Ogier’s Trust Advisory Group were there to receive the award at a recent ceremony in London.
The judges said: ‘Ogier displayed all-round strength and expertise in all their locations, with a range of cross-border work in mature and emerging markets.
‘They have a great team on the forefront of some key cases and have been successful in pushing the limits of legal development.’
Ogier’s Trust Advisory Group is a multi-jurisdictional team combining expertise across several disciplines: private client, dispute resolution and corporate and commercial law.
The team works across Ogier’s network of offices in the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Guernsey, Hong Kong, Jersey and Luxembourg.
Ogier’s head of private client services, Sally Edwards, said: ‘The strength of our team is in the quality and breadth of experience of our lawyers.
‘Ogier’s Trusts Advisory Group draws together experts from different disciplines and locations enabling us to provide a seamless contentious and non-contentious advisory service which also includes relevant corporate support.
‘Winning a STEP Private Client Award is recognised as a clear mark of excellence, as entries go through a rigorous, practitioner-led judging process to be selected as the best in the industry.
‘It’s particularly pleasing to note the recognition of our team in our first year as an independent law firm. It reflects the skill and commitment of our team across all locations.’
Bedell Trust takes majority stake in Singapore business
BEDELL Trust has expanded its international presence through the acquisition of a majority stake in Singapore Trust Company Pte Ltd (STC), a fiduciary and corporate services business in Singapore.
STC, which was incorporated in 1996, was the first trust company in Singapore to be licensed under the Trust Companies Act in 2006.
The company has grown significantly under the guidance of its chairman, Robert Meggy, and managing director, Rudy Tan.
Following the acquisition, Mr Tan will remain as managing director and will be supported by the existing team of highly experienced professionals.
Mr Meggy will retire after a long career in the international trust industry.
Subject to Monetary Authority of Singapore consent, Michael Richardson, executive chairman of Bedell Trust, will be appointed as the new chairman of STC, and Nick Cawley, chief executive officer of Bedell Trust, will also join the board.
Mr Richardson has led Bedell Trust’s expansion in Asia over the past five years and says he expects to devote a significant amount of his time to the development of the business of STC.
Bedell Trust says that is fully committed to supporting the growth of STC and Bedell Trust’s wider international businesses, throughout the Asia region.
The law firm Bedell Cristin opened an office in Singapore in 2012 and provides a range of British Virgin Islands and Jersey legal services.
Mr Richardson said: ‘Our investment in STC is a natural development of Bedell Trust’s international strategy, which is to align the firm with like-minded business partners in key markets worldwide, which should enable us to build on existing client and intermediary relationships in Asia and to meet the demands of our international clients, who increasingly require services within the Asian time zone.
‘We feel confident that STC and its management and staff share our own core values and commitment to deliver the premium client service which is a hallmark of Bedell Trust.’
Mr Tan added: ‘Joining Bedell Trust is an exciting move for us.
‘It immediately broadens the range of our fiduciary services across key international locations.
‘Having worked with Bedell Trust for a number of years, I have every confidence that the expertise which they will bring to our business will be in the interests of our clients.’
Bedell Trust, which is headquartered in Jersey, has offices in London, Guernsey, Dublin and Mauritius and is one of Jersey’s longest established independent fiduciary and corporate services businesses.
Collas Crill private client team win top award
COLLAS Crill’s private client team has been named Legal Team of the Year (mid-size) at the STEP Private Client Awards for 2015/16.
The awards, now in their tenth year, set the industry standard and highlight excellence among private client practitioners.
The judges said: ‘Collas Crill impressed with the breadth of expertise they are able to offer, with a highly experienced team of lawyers across a number of jurisdictions and an impressive list of sector specialisms. Their submission went beyond case detail to demonstrate how their thoughtfulness and ambitions should be expressed in IT, training and business development.’
Collas Crill’s multi-jurisdictional private client team spans both contentious and non-contentious matters and provides high-net-worth individuals, private banks and trust companies with specialist advice on a range of issues, including wealth-structuring, regulatory matters, real estate, private family funds and conflict resolution.
Collas Crill managing partner Jason Romer said: ‘We understand that to lead the way we have to be different. Our team stands out above the rest because they’re approachable, proactive and combine depth of expertise with a commitment to really understanding their clients’ individual circumstances, priorities and goals.
‘Our submission highlighted our ability to field legal advice seamlessly across jurisdictions and departments – meaning our clients benefit from the knowledge and expertise of our people across the globe. We invest strategically in IT, training and business development to ensure our team is well placed to provide a first-class service.
‘Congratulations to the whole team for this thoroughly deserved recognition.’
