Momentous move for global leaders

This article was first seen in Premier Construction Magazine.

After years seeking the perfect location, leading international law firm Mourant Ozannes is all set for a momentous move into prestigious new state-of-the-art offices in St Peter Port, Guernsey, and is delighted at the progress of the fit out project.

Main contractor for the scheme is Ravenscroft Construction, which has been praised for the high standard of its work.

Mark Torode, partner and head of Guernsey property at the firm said: “These new offices befit our reputation as one of the foremost offshore law firms in the world. They also befit the quality of work that we do and the staff that we employ. This move has been a long time in the making, because we needed the right office accommodation. We are thrilled to have found it - this is a really big step forward for us.”

“We have been based in two or more buildings for a number of years and have long been looking for a single building into which the whole firm can relocate under one roof - and now we have found a real gem.

“This move is aspirational for us and will provide an ideal environment for our 155 staff. We will be taking over two office floors plus a two-floor rotunda area, complete with client entertainment suite, as well as learning, development and staff areas.

“The client entertainment facilities are something which we did not previously have and will be a tremendous advantage. Originally we hired venues for these events and although this worked out well, it will be wonderful to be able to host them in our own offices for the first time.”

He added that the new office’s central location in The Royal Chambers in St Julian's Avenue is also key to the success of the move. The firm's staff work very closely together and enjoy the fact that they can socialise at lunchtime or in the evening within the vicinity of the office, while taking advantage of town centre facilities. This is very important for the firm which has an ethos centred on staff wellbeing.

The main entrance to the building is off St Julian's Avenue, with the reception area and client meeting rooms being on the upper ground floor. Behind these will be the Litigation and Business Services departments, to the rear of which is a corridor linking directly with the first floor of the rotunda.

The rotunda is a particularly exciting space for the firm, and will incorporate staff break-out areas where people can meet informally. There is also a section where staff can prepare food and drink coffee.

The main office space is largely traditional, reflecting the firm’s identity and incorporates both open plan and cellular offices.

On the floor above, moveable partitions are being incorporated, so that the space can be configured as required - or even left open as one large area - ideal for the seminars and lectures frequently held by the firm.

Throughout, the offices will be fully equipped and fitted out to the latest specifications and highest standards. For example, Mourant Ozannes will be one of the first Guernsey firms to provide sit/stand desks for all partners and staff in addition to top-of-the-range ergonomic chairs.

Linda O’Connell, head of office services at Mourant Ozannes said: “From a fit out perspective, the project timescale is quite tight to achieve what we want, but we are confident that we are going to get there.

“One of the nice things about the scheme is that when we initially showed our staff around the building, they were eager to move in immediately - even before the fit out commenced!

“It is important to provide our hard-working high quality staff with the level of accommodation that they deserve.

Mark Torode concluded: “The lovely thing about Guernsey is that we have a good quality of life here - which is further reinforced by our being able to offer a work environment of such a high standard.”

“We have all been extremely happy with our choice of contractor and they have been really good - we are very pleased with them.”