ISOLAS has recently had the pleasure of welcoming another three lawyers to its team. Marisa Hernandez, Michael Podesta and Danielle Victor joined the ranks of Gibraltar’s longest established law firm at the beginning of October and have been busy, as is customary, organising their calls to the bar in the UK and courtesy calls to the judiciary and other senior members of the local profession.

Marisa will be focusing on corporate finance and ship arrest work, Michael will be joining the funds team and Danielle will be assisting the dispute resolution team with personal injury matters.

The news follows on the heels of the announcement a few weeks ago that Steven Caetano joined the partnership.

ISOLAS’ focus on organic growth and development has seen it recruit steadily in response to the growing needs of its clients and partners.

Selwyn Figueras, ISOLAS’ business development manager, explained how ‘over the last few years ISOLAS has experienced significant yet measured growth. We’ve recruited a number of very experienced lawyers to bolster the firm’s expertise in certain key areas creating, thereby, the kind of solutions driven and close personal service we’re all very proud of. The recruitment of three newly qualified lawyers now provides us with the opportunity of passing on that experience to a team of people who can help us to continue developing our participation in the key sectors of local practice. I’m looking forward, as are the rest of the lawyers at ISOLAS, to working with them and to providing them with all the tools and guidance they need to quickly create and develop their own professional profiles in the market.” For further information visit www.gibraltarlawyers.com/news/all/128 or, for Smartphone users, please scan the code with your QR code reader.

Service Delivery Manager appointments to underscore its commitment to delivering excellent customer service to its corporate clients in Gibraltar

Kiara Llambias and Louise Lima will foster close working relationships with Corporate Relationship Managers and customers to ensure service related issues, such as day to day banking, enquiries, payments and statements, are managed in an effective and timely manner.

Kiara has 10 years’ experience with NatWest in Gibraltar and most recently was a Premium Senior Relationship Manager while Louise has worked for the Bank for 11 years, latterly as a Business Services Team Manager, a role she held for six years.

Marvin Cartwright, Regional Head for NatWest in Gibraltar, told B2B: “I am delighted to see Kiara and Louise diversifying their careers within the Bank. Both of them bring a wealth of operational and customer experience to the role. Service delivery is at the heart of our customer promises and needs to be in our DNA. These roles will genuinely enhance the customer experience and I know both Kiara and Louise are excited about the contribution they can make for our corporate and institutional clients.”

Eight new recruits have been welcomed into Gibraltar’s leading law firm, Hassans, underpinning its continued growth in spite of the difficult economic situation worldwide.

Five barristers, Isaac Levy, Andrew Montegriffo, Ralph Bossino, Tito Garro, and Darren Martinez, in addition to three trainee solicitors, Jason Corbett, Chloe Oppenheimer and Caroline Sullivan, will work in various departments of the firm, including commercial, tax, litigation, financial services and funds.

Isaac Levy, the son of James Levy QC, Senior Partner at the firm, will work in the Corporate and Private Client team. Prior to qualifying as a barrister, Isaac was ordained as a Rabbi by the Central Israeli Rabbinical Court. In addition, for a number of years Isaac headed a Research Institute in Talmudic Law in Jerusalem comprising of 70 students. He attained first class honours in his undergraduate degree and outstanding in the Bar Professional Training Course. Following in the footsteps of his father, Isaac was called to the bar in the Middle Temple. He has experience working for well-known city legal firms and barristers chambers in London. In addition he has had experience in the financial world working for a number of Family Offices and Investment Managers.

Andrew Montegriffo, the son of Peter Montegriffo, one of the senior partners at the firm, completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Nottingham before going on to achieve a Masters in Commercial Law. He subsequently undertook the Bar Professional Training Course and is a member of Middle Temple. Andrew has joined the Corporate and Commercial team at Hassans.

Jason is from Cardiff, Wales and converted to a career in law from being a quantity surveyor. He obtained a Masters of Law at Cardiff University where he also undertook the legal practice course.

