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Fiona Wilson

Of Counsel

Legal

Jersey

Fiona Wilson

Fiona specialises in providing advice to businesses on regulatory compliance including money laundering and terrorist financing issues, and competition law and data protection matters, as well as Jersey financial services regulation and regulatory investigations and enforcement matters. She also provides advice on general corporate and commercial matters and mergers and acquisitions.

Experience

Fiona has broad experience in relation to all aspects of regulated financial services businesses, includig providing advice in relation to: 

  • regulatory investigations
  • remediation programmes
  • AML/CFT matters
  • data protection; and 
  • anti-bribery and corruption matters

as well as assisting with applications for licences, advising on corporate governance matters and assisting with acquisitions and due diligence. Fiona has also advised on sales and purchases of regulated and trading businesses, competition, regulatory applications and employment issues, and shareholder arrangements and restructurings of regulated and trading business groups.

Fiona has collaborated with our private client and trusts team to help clients put into place managed trust company arrangements, and private trust company structures, outsourcing arrangements and processes for transferring books of business. She has also advised on making notifications and obtaining consents in relation to suspicious activity reports, sanctions licences and advice as well as assisting with internal investigations in relation to fraud, suspicious transactions and anti-bribery and corruption.

Fiona's previous experience as in-house counsel, as a director of a financial services business and as a company secretary of a listed company helps her give advice that is practically focused. 

Background

Having worked at Collas Crill for seven years, Fiona left in 2023 to act as company secretary of a listed utility company, before rejoining the firm in 2024. 

Fiona qualified as a lawyer in Australia in 1997 and as Jersey Advocate in 2005 and has worked for leading Australian firms as well as another leading local Jersey law firm.

Fiona spent a number of years working in contentious dispute resolution, primarily in relation to trusts, bankruptcy and insolvency and professional negligence matters. Fiona has previously acted as in-house counsel at a large financial services company. During this time she sat on the risk and executive committees and provided advice and guidance in relation to the practical application of various aspects of the Jersey regulatory framework, risk management and corporate governance as well as assisting with integration of acquired businesses, claims management and other legal advice. 

Fiona has also held principal person roles as a director of corporate services at another financial services company and has acted as interim Money Laundering Compliance Officer and Money Laundering Reporting Officer of a Schedule 2 business. 

"I enjoy listening to my clients and using my legal skills and practical experience to help them implement a solution that works for them."

Expertise

We advise in relation to a broad range of legal issues involving crypto and digital assets:

  • Collective investment schemes including advising Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs) regarding licensing, regulation and the migration of structures between jurisdictions
  • Corporate structures (including foundations, decentralised autonomous organizations (DAOs) and token offering structures) together with associated services, development and access agreements
  • Private wealth structures including succession planning and dealing with digital assets as part of estate administration on death
  • Digital asset fraud and recovery on insolvency, including obtaining freezing injunctions in relation to crypto assets
  • Defence of directors, trustees, managers or other defendants facing civil, criminal or regulatory action as a result of dealings with digital assets  

We advise Web3 and digital firms looking for regulatory guidance and support in drafting terms of service; token issuers and digital businesses looking to incorporate virtual assets; financial services firms considering adding a digital assets offering; investors establishing structures and appointing agents/trustees/custodians to invest in or hold digital assets; and high-net-worth individuals and family offices conducting succession planning for digital asset holdings.

We can also advise regulated corporate service providers to make informed decisions on the use of crypto platforms and crypto asset exchanges.

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Successfully navigating the modern global business environment, taking advantage of opportunities as they arise while avoiding legal and regulatory pitfalls, is a challenge for any entrepreneur, business or corporation, during all phases of the corporate life cycle.

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It is a fact of life that all regulated businesses today face ever increasing pressure in the areas of compliance, regulation and risk management. Not only are our businesses required to comply with regulations and laws imposed within each jurisdiction, we need to be alert to impending changes in the UK, EU and elsewhere which could have an impact on the way we operate.

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Regulation and legal risk management are placing increasing burdens on companies and businesses in terms of time, costs and resources, and the consequences of getting this wrong can be severe.

We can assist with all regulatory and compliance issues in Jersey, Guernsey, BVI and Cayman including:

  • anti-money laundering and proceeds of crime legislation
  • FATCA and CRS reporting
  • licensing
  • economic substance
  • beneficial ownership
  • sanctions
  • tax information exchange requests
  • AIFMD

Additionally we can help with regulator investigations and visits, enforcement and remediation including representation before regulators, tribunals committees and courts. We have an excellent record in defending corporates and their directors and officers in regulatory proceedings.

Please view our Regulatory page for more information. 

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Data is the most valuable asset for many of our clients and data protection is a growing facet of offshore business. We have advised a number of institutional clients on their commercial obligations in terms of data security and data protection and regularly provide advice on contract terms in this difficult area. We also have significant experience in using the full range of legal remedies available to obtain access to data and information held, and so are ideally placed to advise clients on either side of the data protection equation.

We provide contentious and non-contentious advice and support, primarily for local financial services businesses, in complying with sanctions and anti-money laundering regulations. Our work ranges from initial strategic advice, liaison with stakeholders including regulators, clients and investigations and prosecution authorities – to litigation, where required.

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