Ogier has expanded into Bermuda through an exclusive alliance with MJM, in a move the leading offshore firm said would enable it to better support clients with cross-border matters.
The alliance builds on an existing relationship between the two firms. Ogier said it would be a closer, more structured collaboration than a typical referral relationship, with the two firms looking to build relationships between teams and align on client services.
Rachael Reynolds KC, Ogier’s global senior partner, said the alliance “enables us to extend the support we provide to clients to include another of the major international financial centres”.
Ogier, whose clients include HSBC Bank, Apax Partners and Advent International, last entered a new market in 2022 when it merged with Irish firm Leman in a major – and rare – foray into an onshore market.
The firm has 1,300 employees across 13 offices globally and often works alongside major law firms on high-value corporate, finance and restructuring matters. Earlier this year, it worked with principal deal counsel Slaughter and May to advise NatWest on its £2.7bn acquisition of Evelyn Partners from Permira and Warburg Pincus.
The alliance with MJM sees Ogier team up with a firm that has 22 lawyers and paralegals across offices in Bermuda and Malta.
The mid-sized independent is regularly retained by international firms and has worked with clients including Blackstone and KSL Capital Partners. Its core practice areas include corporate and finance, litigation, insolvency and restructuring, private client and property, and, like Ogier, it is regularly retained by international firms.
“By working closely with MJM, we can offer broader capabilities across the region, including dispute resolution, restructuring and insolvency, corporate and private client services in Bermuda,” said Ogier’s global managing partner, Edward Mackereth. He added the alliance “complements our teams in the Caribbean, the Channel Islands and Asia”.
Fozeia Rana-Fahy, MJM’s managing partner, added that Ogier’s “international reach and reputation enhances our ability to serve clients on complex, multi-jurisdictional matters. This alliance reflects the strength of our working relationship and our shared focus on delivering high-quality, client-centred advice across jurisdictions”.
MJM is one of nine firms identified by the Legal 500 as the best-performing practices in Bermuda. Also included in the list are several of Ogier’s global rivals, including Appleby, Carey Olsen Bermuda, Conyers and Walkers.
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