Corporate & Commercial

Ferbrache & Farrell LLP’s corporate department offers full service corporate, banking and commercial cover and is able to advise on all aspects of Guernsey corporate and commercial law, including banking and finance, regulatory, investment funds, asset management and listings on The International Stock Exchange (TISE).

Latest Insight
12 December 2024
Insight
Our UKRE team has devised some handy tips for first-time buyers to help navigate the property market: 1. Understand your budget: Calculate affordability: determine how much…
Dispute Resolution

The dispute resolution department at Ferbrache & Farrell LLP has vast experience of local and international litigation and dispute resolution generally, gained from acting in complex local and international high-value disputes, both in Guernsey and throughout the world.

Latest Insight
06 January 2025
News
Ferbrache & Farrell’s dynamic, flexible Dispute Resolution team continues to grow with the appointment of experienced litigators Rebekah Johnston and Glyn Davies. Rebekah is an…
Property

The Guernsey property department is dedicated to providing tailored solutions that meet and exceed clients’ expectations. In addition, the property department provides support to colleagues in the corporate and dispute resolution departments on real estate-related technical points of law.

Latest Insight
12 December 2024
Insight
Our UKRE team has devised some handy tips for first-time buyers to help navigate the property market: 1. Understand your budget: Calculate affordability: determine how much…
UK Real Estate

We are delighted to help in relation to providing legal advice for real estate in England and Wales. We listen. We learn what your needs are. We proactively respond. Whether it’s personal or commercial property, we always provide sound and pragmatic advice, adding value to the transaction.

Latest Insight
18 December 2024
News
Ho ho ho! The HM Land Registry (HMLR) has delivered an early Christmas present with the UK House Price Index for October 2024. 🎅 Santa’s…
Private Client

Our services for private client matters include the drafting of realty and personalty wills, acting as professional executors, and assisting foreign lawyers who have requirements in this jurisdiction.

Latest Insight
12 December 2024
Insight
Our UKRE team has devised some handy tips for first-time buyers to help navigate the property market: 1. Understand your budget: Calculate affordability: determine how much…

Ferbrache & Farrell LLP ranked in Chambers UK 2024

Excellent client feedback has placed Ferbrache & Farrell in the Chambers & Partners rankings once again. The highly respected legal directory ranks law firms and their lawyers based purely on client feedback.

The firm’s Dispute Resolution department has achieved Band 3 recognition, with five of the firm’s lawyers ranked individually.

For the Corporate department, Counsel Helen McGeoch is highlighted in ‘Associates to Watch’, while founding partner Advocate Gavin Farrell has achieved top tier ranking for Corporate & Finance including Investment Funds.

Advocate Farrell was said to be ‘extremely responsive and commercially aware, which is a must for our most sophisticated clients.’

Clients said that Mrs McGeoch is a ‘very calm and astute lawyer’. This is the second year running that she has been recognised in ‘Associates to Watch’.

Advocate Alastair Hargreaves, who is also the firm’s managing partner and leads the Property and Private Client departments, is ranked Band 2 for property. Alastair was described as ‘super-responsive’ and ‘provides exceptional client service.’

Advocate Hargreaves said: ‘We’re absolutely delighted that that only seven years after our inception, the firm continues to grow, and more than holds its own against the larger and longer established law firms in Guernsey, as is demonstrated by such positive client feedback.’

Ferbrache & Farrell was established in 2016 and consists of highly respected individuals with decades of experience and who are all recognised locally and internationally for their levels of expertise in commercial law, property law, private client, UK real estate and dispute resolution.

Earlier this month the firm was recommended across all practice areas in The Legal 500 2024 UK rankings.

Today sees the release of the Legal 500 United Kingdom 2024 rankings. This is a very important publication in the legal world as it offers a myriad of useful information for potential clients, intermediaries, and referrers.

We are absolutely delighted that Ferbrache & Farrell LLP has again been recognised in all practice areas and had another great year of rankings, notwithstanding the firm has only been established for some 7 years.

Gavin Farrell is a ‘Hall of Fame’ lawyer, and Alastair Hargreaves is described as a ‘Leading Lawyer’ in commercial property.

Congratulations to Alison Antill for some superb client testimonials, and also to Stuart Nash who is described as a ‘Rising Star’.

In all of these accolades, however, the firm and partners know that it is the sum of all parts, and only due to the concerted team effort throughout the business.

Back in June 2022, the Government issued a white paper with proposals to protect tenants in England & Wales in various different ways (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-deal-for-private-renters-published-today).  This followed many years of campaigning by private renters and the Renters Reform Coalition.

The white paper proposals included an intention to ban ‘no fault’ evictions, the suggested creation of a Private Renter’s Ombudsman (to settle disputes quickly), the right for a tenant to request to have a pet, and also the requirement that properties are not unsafe or harmful to health (the so called ‘Decent Homes Standard’).  Other measures were also set out to improve standards for tenants generally, and for landlords to be able to evict anti-social tenants more easily.

Today sees the introduction to Parliament of the Renters’ (Reform) Bill 2023, following much fanfare from the Housing Secretary, Michael Gove.

The Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has indicated that eleven million tenants will be affected, with around two million landlords also falling within the remit of the legislation.  Reactions so far have been generally supportive, being described by some as a ‘once in a generation’ announcement, and by others as a Bill lacking detail.

Time will tell the success of the drafting, but in the meantime, any removal of uncertainty for either landlord or tenant cannot be a bad thing.

If you need any further information or legal advice, including conveyancing of a property in England & Wales contact our UKRE team Anna DouglassAlastair HargreavesCaren Vidamour or Naledi Odiseng, who will be happy to assist.

Ferbrache & Farrell was instructed in the first migration out of Guernsey of limited partnerships under the new Limited Partnerships (Migration) Regulations 2020.  The structure that migrated from Guernsey consisted of a GFSC regulated general partner and an authorised private equity limited partnership fund, together with their related general partner and management holding limited partnership structures. The application involved both Guernsey legal and regulatory aspects, as well as dealing with US Counsel in order to ensure the migration into Delaware.

Beauvoir Corporate and Fund Services Limited, as corporate services provider and administrator to the migrating regulated structure, was led by Richard Bray and provided assistance in respect of all managerial and administrative matters and in dealing with the Guernsey Registrar. The Ferbrache & Farrell team was led by Gavin Farrell, and also dealt with US Counsel in Delaware.

Advocate Farrell commented: ‘Whilst it is normally sad to see a structure leave our shores for another jurisdiction, this migration was understandably required in light of the structure’s life cycle and to administratively facilitate the most cost-effective winding down of its affairs to the benefit of its investors. This migration out was a first for Guernsey, and whilst we were treading new ground under the very recent legislation, we were greatly assisted by the staff at the Registrar who could not have been more helpful in dealing with this transaction.  GFSC were also incredibly pragmatic and helpful in dealing with regulatory matters. Whilst we certainly hope that this is not the first of many, it was pleasing to all stakeholders as to how the Registrar, GFSC, Beauvoir and ourselves managed to deal seamlessly with this new groundbreaking application to the benefit of investors in the fund structure.’