ILN-terviews: Anita Lovell, Nigel Harris & Partners

Welcome to ILN-terviews, a series of profiles of ILN member firm attorneys, designed to give a unique insight into the lawyers who make up our Network.

For our latest interview, we chose ILN member, Anita Lovell of Nigel Harris & Partners in the Channel Islands.

In one sentence, how would you describe your practice?
I'm a private client lawyer, in private practice, running a full service Family Office staffed by solicitors, accountants and investment advisers supporting members of a HNW family at a personal level and advising their international companies in complex, cross border transactions.

Who would be your typical client?
A high net worth family, probably based in Europe or the Middle East, but with business interests just about anywhere, looking to preserve and enhance the family wealth.

What would you like clients and potential clients to know about you?
That my legal firm is embedded in the largest, independent trust company in the Channel Islands (Hawksford International) and is uniquely placed, outside the UK but within a well-regulated and sophisticated jurisdiction, to suit the demands of international families.  And I bet not many would know that Jersey has signed an exchange of information agreement with the USA (and lots of other countries too) and is firmly on the OECD "white list." 

What has been your most challenging case? Why?
My most challenging case was defending the legitimacy and governance of a very big family trust against a disappointed widow who claimed it was a "sham."  We won the day, she settled and remained disappointed!

What has been your proudest moment as a lawyer?
Representing all the English Solicitors practicing in Jersey as President of our Association.

What do you do when you're not practicing law?
You need to ask a woman what she does with her time when she's not at work?  Running my home and my family takes up most of it!  But as I am trying to work part time now, I can indulge my love of travel and taste for good food and wine.  They say the former broadens the mind, but, sadly, the latter does the same for the waistline.

What would surprise people most about you?
Probably that my office has a lovely garden with rabbits, squirrels and pheasants running around it.

What has been your most memorable ILN experience?
That's a tough question because all the ILN meetings have been memorable - Christopher and I have seen some amazing places and met some brilliant people.  If I have to choose...it would be taking a (slightly shaky) helicopter ride around the Iguacu Falls in Brazil with Robert and Adrienne Bijloos.  I still can't quite believe I did that.

What career would you have chosen if you weren't a lawyer?
Well, a lady of leisure sounds good.  Failing that, I would have liked to be a garden designer.

If a movie were made out of your life, who would you want to play you?
Someone terribly glamourous please! But with a talent for comedy too - a young Kathryn Hepburn would have been wonderful.

How would you like to be remembered?
Preferably as the world's oldest woman.