Law firm Walkers has moved to new, larger premises in St Peter Port after strategic recruitment and growth in its Guernsey team saw headcount almost treble over the past four years.
The move to new premises in Helvetia Court accommodates the significant number of new joiners in the firm’s legal practice and business support teams and provides flexibility for further anticipated expansion.
Walkers’ Guernsey Managing Partner Matt Sanders said that the investment in new premises underlined Walkers’ commitment to developing its Guernsey-law offering. He explained “We are delighted to be moving into larger offices at a time when our targeted recruitment activity is continuing at pace
“We have transformed our business in the past four years. In every practice group of the firm we have both promoted high performing lawyers from within the business and made significant hires of market-leading lawyers from competitor firms in Guernsey, as well as internationally.
“In the past 24 months alone we have promoted two partners, three senior counsel, and a senior associate. We have also hired 11 new lawyers in the same period, including partners David Cooney and Craig Cordle, both of whom have a market-leading position in their respective practice groups and both of whom were with competitor firms in Guernsey.
“All of these promotions and hires have had a tremendously positive impact on our business. At the same time we have worked extremely hard to retain and reinforce our collaborative culture and approach.”
Walkers also has offices in Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, Cayman, Dubai, Dublin, Hong Kong, Jersey, London and Singapore – the team in Guernsey includes lawyers who have worked in the firm’s BVI, Cayman and Jersey offices.
The 13-strong partnership bench in Walkers’ Guernsey office also has wide international experience, with partners having practised in London, Cayman, New York, Switzerland, Bermuda, South Africa and New Zealand.
Fraser Hern, the head of Walkers’ Channel Islands business, said: “There is a bright future ahead for Guernsey’s financial services industry, and we are confident that Walkers will sustain our growth both in headcount and market share here in the Bailiwick.
“Our team in Guernsey – from the partnership right through to the associates’ bench – has many years of experience both in the jurisdiction and internationally and are rightly praised in the legal directories for their technical skill, responsiveness and client care standards. We have a very clear ambition to be the market leader in all of our core practice groups, and we feel we are continuing along a very positive trajectory towards achieving this.”
