Offshore jurisdictions play a key role in the global economy, from providing neutral territory for international investment, and secure structures where personal and collective wealth from across the world can grow with the global economy but protected from domestic politics, and often deployed in ways that creates returns and security for investors and real social impact.
The offshore world has responded to public challenges and the blurring of the offshore and onshore worlds. In this, fivehundred’s first special regional supplement, we deep dive into the offshore world to reveal the latest news, trends, and best practice developments, stepping outside the hall of mirrors to see how these jurisdictions add real value for global law firms and their clients.
We begin from a global perspective, with Appleby’s Jeffrey Kirk explaining legal innovation from an offshore firm angle; Ogier’s Katrina Edge on why a strategy of ‘getting to the point’ is a must to service the modern client; while Carey Olsen’s Michael Padarin in Hong Kong explains why you should think quality over quantity when it comes to client interactions.
From Jersey, Maples partners Paul Burton and Simon Hopwood highlight the features of Jersey holding companies that are attractive, from a global private equity acquisition and structuring point of view, and Jersey Finance’s CEO, Joe Moynihan, talks about the evolution of family offices.
Senior Partner John F Wilson discusses why timely, efficient, and excellent client service is his firm’s competitive advantage
What do you see as the main points that differentiate McKinney, Bancroft & Hughes (MBH) from your competitors? Firstly, responsiveness. All of our lawyers are under strict directives to respond to every client email within 24 hours. We can say we have excellent attorneys, while we believe our attorneys are the best in the Bahamas, …
Ferbrache & Farrell advocate and partner talks about unfair perceptions, cybersecurity and innovation, and working in a family minded partnership
What’s the main change you’ve made in the firm that will benefit clients? We have tried to change and adapt to the constant evolution of technology, whilst maintaining our traditional partnership ethos (based on the collective of all our individual members of our team of just under 20 people). Those changes have seen us adopt …
Leading private equity sponsors investing in larger scale primary deals increasingly require innovative structuring solutions to access transactions that are not available via a conventional M&A process. Jersey investment holding vehicles provide an adaptable platform for delivering these solutions as well as for conventional buyouts. This article from Maples and Calder (Jersey) LLP, the Maples Group’s law firm in Jersey focuses on the features of Jersey holding companies that are attractive from a global Private Equity (PE) acquisition/structuring point of view and other uses of Jersey as part of the downstream investment process
One of the main attractions for top sponsors looking to maintain a stable of coveted assets is the ‘best in class’ investor return prospects which those assets have the potential to achieve. It has been suggested that the mid-market deal space (and within that the secondary and tertiary landscape) has been the most competitive and …
Dominic Wheatley, chief executive of Guernsey Finance, highlights new research on a specialist development for Guernsey
Guernsey’s funds sector is not alone in clearly seeing the merging of the private equity and private capital space. Private capital has become a normalised source of financing, while the investment management sector is seen increasingly as a gateway to a direct investment opportunity. A survey carried out by Guernsey Finance earlier this year at …
Dr Andy Sloan, Chair of Guernsey Green Finance, outlines Guernsey’s role in tackling climate change through the breadth of financial services
It is difficult to ignore the issue of climate change today. Climate finance the issue of how the global population will make the changes required to limit global warning and give the planet a sustainable future tends to be a step away from the Extinction Rebellion protests taking place in London. However, climate finance is …
What used to be a private office set up to deal with a wealthy family’s investments is now more complex and exciting than ever before, says Joe Moynihan, Chief Executive Officer, Jersey Finance
Family offices have been through a period of evolution in recent years. What used to simply be a private office set up to deal with a wealthy family’s investments, usually fairly safe and traditional in nature and decided by one single family leader, is now more complex and much more exciting than ever before. Over …
There must be mutual confidence and respect between industry and the regulator to achieve good compliance across the board, says Vicki Unsworth, head of the commercial and regulatory litigation team at Advocates Smith Taubitz Unsworth Ltd
The Isle of Man is widely considered to be a well-regulated jurisdiction with a robust regulatory framework overseen by the Financial Services Authority (FSA). Businesses across a variety of fields are licensed, regulated, and overseen to undertake business by the FSA or alternatively are, since the introduction and implementation of the Designated Businesses (Registration and …
Editor Amy Ulliott deep dives into the last five years of The Legal 500’s Caribbean rankings to discover which firms come out ahead across some of the world’s most lucrative offshore jurisdictions, and highlights some key market trends
The Caribbean legal market is unlike most others in the world. The lucrative offshore jurisdiction remains a draw for international companies and foreign individuals looking to benefit from the region’s business-friendly regulations, and local markets are increasingly dedicated to moving away from the region’s reputation for secrecy following the increased scrutiny of the offshore world. …
Will Tolcher explores the history of the Channel Islands’ legal market and highlights which offshore firms come out ahead in The Legal 500’s decade worth of rankings
Although sharing elements of a common history, Jersey and Guernsey are two distinct jurisdictions, separated by 28km of water, with different legal systems and bar admissions. Due to their separate legal history – with a strong infusion of historic Norman law creating a few unique points compared to the law of England and Wales – …
Will Tolcher looks at a decade of The Legal 500’s rankings to reveal key trends in the Manx market and which offshore law firms are moving up the grid
A crown dependency, the Isle of Man has two unique calling cards other than its finance industry. The first is its world-famous TT motorcycle races. Running since 1907, competitors now whizz around closed public roads at speeds of up to 320 km/h. The other, perhaps secondary, clichéd image of Manx is the significantly more sedate …
secure structures where personal and collective wealth from across the world can grow with the global economy but protected from domestic politics, and often deployed in ways that creates returns and security for investors and real social impact.
