Ogier, one of the leading providers of offshore legal and fiduciary services, has opened an office in Shanghai as it further expands its worldwide network.
The move is at the heart of Ogier's strategy to provide the most innovative and comprehensive multi-jurisdictional services, through a significant presence in each of the world's key financial centres and across all time zones.
William Simpson, Managing Partner of Ogier in Guernsey, said: "We have been planning to build on our Asian presence with a base in mainland China for some time. We already have a significant offering in Hong Kong which provides a full range of services in the Asian time zone. Our Shanghai office will open up further opportunities for us and build on the success of our existing Hong Kong operations."
He added "Ogier partner, Marcus Leese, moved to Hong Kong last year and was the first Guernsey advocate to operate in the region. This move, together with the recent news that Guernsey companies can now list on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, gives us a great opportunity to promote Guernsey services to a much wider global audience."
Ogier Shanghai will be headed up by Kristy Calvert who is a native Mandarin and Shanghainese speaker and has extensive corporate and commercial law experience in the Asia Pacific and in particular China where she was previously Legal Director for Rio Tinto China / Asia.
Ogier's Shanghai office will provide mainland Chinese clients with direct access to Ogier's global network of offices and professional services. Chinese clients will particularly benefit from the services provided by Ogier's Hong Kong office. Ogier Hong Kong is the fastest growing office in the Ogier group and the headcount is forecast to double over the next three years.
James Bergstrom, Managing Partner Ogier Hong Kong, said "We are absolutely delighted to welcome Kristy to the Ogier Group. Her experience and in-depth knowledge of the Chinese market is a real asset. Our new Shanghai office will allow us to provide even better support for our clients in China and offers tremendous development potential. We are in the great position of being able to continue to support our Chinese clients with our international experience and now with enhanced local expertise."
Ogier is operating under 'Hong Kong Ogier Services (Asia) Limited Shanghai Representative Office' in Shanghai
For more information about Guernsey's finance industry please visit www.guernseyfinance.com.
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