Caroline was born and brought up in Dundee, Scotland. She graduated from the University of Dundee as one of the first students to complete a dually qualifying Scots and English Law LLB (Hons) degree there. She then went on to complete her Legal Practice Course at BPP Law School in Leeds. Caroline has been coming to Gibraltar for the past 6 years and has been involved in the student programme at Hassans.

Darren currently forms part of the Corporate and Commercial Department. An LLB Honours Graduate from the University of Leeds, Darren completed the Bar Practitioners Training Course at BPP Leeds in 2011. Darren is a member of the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple and was called to the Bar of England and Wales on the 13th October 2011.

Chloe was born in Gibraltar and raised in Marbella until the age of 14. She has had the benefit of an international education, having attended Leysin American School, an American boarding school in Switzerland, Northeastern University in Boston and the London School of Economics, where she achieved a BA Hons degree in International Affairs in 2009. Chloe successfully completed her Graduate Diploma in Law in 2010 and her Legal Practice Course at the College of Law in London where she achieved a LLB Hons.

Tito currently forms part of the Corporate and Commercial Department. He holds a 2:1 LLB Honours degree from the University of The West of England, he further completed the Bar Practitioners Training Course at the Bristol Institute of Legal Practice in 2011. He also recently attained accreditation as a mediator with the ADR Group, and is currently in the process of completing a Masters in Legal Practice within the area of Clinical Negligence.

Hassans remain committed to expansion by tapping into the talent available both locally and abroad with this year’s intake deriving from Gibraltar, Scotland and Wales. Most of the recruits have also spent time in the firm’s highly popular and successful ‘Summer Placement Programme’ and both Jason and Andrew have achieved exceptional academic qualifications with a Masters Degree in Law.

Hassans was the first law firm outside the UK to be accredited by the Law Society of England and Wales to offer training contracts to aspiring solicitors, putting Hassans firmly at the forefront of legal training in Gibraltar.

Managing Partner, Javier Chincotta commented, “At Hassans 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 have varied backgrounds and each will bring new skills and experiences to the firm, which all our clients can benefit from”.

In a demonstration of commitment to supporting local business activity, NatWest has made a host of new appointments to strengthen its business banking capabilities in Gibraltar.

Christopher Cook has been appointed Head of Business Banking where he will lead a dedicated team of three Relationship Directors and ensure the division responds effectively to customers’ financial requirements. Christopher has over 30 years’ experience with RBS Group and joins NatWest from Lombard in Guernsey where he was Director of Asset Finance, a role he held for five years.

Karen Duncan, who has eight years’ experience with NatWest in Gibraltar, takes on a new position as Business Banking Relationship Director where she will be responsible for an active portfolio of local business banking clients. Her previous roles within the local commercial team have also allowed Karen to develop knowledge of the large commercial and real estate sectors.

Gill Knox and Wendy Robba will also support the Business Banking Team in their new roles as Business and Commercial Support Manager and Business Banking Support Manager respectively. They will ensure the smooth running of customers’ accounts, manage all general business related enquiries and give day to day support to the Business Banking Relationship Directors.

Marvin Cartwright, Regional Head for NatWest in Gibraltar, told B2B: “These four appointments consolidate NatWest’s commitment to supporting local businesses and also show the strength in depth that this dedicated team is able to help customers in delivering their ambitions and overcoming business challenges.”

The new appointments complement the existing business banking team which includes Relationship Directors Gareth Latin and Giovanna Borge as well as Annelyn Macedo, Business Banking Support Team.

The UK Bribery Act 2010, which came into force last year, impacts on both individuals and companies based overseas, prosecuting for acts of bribery which have taken place outside, as well as within, the UK. Scott Simmons, Associate at Hassans, will be speaking at seminars to be held in March on the implications of the Act and its reach beyond UK borders to the rest of the world.

Scott, who has previously advised clients in the UK on this subject, will discuss the main terms of the Act, how overseas individuals and companies can be caught by it, and how companies can mitigate the risk of prosecution by implementing policies and procedures designed to bring an end to this age old practice.

Daniel Feetham, MP and former Minister for Justice will be among those who deliver a keynote address.

If you require further information on implementing a policy within your company or would like to attend the seminars, please get in touch via business@hassans.gi or call Scott on 20079000.