Recent Global Private Capital Developments from a Channel Islands Perspective

Ben Robins became a Partner in our Jersey office in October 2002, and is currently a Global Practice Leader for the firm's global funds practice. He has extensive experience in investment funds, real estate investment and structured finance. 

Ben trained at Charles Russell Speechly in London, where he qualified as an English solicitor in 1996.

His practice focuses on the formation, operation and financing of private equity, venture capital and debt funds, as well as real estate funds and investment structures. Ben regularly advises fund promoters, managers, investors, directors and service providers across a variety of asset classes.

Darren Bacon is a Partner at Mourant Ozannes (Guernsey) LLP in the Guernsey Corporate practice specialising in investment funds in a range of sectors, including infrastructure, private equity, real estate and debt, acting for both listed and private structures. He regularly advises on a range of corporate transactions.

Before moving to the island, he trained and worked in the City of London.

Frances Watson is a Partner and Guernsey Advocate in the Corporate team at Mourant Ozannes (Guernsey) LLP.

With over 20 years’ experience, her practice covers a wide variety of corporate and commercial matters, finance, investment funds, insurance, listings, regulatory advice and restructurings.

Prior to moving to Guernsey in 2005, she spent seven years working with Allen & Overy, advising on a wide variety of corporate and corporate finance matters. Watson joined Mourant Ozannes in early 2017.

Joel Hernandez is an investment fund specialist, based in our Jersey office. Joel has worked in the funds and trust industry since 1997. Prior to joining Mourant Ozannes, he was a senior lawyer at Australia's largest investment fund manager, advising on areas of trust law, superannuation and managed investments for some of Australia's leading investment funds. He also has four years of commercial funds administration experience.

His practice focuses on real estate, private equity and venture capital funds, as well as private joint venture arrangements.

Joel regularly advises global fund promoters, joint ventures and international service providers across a variety of asset classes with a particular focus on overseas pension and sovereign fund investors investing into Europe.

Mike Jones is the Managing Director of Mourant Consulting, a governance, risk and compliance consultancy business.

Prior to establishing Mourant Consulting, Mike was Director of Policy & Risk at the Jersey Financial Services Commission (JFSC).

He has 20+ years regulatory experience at the Jersey & Australian Financial Services regulators.

Sally Rochester is Director of Mourant Consulting with over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry. 

Previously she was a Director at a Big 4 professional services firm where she lead the Guernsey advisory team and the risk and regulatory team across Jersey, Guernsey, Isle of Man and Gibraltar.

Sally started her career in KPMG as an external auditor in London and the BVI before moving to Jersey as Head of Internal Audit for an offshore financial services business. 

Sally has developed her regulatory expertise over the last decade through delivering engagements both for clients and local regulators and more recently held the role of Executive Director of Supervision for a local regulator. This broad base of risk management and regulatory expertise means that Sally is well placed to support clients with their risk and regulatory strategies.