Two senior partners have joined Walkers' Guernsey office in lateral moves from competitor firms – private client specialist David Cooney, and funds lawyer Craig Cordle have joined the firm this month.

David, who joins the Private Capital & Trusts team as a Group Partner, is an experienced private client lawyer who has worked in Switzerland, Cayman and the UK, and who specialises in private client structures with a BVI, Cayman or Guernsey connection. He spent just over three years as a partner in Charles Russell Speechlys' Zurich office, and has practised in Guernsey for just over two years.

Craig, who joins the Investment Funds & Corporate team as a Partner, has 14 years' experience in private practice, most of which was spent in the asset management, funds and capital markets teams of leading international law firms in the City of London. He is a Guernsey Advocate who has been practising in the Island since 2016, and specialises in advice in respect of Guernsey funds listed on London exchanges, as well as the establishment of private equity and other investment vehicles.

The arrival of the pair means that Walkers' fast-growing Guernsey office is now led by 12 partners – a third more than the figure at the start of last year.

Matt Sanders, the Managing Partner of Walkers' Guernsey office, said: "We are delighted to welcome both David and Craig to the team – they have first-class reputations both in this jurisdiction and outside of it, and we look forward to the impact that they will have on the Private Capital & Trusts and Investment Funds & Corporate groups respectively.

"Our recruitment activity has continued throughout the Global Pandemic, and further new joiners are expected to arrive across all of our legal practice groups as we continue to grow not just in terms of headcount, but also in terms of market share."

Fraser Hern, the head of Walkers' Channel Islands business, added: "As we continue to integrate our growing Jersey, Guernsey and London businesses, we are seeing more and more opportunities for our combined business in international markets.

"To be able to attract experienced figures such as David and Craig, who have excellent reputations in London, Switzerland, Cayman and further afield, can only help us to expand our global reach."