Welcome to the first Collas Crill Insight. This inaugural edition focuses on the Guernsey Dispute Resolution team.
My aspiration for 2015 was for my team to effectively support the firm's strategy to be a provider of first class offshore legal services, and to be a firm where people are proud to work.
It proved to be another exceptional year for us - both individually and collectively. The team's strength was recognised with a tier promotion in the key legal directories: Chambers & Partners and Legal 500. We scooped up the STEP award for 'Legal Team of the Year (midsize)' beating off some serious international competition. We appeared in the Privy Council (more from Gareth on that later) and senior associate Ben was admitted to the Guernsey Bar to become the team's fifth Advocate. We continued to work closely with our Jersey litigation colleagues, and with our newly acquired Cayman litigation colleagues following the firm's merger with Charles Adam Ritchie & Duckworth (more on that here). To learn more about our team, visit this page.
In this edition, we make some observations on themes that we have seen develop in the spaces in which we specialise. Trusts, probate and estates disputes continue to dominate the Court lists and contentious insolvency matters have thrown up some interesting issues.
There has been a marked increase in the number of financial services regulatory investigations and disputes and we expect that to continue. Our Risk and Regulatory team is well placed to assist clients with plotting the best course through such events – not least because they count in their number Nin, a former senior analyst from the Guernsey Financial Services Commission, and Michael, an ex in-house counsel of the enforcement division of the Australian equivalent – true gamekeepers turned poachers - and it is notable that the team has received praise for delivering "one of the most useful and progressive initiatives in the industry".
We have some great stories to tell – unfortunately some are highly confidential – but where we can, we share with you some of the interesting matters that have kept the team busy. We are not only lawyers, we are individuals and proud members of an island community and, since people do business with people, it is as important to give you an insight (within the bounds of social acceptability) into what we do when we are not at our desks.
I am delighted that in 2015 we achieved what we set out to do - what should come across most clearly is that we are easy to do business with and we love what we do.
I hope you enjoy this insight!
We welcome your feedback.