Jersey law firm Benest & Syvret has appointed Morag James to the newly created role of Practice Manager.
Mrs. James joins Benest & Syvret from RBS International, where most recently she held the position Head of Employee Communications. During her service with the bank, Mrs. James gained experience in a number of senior roles including Operations and Corporate Banking.
Mrs. James will play a pivotal role in the growth plans for Benest & Syvret, which is one of the Island’s leading law firms specializing in property, family and employment matters.
Commenting on her new role Mrs. James said: ‘Benest & Syvret focuses on quality service and client satisfaction and, despite the difference in size, there are some significant similarities in that respect with RBS International. I am looking forward to bringing my experience in this area to the firm to ensure that, as it continues to grow, our clients remain at the heart of everything we do and stand for. Benest & Syvret is extremely successful and I am looking forward to being part of its continued development.’
Philip Syvret, partner at Benest & Syvret, said: ‘Morag will be at the centre of what we do from now on. We have been carefully recruiting the best people to our team to support our growth plans and Morag’s appointment is a key part of that strategy. She will make sure our structure, operations and internal policies and procedures support our business development plans. Nina Benest and I are delighted to welcome her to the team’.
Morag James holds a BSc (Hons) in Financial Services from Manchester University and is a Chartered Associate Member of the Institute of Financial Services.
Mrs. James, who lives with her family in Trinity, is originally from Glasgow where she joined RBS PLC from school. She moved to Jersey to join RBSI in 1995.
For more information contact
Allan Watts
Orchid Communications
T: 01534 888994 M: 07797 734735 E: allan@orchid.je
Jersey law firm Benest & Syvret has appointed Giles Emmanuel to work in its busy commercial and private client litigation department.
Jersey–born Mr. Emmanuel, a qualified English Solicitor, was educated at De La Salle College and graduated from Solent University with a BA (Hons) in Business and Law. He went on to complete his Law Practice Course at the College of Law London and will shortly begin studying for the Jersey Advocates' exams.
Mr. Emmanuel started his career with Ogier as a legal assistant and has developed considerable experience in private client, commercial and criminal litigation. He has also gained significant knowledge of corporate, banking, funds, structured finance and trust work.
Mr. Emmanuel said: "Benest & Syvret offers excellent career progression for me. It is a small but dynamic local law firm with a friendly but hard–working team. The range of work undertaken by the firm provides me with the right challenges and opportunities to develop my skills and learn from some of the best practitioners in Jersey's legal services industry."
Philip Syvret, partner at Benest & Syvret, said: "Giles is exactly the calibre of young lawyer that Benest & Syvret is seeking to recruit. He has a solid academic background, comprehensive practical experience and a deep understanding of our core services and business ethos. Giles will play a key role in ensuring we continue to deliver a very personal and bespoke service for our clients."
Jersey’s residential property market is showing firm signs of recovery, in the view of two local experts. Solicitor Philip Syvret, partner in Benest & Syvret, a leading local law firm specialising in property matters, says confidence is returning in the residential sector, driven by a number of factors.
Last week Benest & Syvret serviced property transactions worth more than £18 million, an exceptional week for one firm in the Samedi division of the Royal Court. 'We helped a number of clients finalise their transactions', says Mr. Syvret, 'with properties from £210,000 to more than £6 million in value changing hands. This renewed confidence is partly due to the softening of local prices, though we have seen nothing like the falls recorded in the UK. Many people are also taking advantage of the record low interest rates before the widely predicted rise by the Bank of England. But we are seeing an underlying trend towards greater confidence and a willingness to invest in property once more.'
'We are also seeing more realistic pricing from vendors,' added Mr. Syvret. 'Buyers in Jersey are sophisticated and knowledgeable about the market so if you are selling, it pays to be sensible and flexible on price. There is a lot of activity, in particular for properties up to £500,000 in value, and the top of the market is also looking very healthy.'
Mr. Syvret's comments are backed up by local estate agent John Crespel of Crespel Properties. He said 'The market has changed dramatically since the 1st of January. We have experienced one of the busiest first quarters in years. Not only are the number of completions up, but we are also seeing an increase in enquiries from first time buyers. This is the next generation of property owners and they are particularly interested in the apartment market where prices are becoming more affordable.'
Whilst lending criteria are still strict, the market has adjusted and more lenders are beginning to cautiously offer mortgages to those clients who can meet the necessary conditions. Both Mr. Syvret and Mr. Crespel say it's difficult to predict how the market will fare during the next quarter but they are expecting the summer months to show further gains.