Xavier Isaac
Xavier Isaac
CEO | Accuro
JURISDICTION
Switzerland, Jersey, England and Wales, Mauritius
TOP SPECIALISMS
Fiduciary
Trusts & Trusteeship
Office Location
Switzerland
Short Biography
Xavier is co-founder and CEO of Accuro Group. In 2017 he led the management buyout that galvanized Accuro as the independent, values-driven and award-winning business it is today. Xavier drives Accuro's international strategy, mission and vision and advises clients on estate planning, taxation, philanthropy, and trusts. He is the treasurer of the Swiss Philanthropy Foundation and sits on the board of the Fondation Pacifique, a Swiss charity. Xavier holds a master’s degree in Law from Catholic University of Louvain (Belgium), Magna Cum Laude. He is also a Member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (TEP) and a former Vice-President of the Swiss Association of Trust Companies. He speaks French, English, Spanish and Dutch.
What is your favorite restaurant to take a client or colleague to?
Balila, Lebanese restaurant in Geneva
What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
Always remain in control of your destiny
What was your first job?
International estate planner at ABN Amro Bank in Luxembourg
What is the book you recommend to everyone?
Principles, Ray Dalio
What changes do you expect to see in your practice over the next year?
Digitalization of the trust industry for the benefit of our staff and clients
Will Burnell
Will Burnell
Partner | Mourant
JURISDICTION
TOP SPECIALISMS
Family Governance and Business
Trusts & Trusteeship
Trusts: Planning
Office Location
Jersey
Short Biography
I am a Partner in Mourant's International Trusts and Private Client team in Jersey. I advise corporate, charitable and private clients from a range of jurisdictions on the creation, ongoing management and termination of British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands and Jersey trusts and other wealth and succession planning vehicles. I am qualified in Jersey, the BVI and England (non-practising).
What is your favorite restaurant to take a client or colleague to?
Zuma in Miami always offers a special experience.
What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
It's not about what you know, it's about finding the answer when you don't know.
What was your first job?
Paper round.
What is the book you recommend to everyone?
I find myself recommending Edward St Aubyn's Patrick Melrose novels most often, although I'm not sure I could recommend them to everyone...
What changes do you expect to see in your practice over the next year?
I expect to see an increase in structures holding digital assets.
Tony Pursall
Tony Pursall
Consultant | Mourant
JURISDICTION
TOP SPECIALISMS
Estates: Planning
Trusts & Trusteeship
Trusts: Planning
Office Location
United Kingdom
Short Biography
Tony Pursall is a Consultant in the International Trusts & Private Client team at Mourant Ozannes, based in their London office. Prior to joining Mourant in 2016, Tony led the Trust and Private Client team for Europe and the Middle East at another leading offshore law firm. Tony was admitted as an attorney-at-law in the Cayman Islands in 2001 and as a legal practitioner in the BVI in 2005. He has 30 years' experience advising trustees, beneficiaries, protectors, banks and high-net-worth individuals on a wide range of trust and private client matters and has co-authored three books, Drafting Cayman Islands Trusts, Drafting British Virgin Islands Trusts and Guernsey Trust Law. Tony is the International Correspondent for Private Client Business and a member of the Trust and Succession Law Review Committee of STEP, BVI branch, that recommends new legislation to the BVI government.
What is your favorite restaurant to take a client or colleague to?
What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
What was your first job?
What is the book you recommend to everyone?
What changes do you expect to see in your practice over the next year?
Steve Gully
Steve Gully
Director | Alex Picot Trust
JURISDICTION
Jersey
TOP SPECIALISMS
Fiduciary
Trusts & Trusteeship
Trusts: Planning
Office Location
Jersey
Short Biography
Highly personable individual who seeks to understand the requirements of his clients and then delivers on those expectations. An experienced leader in the private client world working as a trustee, company director and trusted advisor to family offices, UHNWI's. Working with international clients with connections to the UK, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia, US and Australasia. Providing guidance and support to family wealth structuring and succession vehicles owning family business assets, real estate, luxury goods, works of art, agricultural estates, investment portfolios and co-investment structuring vehicles.
What is your favorite restaurant to take a client or colleague to?
Savoy Grill
What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
Live YOUR life! Too often people spend too much time wanting to live someone else's life!
What was your first job?
A summer / student job working as a baggage handler at Jersey airport.
What is the book you recommend to everyone?
Start with Why. Or any Simon Sinek book for that matter
What changes do you expect to see in your practice over the next year?
Continued adoption of evolving technology to make our onboarding and client interaction more efficient and harmonious for clients and their advisors.
Stephen McMahon
Stephen McMahon
CEO | ARC Group
JURISDICTION
Guernsey, Jersey, England and Wales
TOP SPECIALISMS
Alternative Investments
Asset Management
Family Office
Office Location
Jersey
Short Biography
After an early consultancy career at PwC and the Bank of England, Stephen found himself on a search for the cutting edge of investment consultancy. He found a home at ARC in 2008, drawn by ARC’s innovation and ethical business practices (corny, perhaps, but true). Today he brings unrivalled enthusiasm to his role as CEO. Stephen’s passions are bringing order to chaos and applying theory to real-world scenarios, combining logic and imagination to solve challenging problems. He brings that experience to bear as a judge for the PAM Awards and a member of the Governing Body of the Lister Institute and the St Edmund Hall Investment Sub-Committee. Outside the office, Stephen fosters a love of niche racket sports and homebrewing.
