Law Firm Walkers Adds To Jersey Team

Rachel Walsh

22 April 2009

Private client law firm Walkers has expanded in Jersey with the addition of two attorneys from its London office. The appointments were made to meet with demand for specialist expertise related to private equity and hedge funds work in the jurisdiction. Ian Gobin has been named the new head of private equity for Jersey and Charles Lee joins Walkers' investment funds team on the island.

Walkers believes Jersey's inclusion on the OECD's "whitelist" of jurisdicitions will bolster the island's reputation for investment funds and structured finance vehicles; this, combined with the current turbulence in financial markets presents specific opportunities and challenges to fund managers. The shift away from more traditional fund formation work in favour of restructuring and enforcement work is one example of the current market dynamic which Walkers aims to cater to.

"Many funds are suffering from liquidity issues or are taking pre-emptive action as the liquidity squeeze bites," said Jonathan Heaney, a partner and the head of Walkers' Hedge Funds Group in Jersey. "When funds feel the pinch, Walkers can add significant value due to our level of understanding and ability to respond quickly in order to meet client expectations in difficult circumstances."

With more than eight years of experience in Walkers' Grand Cayman and London offices, Mr Gobin specialises in setting up and advising private equity funds and hedge funds. He also has widespread experience in a wide range of asset finance, structured finance and secured lending transactions, as well as corporate and commercial matters.

Mr Lee joined Walkers' London office in 2007, primarily focusing on hedge funds and private equity funds, as well as general corporate matters and structured finance transactions. Previously, he worked as a solicitor in both London and Sydney.

Since opening its Jersey office two years ago, Walkers has built a team of eight partners and 15 other fee earners, offering advice regarding the laws of Jersey, the Cayman Islands and the British Virgin Islands on finance, hedge funds, private equity, litigation, private client and trust work.

From British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dubai, Hong Kong, Jersey, London, and Singapore, the Walkers group provides legal and management services to global corporations and financial institutions, capital markets participants, investment fund managers, and growth- and middle-market companies.