The latest moves in wealth management across the UK, Europe, Middle East and Africa.

ML Capital
Investment firm ML Capital, which oversaw about $7 billion of capital as at the end of September 2018, has announced that Dr Dermot Smurfit has decided to step down as board chairman after a five-year stint.

ML Capital has appointed Barry McGrath after board approval as its next chairman.

“We are now a major player in the fund management business with some 60 funds now attached to our management company. The company, under the leadership of Cyril Delamare and his senior management team, is both profitable and ready for its next growth phase.

McGrath led Maples and Calders Dublin Investment Fund practice between 2008 and 2017 where he and his team grew the group to become the largest funds practice in Ireland.
 

Collas Crill
Collas Crill has appointed three people to join its British Virgin Islands team: partner Gerard Clarke (the dispute resolution department), senior associate Richard Doyle, and associate Christian Hidalgo (the corporate, finance and funds team).

Clarke has previously acted for international corporates and high net worth individuals, advised national governments at ministerial level, and challenged and defended regulators. His areas of expertise include litigation, mediation and negotiation, as well as strategic and tactical legal advice covering a variety of business, regulatory, and governmental sectors.

Prior to joining Collas Crill, Clarke worked for another leading offshore law firm in the BVI. He was also a member of Blackstone Chambers in London for over 30 years and is an International Member of 4-5 Gray’s Inn Square. 

Doyle joined Collas Crill in September 2018 to expand the corporate, finance and funds team. He has experience in areas including mergers and acquisitions, private debt and equity financing, joint ventures, shareholder arrangements, commercial contracts, corporate restructurings and reorganisations, intellectual property, data protection and technology and employee share schemes. Before joining, Doyle worked in the corporate commercial department of ByrneWallace, Dublin, and has also worked as legal counsel for Agile Investment.

Hidalgo joined the BVI corporate, finance and funds team in November and he brings a range of experience with him. This includes banking and finance, advising financial institutions and corporate borrowers in relation to real estate finance transactions, corporate finance, funds compliance, real estate investment funds, advising on legal and regulatory aspects of fund launches and joint ventures, property finance, listing specialised debt and asset-backed securities. Hidalgo, a qualified solicitor in Scotland, is a member of the Law Society of Scotland. Previously, he worked in Carey Olsen’s Jersey office in the banking and finance department, and before that CMS in Scotland.