Up-and-coming Jersey lawyers recognised in the 2025 NextGen Leaders list
17 June 2025
We're proud to share that two lawyers from our Jersey Litigation team, Senior Associate Stephan Venter and Associate William Barnes, have been named on the 2025 eprivateclient Crown Dependencies NextGen Leaders list.
Beginning his legal career in Johannesburg, Stephan and his wife made the decision to relocate to Jersey in 2021, after Stephan was offered a job at Mourant in what he describes as "a big leap of faith." Fortunately, the move has paid off, with Stephan currently thriving in his role in the Mourant Litigation team. He cites the Island's welcoming environment and prominent South African expat community for making him feel at home.
With a background in commercial litigation, insolvency and business rescue work, Stephan's practice has shifted more towards trusts litigation since his move to Jersey, and it's his growing expertise in this field that has been recognised through his inclusion in the NextGen Leaders list. As well as being admitted to practise law in South Africa and England and Wales, Stephan is also currently undertaking the demanding Jersey Law Course.
Growing up in Devon and qualifying in Bristol, William made the move to Jersey after qualification, joining Mourant in 2022. His time at the firm has included a two-and-a-half year stint in our BVI office, where he built a niche for himself in contentious trusts work. While the BVI's vibrant expat community, climate, and culture held significant appeal, William made the decision to move back to the European time zone earlier this year, with Jersey being the natural choice.
William says a huge draw of the Island is being able to benefit from the beautiful coastline and supportive community, whilst not having to sacrifice on the quality of work. He particularly enjoys the high-profile dispute work with the international element that Mourant is able to offer. Now that he's back in Jersey, William is looking to build on his knowledge and expertise in trusts law and plans to undertake the Jersey Law Course in the near future.
The 2025 eprivateclient Crown Dependencies NextGen Leaders is based on PAM Insight's experience and knowledge of which talented individuals in Guernsey, the Isle of Man and Jersey are the rising stars of the industry. Those featured on the list are recognised for both personal achievements to date and future leadership potential.
Commenting on the success of his team members, Stephen Alexander, head of the Jersey Litigation team, said:
"I'm delighted to see two members of our Jersey Litigation team recognised by eprivateclient as future leaders of our industry. The depth and breadth of up-and-coming talent on the Island remains impressive, so this is a significant achievement for both Stephan and William. Their inclusion on the list is recognition not only their individual excellence, but also the expertise within our wider team."
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About Mourant
Mourant is a law firm-led, professional services business with over 60 years' experience in the financial services sector. We advise on the laws of the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Guernsey, Jersey and Luxembourg and provide specialist entity management, governance, regulatory and consulting services.