What is your favorite restaurant to take a client or colleague to?
Anywhere serving Jersey seafood!
What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
You have two ears and one mouth - use them in that proportion!
What was your first job?
Roofer!
What is the book you recommend to everyone?
I'm a massive fan of Biggles books...
What changes do you expect to see in your practice over the next year?
Greater focus on true value additive services - AI will deal with the rest!
Stephen Baker
Stephen Baker
Senior Partner | Baker & Partners
JURISDICTION
TOP SPECIALISMS
Civil Fraud
Commercial Litigation
Trusts: Contentious
Office Location
Jersey
Short Biography
Stephen Baker is an English barrister and Jersey Advocate. He is Senior Partner at Baker & Partners. He was called to the English bar in 1989 and is a highly experienced court room advocate, having conducted many contested trials. He practised at the English bar for many years before moving to Jersey in 2003 where he established Baker & Partners. He specialises in complex international financial litigation including trust and commercial disputes as well as civil fraud. Educated at Manchester and Cambridge Universities he has a first class Masters degree in law.
What is your favorite restaurant to take a client or colleague to?
What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
What was your first job?
What is the book you recommend to everyone?
What changes do you expect to see in your practice over the next year?
Stephen Alexander
Stephen Alexander
Partner - Head of Litigation (Jersey) | Mourant
JURISDICTION
TOP SPECIALISMS
Commercial Litigation
Insolvency
Trusts: Contentious
Office Location
Jersey
Short Biography
I’m a Partner of Mourant and the Practice Leader of the Jersey Litigation team. I regularly advise on a wide range of multi-jurisdictional commercial disputes, with a particular focus in the areas of contentious private wealth and trust matters. I am a Trusts and Estate Practitioner (TEP), and the chair of Jersey branch of the Society of Trusts and Estate Practitioners, the largest in the world outside of London. I am recommended in both Chambers and Partners and Legal 500, and I feature on the Citywealth Leaders List, the Who's Who Legal: Private Client list,
What is your favorite restaurant to take a client or colleague to?
The Hungry Man in Rozel Bay, Jersey.
What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
Never ask someone to do something that you wouldn't.
What was your first job?
Supermarket trolley pusher, shelf-stacker and till operator!
What is the book you recommend to everyone?
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari
What changes do you expect to see in your practice over the next year?
More focus on mental capacity disputes and trustee investment related disputes
Sonia Shah
Sonia Shah
Managing Associate | Bedell Cristin
JURISDICTION
TOP SPECIALISMS
Commercial Litigation
Dispute Resolution or Arbitration
Trusts: Contentious
Office Location
Jersey
Short Biography
My practice involves advising leading onshore law firms, fiduciaries and high net worth individuals in relation to trust, commercial, insolvency and regulatory matters. I act for trustees and beneficiaries alike in contentious and non-contentious matters with an international element. I regularly assist with complex applications and trial work before the Royal Court and Court of Appeal in Jersey and the Privy Council.
What is your favorite restaurant to take a client or colleague to?
In Jersey - Upstairs at Anley Street, In London - Noble Rot (can't beat either for delicious food and wine)
What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
Read (A LOT) and never stop learning.
What was your first job?
A newspaper delivery route
What is the book you recommend to everyone?
What changes do you expect to see in your practice over the next year?
Robert Pearce KC
Robert Pearce KC
Barrister | Radcliffe Chambers
JURISDICTION
TOP SPECIALISMS
Charitable Planning and Philanthropy
Trusts & Trusteeship
Trusts: Contentious
Office Location
London, United Kingdom
Short Biography
Robert Pearce KC is sought after to advise and conduct litigation in the fields of private client, trusts, property law and charities. He is recognised as a leading individual across his core practice areas in Chambers UK Bar and The Legal 500 UK Bar, and as a star silk for charities work by Chambers UK Bar. He also has wide experience in the areas of professional negligence, capital taxation and commercial law. He was Standing Counsel to the Charity Commission for England and Wales, and is the Consulting Editor for the Charities volume of Halsbury’s Laws of England. He is an accredited mediator.
What is your favorite restaurant to take a client or colleague to?
What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
What was your first job?
What is the book you recommend to everyone?
What changes do you expect to see in your practice over the next year?
Robert (Bobby) Christie
Robert (Bobby) Christie
Partner | Bedell Cristin
JURISDICTION
TOP SPECIALISMS
Commercial Litigation
Dispute Resolution or Arbitration
Trusts: Contentious
Office Location
Jersey
Short Biography
Robert is a Jersey Advocate, and English and BVI barrister, specialising in trusts, company, commercial and insolvency litigation. Robert practised for six years at Radcliffe Chambers before moving offshore, to BVI and then to Jersey in 2015. Robert has acted for beneficiaries, trustees and protectors (among others) in numerous contentious and semi-contentious trusts proceedings, and also has extensive experience of shareholder disputes and claims against directors, including in an insolvency context. He joined Bedell Cristin as a partner in December 2020.
What is your favorite restaurant to take a client or colleague to?
Upstairs at Anley Street, but only if the client or colleague in question likes pies.
What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
To own your mistakes.
What was your first job?
Busking with my bagpipes.
What is the book you recommend to everyone?
The Magus by John Fowles.
What changes do you expect to see in your practice over the next year?
Unfortunately, more insolvencies in businesses which have managed to survive the impact of Covid but can no longer continue.