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Lawyers

Christopher Scholefield

Christopher Scholefield

Viberts, Jersey

Work Department

Corporate Law Partner

Position

Christopher is a partner and heads the corporate and trust team at Viberts.

Christopher has an in depth knowledge of the legislation and practice that apply to Jersey companies, Jersey trusts (whether set up in life or in a will) Jersey partnerships and Jersey foundations. He advises people planning to establish such arrangements, the regulated financial services providers who administer them, third parties dealing with them and those shareholder, partners or beneficiaries who question whether their interests are being well looked after. Currently his clients include commercial organisations, charities and beneficiaries of contested cross border estates. Recent work has included assisting the charity that works to help other charities and securing wasted costs for a trustee from the law firms who advised beneficiaries to bring ill-founded litigation against them.

When advising his clients Christopher typically brings the following skills to the table:

As a lawyer who handles contentious work and is accustomed to court proceedings he takes care that the evidence of his clients’ conduct would earn the understanding and respect of a court were it ever to be considered there; With his expose to civil law systems and civil law practitioners he bridges both the language and the cultural gaps that have sometimes opened between his clients and those responsible for their affairs; With his rigorous approach to the use of language he is adept at flushing out ambiguities before they can cause mischief; He uses his experience to make sure that he not only answers his clients’ questions, but also volunteers other information material to how their objectives might best be achieved.

Career

Jersey Advocate - 1987

Languages

French and German

Memberships

Member of the Jersey Law Society Member of the Society of Trust & Estate Practitioners ("STEP") Alliance Française Board Member Victoria College Foundation Trustee Save Jersey’s Heritage Chairman Consul Honoraire de France à Jersey Board member of the Don Balleine Inc. (dedicated to promoting Jersey’s native language, le Jèrriais)

Education

University of Oxford - Jurisprudence MA