Ardent Chambers

Ardent Chambers is a specialist, barrister-style chambers based in Jersey.

Number of partners: 6

International Offices: 1

Founded in 2015, we operate as a barrister-style chambers offering our clients direct access to expert legal counsel from highly experienced advocates.

We also have the ability to work and collaborate with law firms and other external counsel, whether locally or in other jurisdictions.

Our members are highly regarded expert Jersey Advocates with strong courtroom experience, having appeared in a number of the leading cases in Jersey.

Commercial, Trust and Civil Litigation

Ardent Chambers is at the forefront of advising on and successfully litigating civil and commercial disputes in Jersey. Our biggest asset is the skill and reputation of our litigation lawyers.

With wide-reaching expertise, we offer advice and advocacy services in respect of high value contract, trust, shareholder and other banking and business-related disputes. We have experience of litigation involving professional negligence claims and the mis-selling of financial products having acted for financial services providers, local and international businesses, insurers, consumers and high net worth individuals.

We provide advice, representation and dispute resolution services in all commercial litigation matters, including:

• Trust disputes, including disclosure, breach of trust and constructive trustee issues
• Contract disputes
• Negligence, including professional negligence claims
• Shareholder/ownership disputes
• Banking litigation and financial product mis-selling
• Jurisdictional/conflict of laws disputes
• Disputes as to fees and costs
• Business licence applications and appeals

Recent work:

Michael Cushing

• Trust litigation - Acting in a number of high value breach of trust cases with significant experience of advising trustees and beneficiaries in relation to the operation of trusts and in applications to the Royal Court, including in relation to disclosure of trust documents, momentous decisions, applications under Jersey’s statutory Hastings-Bass regime and applications setting aside transactions on the grounds of mistake.Extensive experience of advising on insolvency issues affecting trusts and trustees having acted for the trustee of an insolvent trust in the Z Trust cases.
• Commercial and Banking - Advising a number of the major offshore banks in relation to breach of mandate claims, investment and mis-selling disputes and regulatory investigations.Fund disputes, including advising managers, senior employees and investors on redemption and investment issues and on leaver provisions.

Michael O’Connell

• Gamlestaden v Baltic Partners [2007] PC – appeared in the Court of Appeal and the Privy Council in successful application for a minority shareholder which developed the law in Jersey and in England and Wales drawing distinctions between relief available on winding-ups and the remedy available for unfair prejudice.
• Appearing for a subsidiary of a UK PLC in relation to a shareholder dispute surrounding the ownership of the development rights to the Shard in London.
• Appearing for a leading offshore bank at the trial of proceedings alleging breach of mandate and negligence on the fraudulent diversion of very substantial sums of money.

Danny Le Maistre

• Acting a court-appointed guardian for minor and unborn beneficiaries in a variety of applications and proceedings before the Royal Court, including contentious restructurings, Beddoe applications and variation applications.
• Acting for a Defendant director in an unfair prejudice action before the Royal Court. A four-week trial is listed for February 2026.
• Advising the board of a company in connection with a dispute with a shareholder and former director of the company. There are connected employment proceedings.
• Acting for a beneficiary of a Jersey trust in relation to disputes and claims arising following the death of her late father. There are connected issues and potential proceedings concerning the deceased’s estate.

Partners involved in this work: Michael Cushing, Michael O’Connell, Danny Le Maistre

Contact: Michael Cushing +44 (0)1534 481809

Regulation

Our Advocates, having previously worked for both the Law Officers’ Department and the Jersey Financial Services Commission, are well placed to provide early, constructive advice when Jersey authorities decide to commence an investigation or take further action. The uncertainty, complexity and longevity of these cases typically requires members of Chambers to be instructed as soon as an issue arises, to ensure that the competing commercial, corporate governance and regulatory interests can be balanced. We have a strong track record of positive outcomes in advising businesses and individuals in respect of investigations by the Commission.

Our Chambers style set up means that we can act for both the company and a director or employee in the same case, if there is a conflict of interest requiring separate representation. We often see cross over between regulatory issues and employment issues that run in parallel and we are able to provide appropriate advice in respect of these dual sensitive issues, if they arise.

We provide advice on all areas of regulatory law but specifically:

• Compliance with AML/CFT and regulatory provisions
• Money laundering
• Bribery and corruption
• Terrorist financing
• International sanctions
• Corporate governance/risk management
• Tax information exchange (TEIAs)

Recent work:

Michael Cushing:

• Advising individuals and regulated entities in connection with Jersey’s regulatory and data protection regime and representation in investigations by the Jersey Financial Services Commission and the Joint Financial Crimes Unit.

Michael O’Connell

• Advising a manager of an investment fund in relation to an inspection initiated by the Jersey Financial Services Commission under the Collective Investment Funds (Jersey) law coinciding with parallel investigations conducted by the Financial Services Authority in the UK.

Caroline Dutot

• Providing regulatory advice to businesses and individuals under investigation by or involved in the decision-making process of the Jersey Financial Services Commission.

