Ogier partner Rachael Reynolds discusses career and future growth of the legal industry with STEP

Partner and Head of Dispute Resolution for the Caribbean and Asia, Rachael Reynolds is featured in the latest installment of the STEP 60-interview series.

Rachael touches on her career, gives guidance to young people seeking to enter the legal industry, what she expects with future growth in the sector and what Ogier does differently to tackle challenges.

Read the full interview below:

What does your firm do?

Ogier provides legal advice and services, mainly for the corporate and financial sectors, on British Virgin Islands, Cayman, Guernsey, Jersey and Luxembourg law. We have offices in those jurisdictions as well as in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Tokyo.

What is the most important thing STEP does, in your opinion?

STEP brings together trust and estates professionals from around the globe and provides a high quality forum for development and networking.

You will be speaking at the STEP Caribbean Conference next month. What will you be speaking on and what are the main issues in this area?

I will be discussing the operation of the offshore firewall legislation and how it applies in the context of foreign disputes following the death of a settlor. We will also be looking at how Cayman trusts can be drafted to minimise the threats posed by disputes involving the settlor, beneficiaries or their estates.

What do you most like about your job?

I love working as part of a team to find a successful resolution to what might at first seem an irresolvable impasse or conflict.

.. and what do you feel is most worthwhile?

Parties will often come to us thinking that nothing can be done to rectify a mistake or resolve a conflict, but there is almost always a way!

What would you say to a young person thinking of a career in this industry?

Are you willing to work harder than everyone else around you, and do you care about doing a good job more than anyone else around you? If so, you will go far!

Where do you see future growth, both in terms of sectors and jurisdictions?

I think the growth will be in the jurisdictions which have a proven track record, and where there is a history of stability, strong judiciary and transparency. Regulatory issues and tax information are also likely to be areas of focus.

What do you feel are the main challenges facing your organisation/practitioners at the moment, and how will you deal with them?

The biggest challenge for every business, including law firms, is finding innovative ways of working, to offer clients continual improvements in the services provided, and remain competitive. At Ogier, we have launched an innovation hub where the whole firm comes together to find ways to improve on every aspect of our internal procedures and work.

Which social media channels do you use and why?

Our firm uses a number of social media channels, and sees them as an important tool in communicating with the world, and also sharing information internally. We are on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

STEP Caribbean Conference takes place on May 1-3

Rachael Reynolds is Ogier's partner and head of dispute resolution for the Caribbean and Asia. She specialises in international trusts disputes and asset tracing.