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Mourant Ozannes continues to deliver on growth strategy with latest partner appointments

Mourant Ozannes LP has announced the appointment of six new partners across the business bringing the offshore law firm's total number of partners to 59.

The firm has appointed lawyers Claire Fulton, Alistair Horn and Jon Woolrich in its Corporate and Finance practice and, in an unprecedented move for the firm, has appointed professionals from outside the law to the partnership: Chief Operating Officer, Keith Pearse, and Managing Director of Corporate Services, Ed Fletcher. The firm also welcomes leading funds and corporate partner, Frances Watson, as a lateral hire.

Mourant Ozannes Global Managing Partner, Jonathan Rigby, said:

Keith Pearse joined Mourant Ozannes in 2013, and is based in the firm's Jersey office. Keith has a wealth of experience in the management of professional services firms having previously worked as Operations Director at CMS Cameron McKenna in London. He has also held senior roles in IT and knowledge and information management with Arthur Andersen and BP. Keith joined Mourant Ozannes from RBC Wealth Management where he was International Director of Human Resources covering Asia, the Caribbean, Guernsey, Jersey and London. Keith has built an impressive Business Services team at Mourant Ozannes that directly supports the delivery of, and is in itself a core component of, the firm's strategy. 

Ed Fletcher started his career at Arthur Andersen and joined Mourant Ozannes in Jersey in 2012 from Deutsche Bank where he was Regional Business Head of their Corporate Services Division. Ed has worked alongside some of the world's largest banks, corporates and sovereign wealth funds. He has experience in various asset classes including private equity, real estate and structured finance and has sat on the board of numerous regulated and unregulated vehicles across various jurisdictions. 

Claire Fulton joined Mourant Ozannes from Hogan Lovells in 2014 and is based in the firm's Hong Kong office. Claire is a highly regarded finance and restructuring lawyer who specialises in advising clients on realising value in distressed situations, including security enforcements, special situations, debt restructurings and voluntary liquidations. She is regularly approached to advise on offshore statutory merger regimes and schemes of arrangement and has significant experience advising clients on a broad range of banking and finance transactions including cross-border leveraged finance buy-outs, public to private acquisitions, bilateral and syndicated loans, real estate finance and structured finance. 

Alistair Horn qualified as a solicitor with a leading London law firm before joining Mourant Ozannes in 2005. Alistair is based in the firm's Jersey office and advises leading institutions and promoters in connection with the establishment of public and private investment funds (open and closed ended), and provides specialist regulatory advice on all aspects of investment structuring. He has a particular focus on hedge, real estate and private equity funds, as well as specialising in the restructuring and the financing of investment structures, equity raises, investor relations and joint ventures. 

Jon Woolrich is based in Mourant Ozannes' Jersey office. He joined the firm in 2007 from Scottish firm, Maclay Murray and Spens LLP. Jon advises many leading institutions on a wide range of corporate and finance transactions. He has particular experience advising on private equity structures, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions (both public and private), IPOs, cash boxes and Channel Islands Securities Exchange listings. 

Frances Watson is the fourth new partner in 12 months to be appointed to the firm's growing Guernsey corporate practice. She has over 15 years' experience and has developed a practice that covers a wide variety of corporate and commercial matters, finance, investment funds, insurance, listings, regulatory advice and restructurings. A Guernsey Advocate, she previously worked for seven years with onshore Magic Circle firm, Allen & Overy. She joins Mourant Ozannes this week as a lateral hire, from another offshore firm.