Collas Crill builds on growing dispute resolution reputation with senior promotion

Collas Crill has promoted Ben Havard to the position of partner within its dispute resolution team in Guernsey.

The promotion boosts the Guernsey team to five partners as Collas Crill looks to capitalise on a strong period of global growth within its litigation and dispute resolution practice.

The announcement also shows the business’ commitment to strengthening and driving forward its core areas of practice and supporting internal development.

Christian Hay, partner and head of the Guernsey dispute resolution practice, said: ‘Our Guernsey, Jersey, Cayman and BVI litigation teams have grown by at least 25 per cent in the last 12 months. While some firms are reporting dwindling levels of litigation, the lion's share of our growth over the last few years has been in litigation and dispute resolution.

‘Increasingly, our litigation teams are working with institutional clients in both the non-contentious and semi-contentious advisory space – particularly in matters relating to insolvency, trusts and financial services regulation.

‘Ben’s well-earned promotion in Guernsey, alongside further developments across our global network of offices, is evidence that litigation and dispute resolution remains very much one of our key strengths.’

Speaking of his promotion, Ben said: ‘I am delighted to be joining the dispute resolution partnership team in Guernsey.

‘The recent expansion of the team and my promotion are both testament to the increase in the quality and scale of the instructions the team is winning, particularly in the contentious and semi-contentious trust space.’

Ben has a practice focussed on contentious and semi-contentious trust work. He is STEP qualified and a member of various peer-nominated industry bodies, including ACTAPS, ConTra, and the Chancery Bar Association.

His clients are major multi-national fiduciaries, and internationally based HNW and UHNW families. Ben's time is spent advising and representing in Court trustees, beneficiaries and protectors of Guernsey law Trusts on complex contentious situations, often with an international element.

In 2018 Ben was awarded Citywealth's IFC lawyer of the year award.