Law: Channel Islands

The Channel Islands of Jersey and Guernsey are two separate jurisdictions with their own laws, their own parliaments and their own legal professions. This means there is a body of local work servicing the needs of the Island communities, but much more importantly the Islands’ status as offshore finance centres attracts international finance business and brings high end corporate legal work to the Islands’ law firms.

The client base of Channel Islands law firms has changed significantly over the past 25 years. Decades ago, wealthy individuals were the focus of most firms’ plans. However, now that the finance industry has become more corporate and institutional, the most important relationships for the Islands’ law firms are those with City law firms, global banks, accounting houses and financial institutions.

Working in law in the Channel Islands suits those with excellent time and transaction management skills. In the City a team of around 12 lawyers might work on a deal full time for ten weeks, but the offshore aspects of that deal might be handled by just two lawyers who are also juggling five or six other deals.

Business developments

Both Jersey and Guernsey have governments that are prepared to innovate in the law to help the finance industry grow, and there have been a number of recent revisions to the companies and trusts laws of the Islands to make them internationally attractive. Looking forward, offshore investment funds will continue to be the biggest growth area for the Channel Islands.

The opportunities

You can work from day one on the basis of an English or Scots qualification although it typically takes around three to six months to get familiar with the local legal landscape. To qualify locally as an advocate takes at least two years, but this is not a requirement for practice.

Graduates working in law are likely to work as part of a team, setting up companies, reviewing documents and attending client conference calls. In contentious work a graduate assistant might help with preparing documents for court and may attend hearings, although only a qualified advocate would actually have rights of audience. Most firms offer a comprehensive internal training programme in both English and local law. In addition, there is often generous support for those who wish to gain the local legal qualification. Many City firms consider Channel Islands experience a valuable asset and often junior lawyers will spend time (usually around three years) here before moving into senior roles in some of the best firms in the world.