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Bedell Cristin partner Sevyn Kalsi says the Island’s stability gives it every opportunity for international expansion
FROM working with ultra-high-net-worth clients from the Middle East, the Far East, Latin America or Africa to sitting down with Jersey-based trustees, family offices or international advisers to support generational wealth transfer, asset protection or the furthering of clients’ philanthropic goals, there is no shortage of variety in Sevyn Kalsi’s life.
While the work undertaken may be varied, Sevyn’s approach and values remain the same. They are values which are perfectly in harmony with Bedell Cristin’s ethos of “plain speaking, smart thinking”.
“The funny thing is that when I joined Bedell Cristin in April this year, I didn’t know that the firm was about to undergo a brand refresh with ‘plain speaking, smart thinking’ being absolutely central to the firm’s principles,” he said. “Yet, from the first meetings I had with other team members here, it was clear that my goals resonated perfectly with the firm’s ambitions.”
Fundamental to Sevyn’s approach is an emphasis on client relationships, something which he attributes to his childhood and upbringing.
“Although born in London, my family – which is very large – is of Indian origin,” he reflected. “Before settling in England, my father lived in Germany, France and Switzerland, so languages have always come naturally to me, something which has been particularly beneficial since moving to Jersey, as our clients come from all corners of the globe.
“Perhaps because I come from a big family, relationships and communication have always been very important to me, which is why, when I was deciding which area of law to specialise in, I chose international private-client law. It is a very people-orientated area of law in which personal relationships, not only with clients but also with other advisers and intermediaries, is absolutely key.”
Now one of three partners in Bedell Cristin’s international private-client team in Jersey, the English solicitor and Jersey advocate studied law at the University of Kent and La Universidad Complutense de Madrid before training at London law firm Payne Hicks Beach and then moving to New Quadrant Partners, a boutique practice, where he specialised in private client and tax work.
“I was based in central London for a number of years but, as the time came when my wife and I wanted to start a family, I was keen to find a position that enabled me to have the same quality of work but with a focus on more of a work-life balance (if that’s possible for a lawyer) and without the lengthy commute each day,” he explained.
After considering a couple of locations, Sevyn joined another law firm in Jersey and said that relocating to the Island was “the best decision” he and his wife had ever made.
“We now have two sons, both of whom were born here, and we are fully engrained in Island life,” he said, “all while being able to have a fulfilling and varied job that I enjoy. I feel very lucky.”
“One of our key functions as private-client lawyers is as problem solvers, solving both problems that clients are facing and helping them to navigate around potential future problems before they arise. Given our role as personal advisers to clients, we are often their first port of call for all matters from private wealth and corporate to litigation and everything in between,” he said. “While not every issue that a client brings to our department will fall within our remit, because Bedell Cristin is a full-service law firm, we regularly work with colleagues from across our teams and jurisdictions to ensure that our clients’ needs are met.
“Everyone across the business supports each other and, in keeping with our ethos, our focus is on finding the right person to help each client in the most succinct and efficient way.”
Indeed, it was the full-service nature of the firm which helped to attract Sevyn to Bedell Cristin.
“I wanted to work for a firm that was headquartered in Jersey and rooted in the Jersey market, and Bedell Cristin is a long-established firm with a great pedigree and reputation,” he said. “I also wanted to work for a truly independent, full-service firm which didn’t have a trust company attached to it and, because of my passion for the work we do, it was important to me to work for a firm where private-client and trust work was at the heart of the company’s DNA.”
While the Jersey market is one of the main sources of business for the private-client team, Sevyn and his colleagues also work with clients from areas as geographically diverse as the Middle East, Far East, Africa and Latin America, the latter being an area which Sevyn, as a fluent Spanish speaker, is particularly keen to develop.
“Some of these clients are ultra-high-net-worth individuals, families and family offices, while others are corporate service providers and intermediaries, such as lawyers, investment managers and accountants,” he said. “We also work with a lot of corporate clients, working closely with our financial services’ colleagues to establish corporate and investment holding structures which require elements of trusts or foundations, and work alongside our litigation colleagues on more contentious matters.”
While the number of structures being established now may be lower than it was when Sevyn moved to Jersey, he says the size and complexity of these vehicles has increased.
“I would say there are fewer structures being established now but those that are being established, generally speaking, are much bigger and more complex than they used to be,” he said. “As well as increasing attention being placed on the establishment of charitable and philanthropic structures, there is a lot of talk about generational wealth transfer, which often leads to either the establishment of family offices or liaising with clients or their family offices to provide succession planning, advice and guidance.”
Sevyn is confident that, thanks to the combined efforts of advisers and the Island’s stability, this is an area with tremendous potential for growth.
“There is still lots of room for growth in the Far East – particularly in Singapore, where Jersey Finance is focusing at the moment – and in the Middle East and Africa,” he said. “I don’t think there is another jurisdiction that can offer the stability of government, infrastructure and court system, as well as having both modern legislation and regulation and access to top-tier advisers. That’s why the Island does so well and, in my view, puts Jersey in an incredibly strong position to continue attracting new business.
“We also cannot underestimate the huge impact that Jersey Finance has on the Island’s success as an international finance centre. They really fly the flag for the Island, with each member firm truly getting behind and supporting the ‘Jersey plc’ message.”
