary Shares (ADSs) on the New York Stock Exchange.

A landmark case that could have a significant impact on the mechanism used to calculate damages in personal injury claims has been won by Mourant Ozannes' litigation team in Guernsey.

Mourant Ozannes has underlined its position as the leading offshore law firm, with more Citywealth Leading Lawyer recommendations than any other offshore firm.

Leading offshore law firm, Mourant Ozannes, has acted as Jersey legal adviser to both Hermes Real Estate, as buyer and the Westfield Group, as seller in relation to the acquisition by Hermes of Westfield's half share in a £400 million retail portfolio.

Mourant Ozannes, the leading offshore law firm, has advised on the establishment of a new Guernsey fund, HitecVision VI, L.P., which has investor commitments of $1.5 billion. The deal is testimony to the high quality of investment fund expertise available in Guernsey, which is attracting significant levels of new business to the island.

Paul Christopher, managing partner of the Hong Kong office, discusses the issues around trust and succession in Asia.

Mourant Ozannes in the Channel Islands has been named in an independent study as a leading offshore law firm in respect of investment funds law and practice.

Leading offshore law firm, Mourant Ozannes, has promoted seven lawyers to the position of Senior Associate: Adam Bathgate, Carly Parrott, Henry Brandts-Giesen, Michelle Tierney, Robbie Grant, Sarah Huelin, and Tim Crook.

Leading offshore law firm, Mourant Ozannes, has appointed Advocate Daniel Birtwistle as the Managing Partner of its Jersey office.  His appointment will take effect from 1 February 2012.

Leading offshore law firm, Mourant Ozannes, has announced the appointment of Simon Dickson and Helen Ruelle as partners, with effect from 1 February 2012.

Mourant Ozannes announces the opening of an office in Hong Kong to provide clients and intermediaries with access to the firm's offshore legal services in an Asian time zone. Joining managing partner of the Hong Kong office, Paul Christopher, are new partners Alex Last and Simon Lawrenson.

Leading offshore law firm, Mourant Ozannes, has opened an office in Hong Kong to provide clients and intermediaries with access to the firm's offshore legal services in an Asian time zone.

Kung hei fat choi !

Leading offshore law firm Mourant Ozannes has advised on the establishment of a new private equity fund focusing on Nordic business investments.

Mourant Ozannes advises more FTSE-listed companies than any other offshore law firm, according to the latest set of ratings published this month.

Law firm Mourant Ozannes is the only offshore firm to be named in a recently published list of the leading international legal advisers for Russian M&A deals.

The challenges and opportunities for businesses of a constantly evolving social media landscape will be explored at a seminar hosted by the IoD Guernsey later this month.

Mourant Ozannes has once again emerged as the Channel Islands' leading law firm, according to newly released figures from Chambers UK 2012, a leading legal directory that ranks law firms based on technical expertise and client service excellence.

Mourant Ozannes has been named 'Best Offshore Law Firm - Client Service' at the HFMWeek US Hedge Fund Services Awards 2011. This follows the firm winning the same client service accolade at the HFMWeek European Hedge Fund Services Awards earlier this year.