Dickinson Gleeson is delighted to have won the prestigious Citywealth IFC 2018 Boutique Law Firm of the Year award. This builds upon last year’s Legal 500 Offshore Law Firm of the Year 2017 award.
James Gleeson says “We are delighted to have won this award. It provides recognition of our work in the private wealth and contentious trusts and estates litigation arenas. We are incredibly grateful to our clients and other professional colleagues and intermediaries, without whose support we would not have won this award. We also wish to thank all members of staff for their hard work, commitment and dedication”.
London and Regional instructed Dickinson Gleeson to advise on the Jersey aspects of its Atlas Hotel portfolio refinancing. The portfolio consists of approximately 50 hotels, purchased for circa £575 million in 2016.
London and Regional is one of the largest privately-owned property companies in Europe. The refinancing was provided by Morgan Stanley, secured against the portfolio of hotels.
Corporate Partner Edward Scott and Associate John Burns worked alongside English lawyers Reed Smith. Clifford Chance and Carey Olsen acted for Morgan Stanley.
Edward Scott said: “We are very pleased to have been part of the team that helped London and Regional with this sizeable refinancing. Since I joined the firm sixteen months ago, I and the Dickinson Gleeson team have worked on a number of large corporate and finance matters, often involving UK real estate. This transaction was fast-moving and our partner-led approach enabled us to provide our advice at short order.”
Dickinson Gleeson is delighted to have been shortlisted for the IFC Awards Boutique Law Firm of the year. The awards are partly decided by an online vote which closes on 1 December. Use this link to cast a vote in favor of Dickinson Gleeson, noting that voters cannot vote for their own firms or colleagues.
The winners of the awards will be announced on 25 January 2018.
Dickinson Gleeson partner Craig Swart has completed a gruelling solo swim in aid of charity from St Catherine’s in Jersey to Carteret in Normandy, a distance of around 19 miles. Craig undertook the swim racing two long-time sea-swimming companions Simon “Haircut” O’Donoghue and Toni Buchholz, the three arriving in France 8 hours and 8 – 42 minutes after they set off. The swimmers battled strong tides as they made their crossing and negotiated their way past Les Écréhous, a large reef of rocks, mid-way in their journey. The swim was in aid of the Grace Crocker Family Support Foundation, a charity that supports families from Jersey who need to spend time on mainland UK whilst their children receive medical treatment in hospital. So far they have raised an outstanding £3,000.
The three brand themselves as “The Three Amigos” and in 2015 successfully completed a solo charity swim around Jersey together, a total distance of 48 miles. Dickinson Gleeson is again sponsoring the Jersey Round Island Challenge, where competitors either swim, canoe/kayak, row, stand-up-paddleboard or run around Jersey. The event will take place on Saturday 12 August and it too is in aid of the Grace Crocker charity. Last year 150 people took part in the inaugural challenge, including Craig Swart who swam as a member of a relay team.
Craig Swart said “It has been on my bucket list to swim from Jersey to France. After 8 hours in the water and with strong tides taking us north we started to flag a bit. But we persevered and I was delighted that all three of us reached our goal fairly close together. It also felt good to have helped the Grace Crocker charity. We could not have done it without our support teams, Paul James boat pilot and Bianca Kempster observer for Haircut; Ralph Buchholz pilot and Jenny Fitzgerald observer for Toni; Nick Dotter pilot, my son Cameron as 2nd and cameraman and Alice Harvey as observer for me; and backing and help from the Jersey Long Distance Swimming Club; and I would like to thank everyone who sponsored us.”
James Dickinson, Dickinson Gleeson’s Senior Partner, said: “Characteristically modest, Craig did not tell us that he was undertaking this feat until the morning of the swim. The Three Amigos took trackers with them so, once we found out about the challenge, we could follow their journey on-line in the office. We were thrilled for them when they made landfall in France. And delighted that the trackers gave away their first port of call as a bar on the pier at Carteret!”
Dickinson Gleeson has appointed a Consultant to support its
growing legal team.
Advocate Jane Martin has been recruited by the practice to further enhance its litigation offering, and brings with her a wealth of experience in commercial litigation and case management.
As former Chief Executive Officer of the Law Society of Jersey and previously a Managing Partner of a local law firm, Advocate Martin has enjoyed a varied career, which also includes being appointed as Crown Advocate and arguing cases on behalf of the prosecution in criminal trials.
Founding partner James Gleeson said of Jane’s appointment: “Jane has joined us at an exciting time in the firm’s journey. Jane’s expertise is invaluable in bolstering the team and providing the excellent all-round service that our clients expect from us”.
Advocate Martin will focus on a wide range of contentious trusts and companies
disputes, including advising trustees, high net worth individuals, companies and
shareholders.
Having qualified as an English solicitor, Jane was sworn in an Advocate of the Royal
Court in 1995. Commenting on her appointment, Jane added: “I was attracted to working for Dickinson Gleeson due to the high profile, complex cases that they undertake and the dynamic, can do attitude that has made them a market leader in
disputes work.”
The appointment of Advocate Martin comes at the same time as the firm’s directory
rankings confirm the firm as a “veritable litigation force with a client-care that issecond-to-none”, by renowned legal directory the Legal 500.
The firm is also delighted that its two founding partners, Advocates Dickinson and Gleeson, have been awarded “Hall of Fame” status by the Legal 500.
The Legal 500 Hall of Fame notes those individuals who have received “constant praise by their clients for continued excellence”, highlighting the law firm partners who are at the pinnacle of their profession.
The other leading directory, Chambers and Partners, has noted: 'They're intellectually rigorous and have great a practice" say sources, who add that it is "A great boutique firm."