Each month, we’re spotlighting one of our brilliant sponsors behind the Gala Dinner – this time it’s Carey Olsen, and Managing Partner, Tom Carey.
1. What should we know about you, and the company you work for?
Carey Olsen is one of the largest and oldest offshore law firms. It can trace its roots back to 1898 where it started life in Guernsey. Today the firm advises on the laws of Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Guernsey and Jersey law across a global network of nine international offices and has 87 partners, over 300 lawyers and 750 staff.
We are a full-service law firm working across banking and finance, corporate and M&A, investment funds and private equity, trusts and private wealth, dispute resolution, insolvency, employment and property law.
As managing partner of the Carey Olsen office in Guernsey and as a member of the group executive board a certain amount of my time is spent herding cats and managing the operation of the local and global business. I also run a busy corporate practice advising clients on mergers and acquisitions, private equity and capital markets transactions and on the structuring and establishment of investment funds.
2. What’s something most people don’t know about your company, but should?
We are very proud of our Guernsey roots and in our 127-year history we have had three of our practitioners go on to have the honour of becoming Bailiff of Guernsey: Our founder, Sir Victor Carey, Sir Graham Dorey and Sir de Vic Carey.
We had the first computer in Court Row and it took up an entire room. We are also very proud of our legal firsts, which include:
- Forming the first captive insurance company in 1922
- Forming the first private trust foundation
- Establishing the first closed-ended listed fund
- Establishing the world’s first investment company protected cell company
- Establishing the world’s first listed private equity partnership
- Establishing the first Guernsey Green Fund, the first regulated green fund of its kind in the world.
We are also committed to supporting our local communities through several initiatives, sponsorships and charitable donations.
We have been a long-term supporter of Citizen’s Advice Guernsey since it was established in 1978. As well as providing sponsorship and attending fund raising events, we also offer pro bono legal advice through legal clinics organised by Citizen’s Advice Guernsey.
3. Why are you supporting this year’s Gala Dinner?
We work very closely with many industry associations both on and off the island and recognise the very valuable work that they do. The Chamber of Commerce in Guernsey is no exception and they play a very important role in representing the business community in Guernsey. We have always found the Chamber annual dinner to be a very popular and key event for Guernsey businesses and had no hesitation in offering our support again this year.
4. What’s your team most proud of right now?
Carey Olsen has just achieved a clean sweep of top-tier legal directory rankings across all practice areas covered for Guernsey and Jersey in The Legal 500 UK, Chambers UK and IFLR, the leading independent legal researchers and are the first Channel Islands’ law firm to achieve top marks for all our services.
Each of these publishers undertake a rigorous review of the local legal market each year and it is a fantastic achievement to get such recognition across the board. It is also testament to the many talented individuals we have at the firm who are very deserving of this accomplishment.
5. What kind of impact do you want to make through your work or in the community?
The success of Carey Olsen in Guernsey is fully dependent on the calibre and commitment of its people. We aim to be the law firm of choice and as such we are dedicated to supporting the wider Guernsey community that we live in and help enhance well-being through a number of projects.
Apart from our Citizens Advice Guernsey support, we are a founder sponsor of Victoria Park, which is the new home of Guernsey football and a state-of-the-art sports facility. We are a long-time sponsor of The Set Sail Trust which organises for Bristol Cutter Ships to come to Guernsey and provides many school children with the opportunity to sail in them as part of the annual school’s activities week. We were also a founder sponsor of La Vallette Bathing Pools which provides first class and accessible facilities and a thriving community space for all islanders.
6. What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone starting out in your industry?
For anyone wishing to become a lawyer there are several essential skills they should focus on developing.
These would include commerciality, proactivity, communication, and resilience, and to start building your professional network – the more people you know the better!
Additionally, find the business or public policy area that you are passionate about, find yourself a good mentor, listen and learn from those around you that have been in the profession for many years. Their advice and guidance will be invaluable to you as your career progresses.
7. What’s your go-to pick-me-up after a long day — coffee, music, fresh air, or something stronger?
Spending the evening with my beautiful wife and our three dogs – cooking, laughing, having a glass of wine or watching a good murder mystery. Sometimes our teenage children appear from their rooms to spend time with us. You may see us on the Padel court in the future but there are no guarantees.
For more information about Carey Olsen, click here