Partners involved in this work: Michael Cushing, Michael O’Connell, Caroline Dutot

Contact: Michael Cushing +44 (0)1534 481809

Fraud and Asset Recovery

Our legal advice covers expert assistance across both criminal and civil law relating to fraud, asset recovery international corruption and the confiscation of assets. Our clients draw on the expertise of our experienced litigators, who have been involved in all of Jersey’s significant money laundering and confiscation cases in recent years.Our Advocates have spoken by invitation at Chatham House in London, the World Bank in Washington and the United Nations in Vienna on the issue of cross-border asset recovery.We currently provide input to the International Bar Association’s Asset Recovery Sub-Committee.

Our fraud and asset recovery services include representation and advice in respect of:

• Freezing and asset seizure provisions, such as the Jersey ‘no consent’ regime and saisie judiciaries
• Confiscation proceedings
• Fraud investigations and civil fraud claims
• Fraudulent breach of trust, breach of mandate claims
• Asset tracing
• Norwich Phramacal and Freezing Order applications

Recent work:

Michael Cushing:

• Advising on and obtaining injunctive relief (including freezing orders) and disclosure in support of asset preservation and recovery.Enforcement of foreign judgments and arbitral awards.

Partners involved in this work: Michael Cushing & Michael O’Connell

Contact: Michael Cushing +44 (0)1534 481809

Public Law

When it comes to judicial reviews, administrative applications and appeals, our background and depth of expertise enables us to deliver legal advice and representation of the highest quality. We have conducted a wide range of commercial judicial reviews, both acting for and against local bodies and departments.

Notable examples include representation and advice given in respect of the:

• Jersey Comptroller of Income Tax’s decision to provide information to an overseas authority pursuant to a Tax Information Exchange Agreement.
• States of Jersey Police’s decision to withhold consent in the context of the Proceeds of Crime (Jersey) Law 1999, that can result in assets (including trust assets) being ‘informally frozen’ without limit of time.
• Legality of planning decisions in the context of the development of the waterfront of St Helier.
• Lawfulness of the decisions of the States of Jersey in exercising its powers in regulating health professionals.

Partners involved in this work: Michael Cushing, Michael O’Connell & Caroline Dutot

Contact: Caroline Dutot +44 (0)1534 481809

Criminal Law

With experience that includes acting both in England and Jersey in criminal matters, our Advocates have had conduct the most serious criminal cases in Jersey in recent years. This has included the majority of recent homicide cases and complex frauds. Our Advocates defend, as well as prosecute, in all types of serious crime. Members of Chambers are experienced in bribery and corruption cases and related extradition proceedings. Two of the firm’s Advocates are appointed as Crown Advocates (appointed to act for the Attorney General), denoting their experience as criminal practitioners.

Our Advocates provide advice and representation to those defending and bringing criminal charges across the spectrum of criminal offences, including:

• Homicide
• Manslaughter
• Criminal fraud or dishonesty
• Bribery and corruption
• Money laundering
• Drug offences and drug trafficking
• Terrorist financing
• Extradition

Recent work:

Michael O’Connell

• Appeared for the defence of a gynaecologist charged with gross negligence manslaughter – the defendant was acquitted after a four-week trial.
• Appeared for the defence in Jersey’s first contested extradition case.

Partners involved in this work: Michael O’Connell

Contact: Michael O’Connell +44 (0)1534 481809

Employment Law

We specialise in employment advice and disputes including disciplinary issues, compromise agreements and employment tribunal claims, including unfair dismissal and discrimination claims.Our Advocates frequently act for businesses and individuals in the negotiation of exit arrangements, when an employment relationship is coming to an end.

Our employment and business law services include advice and representation in respect of:

• Contractual interpretation or enforcement
• Business licence applications
• Data protection, GDPR, subject access requests, confidentiality
• Disciplinary, capability and grievance processes
• Compromise/settlement agreements
• Contracts of employment
• Summary and gross dismissal
• Unfair and constructive dismissal
• Redundancy
• Restrictive covenants
• Discrimination claims
• Family friendly (flexible) working and maternity rights

Recent work:

Caroline Dutot

• Acting for employees in respect of compromise agreements.
• Negotiating exits from businesses for senior individuals, including in circumstances where high level of public/press interest or scrutiny.

Partners involved in this work: Caroline Dutot

Contact: Caroline Dutot +44 (0)1534 481809

Family Law

Broadly, family law falls into three main categories:

1. Separation and divorce/dissolution of civil partnership; 2. Financial relief; and 3. Children issues.

Our advocates have an empathetic approach and are committed to resolving all matters as fairly and amicably as possible. We encourage parties to work together, particularly where there are children involved.

We provide advice and representation in family law matters, including:

• Divorce/Dissolution of civil partnerships
• Separation agreements
• Financial settlements
• Children arrangements
• Pre-nuptialagreements

Partners involved in this work: Emma Wakeling & Françoise Binet

Contact: Emma Wakeling +44 (0)1534 481809

Commercial, Trust and Civil Litigation

Fraud and Asset Recovery

Regulation

Public Law

Criminal Law

Employment Law

Family Law

Mediation

St Helier, Jersey

Address: 14 Hill Street, St Helier, Jersey, JE2 4UA

Tel: +44 (0)1534 481809

Email: [email protected]