John Rochester

Overview

I am a Partner of Mourant LP and Practice Leader of our Guernsey Corporate team, advising on matters of Guernsey and BVI Law. I advise corporate and financial institutions on a range of banking and finance matters (including real estate finance and asset finance) and corporate transactions (including schemes of arrangement, reorganisations and public and private M&A).

I trained as a Solicitor at Linklaters in London and Hong Kong, including a secondment to Merrill Lynch.

After practising in Linklaters' Asset Finance department, I relocated to the British Virgin Islands with Maples and Calder, before joining Mourant Ozannes' Jersey office in 2009. I moved to our Guernsey office in 2014.

Professional qualifications

• Solicitor, British Virgin Islands, 2005
• Solicitor, England and Wales, 2004 (currently non-practising)
• Legal Practice Course at BPP in London
• Postgraduate Diploma in Law at Nottingham Trent University
• Degree in Law with French Law from Aberdeen University

What the directories say

In Chambers and Partners UK 2024, John is individually ranked in Offshore: Corporate and Finance including Investment Funds. A source comments: "John is great. He's very proactive, and nothing is too much trouble. He checks in on things and comes across as genuinely enthusiastic about what he does. I really trust him to deliver."

In Legal 500 UK 2024, John is ranked as a Leading Individual in Banking and Finance, a Next Generation Partner in Corporate and M&A, and named as a Recommended Lawyer in both Investment Funds and Capital Markets. 

John is named as a Notable Practitioner in Banking and M&A in IFLR1000 2023.

John is individually ranked in Chambers and Partners UK 2023 in the area of Offshore: Corporate and Finance including Investment Funds. 

In Legal 500 UK 2023, John is a Recommended Lawyer in the areas of Banking and Finance, Capital Markets and Corporate and M&A and is recognised as Leading Individual and Next Generation Partner. John was praised for being "on top of the deal and understood what we needed in the timeframe we had."

John Rochester is listed as Highly Regarded in IFLR1000 in 2022.  

Legal 500, 2022 quotes "John Rochester is superb. He is a great manager of clients and always delivers top-notch service and does it fast." He is also listed as a Next Generation Partner, Key Lawyer and Leading Individual.

Chambers and Partners UK 2021 states "he is a strong technical lawyer and a good communicator."

"The service received from John Rochester was exceptional and always going the extra mile. His legal knowledge is on point and an absolute pleasure to work with. He is no-doubt our ‘go-to-guy’ in Guernsey." Legal 500, 2021.

"John Rochester provided seamless service and was extremely personable, efficient and flexible. His pragmatism, legal knowledge and strong understanding of complex M&A issues were invaluable." Legal 500, 2021.

John Rochester is noted by market sources for his banking knowledge and strategic advice, with one client commenting that he is "very efficient" and provides "excellent service." Chambers and Partners, 2019.

John Rochester is "calm and reliable." Legal 500 UK, 2018.

IFLR1000, 2017, describes John as a "strong corporate lawyer who is personable and easy to deal with" and who "organises his team well and is available to you when needed."

John is "extremely helpful meeting deadlines and providing an on-the-ground liaison with Guernsey-based stakeholders," and is "able to seamlessly manage a team and explain esoteric concepts of Guernsey law." Legal 500, 2017.

Legal 500 UK, 2016, describes John as "pragmatic and efficient."