Legal Business

Offshore: Mourant Ozannes opts for experience with hire of former Farrer private client head

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Global offshore firm Mourant Ozannes has made a significant hire to its City office, recruiting Farrer & Co’s former head of private client, Jim Edmondson. He will lead the firm’s international trusts and private client practice from 1 September when current head Douglas Close steps down.

Edmondson, who was head of Farrer’s client practice and joint senior partner until May 2013 and has been acting as a consultant since then, will officially join Mourant Ozannes in May this year.

Acknowledged as a ‘leading individual’ for personal tax, trusts and probate in The Legal 500, Edmondson acts as a solicitor to the trustees of a substantial London estate and is an experienced speaker at conferences in the Channel Islands and Caribbean on corporate and trust-related themes.

Mourant Ozannes’ Close said Edmondson is one of the ‘most experienced and well-regarded private client lawyers in London, with acknowledged expertise in complex offshore structuring and multi-jurisdictional advice.’

‘His arrival will enable us to focus more closely on such non-contentious work from international clients and referrers of business and to grow and develop our practice further over the next few years.’

Edmondson added: ‘I shall be sorry to leave Farrers but I consider myself fortunate to have this chance to work with another first class law firm, not in competition with Farrers, dealing with private client work across the wide spectrum covered by Mourant Ozannes’ practice. I am particularly grateful for the support and cooperation of my colleagues at Farrers in enabling me to take on this exciting new challenge.’

Sarah.downey@legalease.co.uk

Legal Business

Emerging targets

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Mourant Ozannes’ merger this summer created another large fish in the global offshore pond. Firms now have to focus on clients from new economies to stay ahead

It was nearly a decade in the making. Jersey and Guernsey titans Mourant du Feu & Jeune and Ozannes announced their merger earlier this year but, for market observers, it was a tie-up that had been on the cards ever since Jersey and Guernsey rivals Carey Langlois and Olsens merged in 2003.