Hassans announces that two of its practitioners, Ian Felice and Richard Buttigieg, have been admitted to the Bar of the British Virgin Islands. At a ceremony held at the BVI Supreme Court on 26th October 2010 before Justice Indra Hariprashad-Charles, Felice and Buttigieg were formally admitted to practise as Barristers of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court in the Territory of the Virgin Islands.

This in effect means that both Felice and Buttigieg can advise on all matters relating to BVI law and appear in court in this Caribbean territory.
In explaining the background to the decision to seek admission to the BVI Bar, Felice, a Partner in Hassans’ Corporate and Commercial Team, told B2B “For some time now, a number of our clients had intimated to us their desire for Hassans to be able to advise and assist them on BVI matters with the same level of expertise and dedication as we do on their Gibraltar matters. Given the many synergies between BVI and Gibraltar structures and the wide-spread use of BVI trusts and companies in international commercial transactions, it was felt that being able to deliver a BVI service would complement the work currently done by the Corporate and Commercial Team, allowing it the flexibility to assist our clients not just with the Gibraltar angle of the transactions but also now with their BVI structures.”
The admission of Felice and Buttigieg to the BVI Bar increases the number of lawyers at Hassans able to advise on BVI law to four. Tony Provasoli and Fabian Picardo were previously admitted to the BVI Bar in 2003. Managing Partner Javier Chincotta said “We are delighted to announce the Admission of Ian Felice and Richard Buttigieg to the BVI Bar. Hassans is always sensitive to its clients’ needs and there had been much insistence by a number of our clients that we should increase our ability to service their BVI structures.
Ian and Richard have wide experience in international commercial transactions featuring Gibraltar and BVI entities and their Admission to the BVI Bar allows the firm to enhance its client services on these transactions.”

Norwich and Peterborough estate agents have moved back to their old home at Cannon Lane after the business was bought by local Chartered Surveyors Paul Gibson and Nicholas Gale.

Now trading as NP estates, the agency will offer a comprehensive residential and commercial property management service alongside the lettings core business. The office in Cannon Lane will be managed by Sheelagh Welsh. Gibson and Gale will continue to run their independent valuation practices but will work closely with the agency with a view to a full merger within
the next 12 months.
Samantha Hemingway at the Norwich and Peterborough Building Society who has over-seen the lettings business from the branch in Main Street says that she “is confident that under the new management the business will expand quickly to reach its full potential”.

Local financial adviser firm European Financial Planning Group – EFPG – will soon be moving from their current home in Corral Road to larger, more centrally located, premises at 15, Irish Town.

The move is a result of the rapid expansion the company has seen since it commenced its Gibraltar operation in 2004. Paul Garner, Sales Director told B2B that “when we moved into Corral Road we envisaged steady expansion and possibly a move to larger premises within 10 years but such has been our rate of growth that an earlier move has become necessary. The fact that we have been able to secure premises in a great central location with the convenience that this offers to our clients is an additional bonus.”
EFPG provides advice to both individuals and companies on all areas of financial planning including life cover, pensions and investments. Changes in the tax treatment of pension arrangements and the growing need for private pension provision has increased the demand for advice in this area.
“Uniquely in Gibraltar we have a specialist team of Pensions Advisers who have an enviable depth of knowledge in this particularly technical area of financial planning.” says EFPG Technical Director Anthony Drew.“ This expertise was recognised earlier this year when EFPG became the first overseas firm to be appointed to the prestigious Society of Pensions Consultants in the UK.”
Paul Garner adds that, “we have also seen a greater recognition in Gibraltar of the need to financially protect the dependants of a bread winner should death or serious illness occur… which has resulted in a significant increase in demand for Term Assurance and Critical Illness Cover policies which we are able to arrange with leading UK life insurance companies at very competitive rates.”
Looking to the future, Tom Fraser CEO of EFPG says that the new growth area for EFPG in 2011 will be the provision of investment advice: “We will be tackling this head on and have recruited advisers with expert knowledge in the investments field. EFPG provides a real alternative with our focus on personal service – understanding what our clients really want from their investments and the level of risk (if any) they are willing to take.”
EFPG expects to move to its new Irish Town HQ during December and looks forward to welcoming clients both new and current. The website address and main telephone number remain as www.efpg.net and 200 49750 respectively. E-mails can be addressed to info@efpg.net

Law firm Hassans welcomed seven new recruits last month, an encouraging sign of growth against the backdrop of a challenging global economic climate. Three trainee solicitors, Harriet Rhoda, Piers Barber and David Borge and four barristers, Albert Agius, Stephen Noguera, Matthew Torres and Joelle Wahnon will work in a variety of departments, including property, litigation, tax, and commercial.

Gibraltar’s largest law firm remains committed to its expansion by tapping into the talent available in the local community; all but one of the successful recruits spent time in the firm’s highly popular and successful ‘Summer Placement Programme’. Hassans was the first outside the UK to be accredited by the Law Society of England and Wales to offer training contracts to aspiring solicitors.
As Managing Partner, Javier Chincotta commented:  “We are committed to continual professional development and training. Our goal is to recruit exceptionally talented people who will stay with us and who want to become partners in our continuing success story. The new recruits are talented and dedicated and will bring new skills to the firm, which all our clients can benefit from”

Proudly displaying Chelsea’s colours on its handles the instantly recognisable trophy visited Gibraltar in September under the guard of Liverpool legend Ian Rush.

During its four-day tour, the trophy called in at a very excited Rainbow Children’s Ward at St. Bernard’s hospital then wound its way around the Rock via schools and the Junior Football league selections to the Barclays Wealth community day at the Barclays branch on Main Street where a superb £916 was raised for the GBC open day charity.
Barclays Wealth clients – as well as taking part in a mini- football tournament at the Victoria Stadium – were also treated to dinner with Ian Rush. There are no reports as to what the trophy had to eat, but B2B hears an excellent time was had by all.
Did you know? The design of the trophy is based on the theme of the three lions of English football. Two of the lions can be found above the handles on either side of the trophy; then, when the captain of the title winning team raises the trophy – and its gold crown – above his head at the end of the season, he becomes the third lion.

“Books are the legacies that a great genius leaves to mankind, which are delivered down from generation
to generation, as presents to the posterity of those who are yet unborn”.

Reading is, and always will be part of our daily lives; yesterday, today and tomorrow: be it books, newspapers or magazines, be it on-line, at home or on the train, so surely our Library must be fit for purpose?

Spending £50 million on an airport terminal comes with its own pros, cons, fans and critics, but one thing that rankles with a lot of people is whilst money is being spent lavishly on this, and other capital projects, the public library at John Mackintosh Hall languishes in what can only be described as semi-squalid conditions. Leaking roofs go unrepaired. Books – the source of inspiration and joy to so many of us – lie abandoned, unloved and mouldy. Tumbleweed and the valiant library assistant are the only occupants whenever we visit. The situation isn’t just crass, it’s an assault on the rights of a public who are entitled to free and easy access to information, literature and social interaction. Indeed, everything a library these days should deliver. Library provision is one of the central tenets of a modern society, with its attendant – crucial – work in education and the development of the lives of our youngsters. As we go to press we learn that new computer terminals have been installed. It’s a start, but we hope that someone somewhere – whether it be at the John Mackintosh Trust, at the Ministry of Culture or indeed at No. 6 – has a bigger, grander plan up their sleeves demonstrating just how our library will be made fit for purpose in the 21st century.