Walkers

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The team at Walkers advises HNWIs on the structuring of trusts and family offices, with its strong offshore network complementing its Guernsey practice. The firm has also advised on the creation of a number of novel decentralised autonomous organisation (DAO) trusts, which hold digital assets, including cryptocurrencies; this effort is being led by practice head and structuring specialist Rupert Morris, who also handles contentious matters. Rajah Abusrewil advises on all issues related to wealth structuring, and leads the firm’s Jersey private clients team alongside her Guernsey practice. David Cooney advises clients on trust matters, including where cryptocurrency assets are held in trust, and associated regulatory matters.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • 'The partners and associates alike are readily available for questions and discussions and are flexible with their time to meet our needs.'
  • 'Rupert Morris has assisted us with many contentious trust matters and his advice and guidance is always on point and is appreciated by our clients. Rajah Abusrewil's technical ability assisted us in the production of various documents to be used internally.'
  • 'David Cooney has great experience and is a quite outstanding private client practitioner in the offshore world. A clear leader. He has a rare combination of a strong strategic orientation, commercial sense, a great mastery of detail and a first class work ethic. He is greatly valued by our business.'
  • 'It is always a pleasure to work with Rajah Abureswil. Her advice is polished and practical, client-focused and clear. In particular, Rajah's knowledge of the Middle East and the manner in which Guernsey structures can be used to meet the needs of complex dynastic planning makes her the go-to for my Middle Eastern clients looking to create structures through the Channel Islands.'
  • 'Key strengths are very strong technical knowledge and familiarity with the Cayman market and laws, as well as crypto knowledge.'
  • 'David Cooney is a standout lawyer for his technical expertise and his way of explaining very complicated things simply to clients and intermediaries.'
  • 'The team are responsive and efficient, and the work produced is always accurate and fair. There is a very pleasing lack of aggression for litigators, born no doubt out of the mixed contentious/non-contentious nature of the team, and they are not interested in fighting for fighting's sake.'
  • 'Rupert Morris is an excellent practitioner, seamlessly blending a robustness when required with a tempered, logical, fair and technically superb approach. I have no hesitation in recommending clients with Guernsey trust issues to Rupert in the first instance, every time.'

Key clients

  • Terraform Labs Pte. Ltd
  • dYdX Foundation

Work highlights

  • Advised Terraform Labs and K&L Gates on the creation of the first DAO purpose trust structure to enable the Terra Community to enter into its recently announced partnership with the Washington Nationals Major League Baseball team.
  • Advised the dYdX Foundation on the creation of an innovative Guernsey grants purpose trust structure for a crypto DAO.

Lawyers

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Rupert Morris

Other key lawyers

Rajah Abusrewil, David Cooney