IFLR 1000
The Guide to the World's Leading Financial Law Firms

	Carey Olsen Mourant Ozannes
	Ogier
	Collas Crill
	Babbé Bedell Cristin
	Appleby

Appleby established its Guernsey office in April 2010 and the firm has already been seen on some decent mandates. Over the past 12 months, partner Helen Crossley has acted for HSBC and Bank of Ireland on the Guernsey law aspects of a $91.... [more]

Appleby established its Guernsey office in April 2010 and the firm has already been seen on some decent mandates.

Over the past 12 months, partner Helen Crossley has acted for HSBC and Bank of Ireland on the Guernsey law aspects of a $91.5 million senior debt financing. The deal partly financed the acquisition of an Isle of Man company Creganna-Tactx. Elsewhere she also advised the local HSBC's financing of Legis Group Holdings, and the subsequent acquisition of the group.

Alongside the market, Appleby has also been active in the M&A transactions. A team led by Barney Lee advised Pembroke Real Estate's acquisition of two Guernsey companies, and Helen Crossley provided refinancing advice to Deka Bank in relation to the acquired companies. The mandate was worth £105 million.

Again Lee was involved in another notable deal, acting for RBS in respect of a $100 million revolving facility made available to a Guernsey private-equity fund, which is one of the leading global investors in the secondary private equity market.

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	Carey Olsen Mourant Ozannes
	Ogier
	Babbé Bedell Cristin Collas Crill
	Appleby

Among Appleby's highlights last year was partner Barney Lee's advice to two private-equity funds in relation to issues arising from a dispute between the promoter and investment adviser. The deal is worth $440 million.... [more]

Among Appleby's highlights last year was partner Barney Lee's advice to two private-equity funds in relation to issues arising from a dispute between the promoter and investment adviser. The deal is worth $440 million.

Elsewhere Lee teamed up with partner Alex Last to advise Stenham European Shopping Centre Fund on its €300 million asset management. This allowed the manager's proposed migration to Guernsey to go ahead and established the fund as a Guernsey registered closed-ended investment company.

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	Mourant Ozannes Ogier
	Bedell Cristin Carey Olsen
	Appleby
	Voisin & Co Walkers
	Collas Crill Pinel O'Shea

Appleby has boosted its Jersey practice this year with the hire of Walkers' local corporate head James Gaudin, who specialises in offshore corporate, finance, and restructuring work.One of its notable deals last year saw partner Andrew Weaver acting for Blackstone Real Estate Advisers on the £480 million acquisition of the Chiswick Park Unit Trust.... [more]

Appleby has boosted its Jersey practice this year with the hire of Walkers' local corporate head James Gaudin, who specialises in offshore corporate, finance, and restructuring work.

One of its notable deals last year saw partner Andrew Weaver acting for Blackstone Real Estate Advisers on the £480 million acquisition of the Chiswick Park Unit Trust. The team advised on the Jersey aspects of regulatory and legal issues of the acquisition and also senior and mezzanine financing.

Another notable deal saw the team assisting the administrator in coordinating the Targetfollow Group board's replacement of the offshore asset holding companies. The deal was completed in collaboration with Appleby's Guernsey and Isle of Man offices.

In the restructuring and insolvency market, partner James Gaudin headed the team advising the creditor Grant Thornton on the winding up of four Jersey companies within the Panceltica Group. The group was previously an Aim-listed company specialising in fast-track construction and operating in Qatar and Dubai. The deal was worth £236.4 million.

Elsewhere, Gaudin again acted for Dragon Sportswear Holdings in relation to its proposed flotation on Aim. The transaction indicates a growing trend to use Channel Island companies in connection with capital raising in Europe for Asian companies, particularly on LSE.

On the financing side, partner Wendy Benjamin headed the team acting for Bayerische Landesbank on a £70 million refinancing of a Jersey property trust.

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	Mourant Ozannes
	Bedell Cristin Carey Olsen Ogier
	Appleby Voisin & Co Walkers
	Collas Crill Pinel O'Shea

One of the notable deals at Appleby last year saw the team led by partner Mark Lewis and Alex Last advising on the establishment of the Aberdeen Latin American Fund, which is the first UK-listed Latin American closed-ended fund with an income bias. The approximately £52 million fund highlights the growing importance of the Bric (Brazil Russia, India and China) economies for Jersey.... [more]

One of the notable deals at Appleby last year saw the team led by partner Mark Lewis and Alex Last advising on the establishment of the Aberdeen Latin American Fund, which is the first UK-listed Latin American closed-ended fund with an income bias. The approximately £52 million fund highlights the growing importance of the Bric (Brazil Russia, India and China) economies for Jersey.

Another highlight saw Andrew Weaver advising on the establishment of HV Holtzbrinck Ventures fund I, a private investment fund focused on investing in promising start-up companies within the new media sector, which had a first closing at €162 million last August.

Elsewhere he was involved in another outstanding mandate when the team advised Stenpark Management and Stenham European shopping centre fund on its €43.5 million capital raising through a rights issue; the team has then advised the subsequent spin out of each cell from its parental cell company, assisting these cells' migration to Guernsey. The total value of the deal was worth €119 million.

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	Appleby Cains
	Simcocks
	Callin Wild M&P Legal MannBenham Advocates

As well as being the biggest law firm in the Isle of Man, Appleby expanded its coverage this year in the British Isles by opening a Guernsey office in April 2010, and thus established itself in all three Crown Dependencies, including Jersey, to provide a wide range of legal service.Notably, the firm's Isle of Man practitioners have also been trained to provide BVI advice to the Isle of Man clients, who are essentially BVI companies based on the island.... [more]

As well as being the biggest law firm in the Isle of Man, Appleby expanded its coverage this year in the British Isles by opening a Guernsey office in April 2010, and thus established itself in all three Crown Dependencies, including Jersey, to provide a wide range of legal service.

Notably, the firm's Isle of Man practitioners have also been trained to provide BVI advice to the Isle of Man clients, who are essentially BVI companies based on the island.

In the Isle of Man M&A market, two notable deals involved partners Nick Verardi and Simon Cain respectively. One saw Verardi advise Credit Suisse on the completion and Isle of Man regulatory aspects in relation to the purchase of Fortis Bank's Prime Fund Solution business. The team also worked alongside its Cayman office on the acquisition of the Cayman parts of business. The mandate was closed in April 2011.

The other saw Simon Cain advise HG Capital and CPS partners on the acquisition of Manx Telecom from Telefónica. Manx group is the principal telecommunications and internet provider on the island, and the acquisition transaction was one of the major M&A deals of the year.

Another highlight saw Simon Harding act for 3D Diagnostic Imaging on its transition from the Plus market to the London Aim market.

Clients particularly appreciate the firm's IT specialisation. "We choose Appleby, because Appleby has the expertise in the IT area," says one client. "The firm has a very good IT specialist, Claire Milne, who advised on our IT realted work."

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