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About Us

Truly independent, they offer clients the benefits of commitment, continuity and the close personal interest expected of a long established firm. Isolas has a reputation for combining expert legal advice with commercial pragmatism. They are known to be practical and confident in the advice they give. They are consistently ranked as one of the leading law firms in the jurisdiction by the major international legal directories.

INTERNATIONAL CLIENTS: Isolas act for international clients including most of the major UK, European and US Banks as well as multinational insurers and reinsurers.

MAIN INTERNATIONAL AREAS OF PRACTICE: International Banking & Finance: The firm is a leading player and has specialist lawyers who deal with all aspects of banking and finance. The team's specialist team is led by Christian Hernandez who is acknowledged as one of the leaders in the jurisdiction. He has recently acted in transactions with a value in excess of £6 billion. These have ranged from real estate refinancing and acquisition to the acquisition of PLC's and their subsidiaries.

Admiralty & Shipping: Whilst Gibraltar boasts a large number of law firms, there are very few which have a specialist, highly experienced admiralty department. Credit to the firm's experience and expertise in admiralty matters is the fact that the firm are continuously involved in the majority of shipping disputes in Gibraltar as well as receiving instructions from many of the major London shipping law firms.

Commercial Litigation: Isolas has developed one of the leading and most successful commercial litigation departments in Gibraltar. The firm's expertise ranges from (general) commercial litigation to established specialisation in telecommunications, insurance, banking and financial services and international trade, private international and EU competition law. In addition, the firm has established expertise in a very wide range of personal and corporate insolvency issues including receivership, administration, liquidation, arrangements with creditors and debt recovery in general. The civil aspects of commercial fraud (invariably in an insolvency or insurance context) are also an aspect of work undertaken by the firm which include tracing remedies, search and seize orders and freezing injunctions.

Insurance & Financial Services: The areas of Gibraltar insurance and financial services are highly regulated. In this respect, clients wishing to provide any of these services in Gibraltar will have to go through a thorough application process before a licence is granted. The firm has dealt with a large number of applications all of which have been successful. The firm considers it to be of paramount importance that applications on behalf of clients are thoroughly and exhaustively prepared in order to ensure their success. In doing this, the firm will guide clients through all stages of the application process in order to ensure completeness of the application.

Property: The firm continues to boast one of the largest property departments, currently being engaged in a large number of substantial property developments in Gibraltar either on behalf of developers or financial institutions. These developments alone account for some 800 residential units currently being developed in Gibraltar and include a wide range of other amenities. The firm regularly acts for property developers and finance institutions on all aspects of residential and commercial property development.

Trust & Company Administration: Isolas are closely associated with the Fiduciary Group, one of the largest and leading trust managers in Gibraltar duly licensed by the Financial Services Commission to undertake company management and professional trustee work. Increasingly the firm advises clients through their correspondent network on international corporate structure including trusts and foundations. However, the majority of their work is introduced by EU Banks. Fiduciary Management and Fiduciary Trust are licensed by the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission as Company Managers and Professional Trustees for Companies and Trusts License Nos FSC00276/7b.

LANGUAGES: English, Spanish, German, French and Portuguese.

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PETER ISOLA
Senior Partner
Commercial, Trusts and Betting and Gaming

Expertise
Peter has particular expertise in international corporate and trust structures, insurance, financial services and gaming. He is recognised as an expert in the area of betting and gaming law and regulation and has been instrumental in the development of the law in this area. In addition to his advisory role, Peter is also a Director of various regulated entities involved in banking, insurance and gaming.

Professional Memberships
- Honourable Society of the Inner Temple
- Society of Trust and Estate Practioners (STEP)
- Gibraltar General Coucil of the Bar
- President of Gibraltar Chamber of Commerce from 2002-2006

Background
1992 Managing Partner, Isola & Isola
1989 Partner, Isola & Isola
1985 Appointed Notary Public
1982 Called to the English and Gibraltar Bars, qualified University of Kingston BA Law


ALBERT ISOLA
Partner
Construction, Telecommunications

Expertise
Albert has extensive experience in all aspects of property acquisition, development and financing, and has been at the forefront of Gibraltar's residential and commercial property development boom. He has been involved in the vast majority of recent developments in Gibraltar on behalf of developers, financing banks and construction companies.
Albert is also well regarded for his work with ultra high net worth individuals working with them in their businesses internationally. He is also experienced in telecommunications work and sports law working with a number of international sportsmen.

Professional Memberships
- Honourable Society of the Inner Temple
- Gibraltar General Council of the Bar
- International Bar Association
- Member of Gibraltar Parliament (1996-2000)
- Reform Club London

Background
2007 Partner, Isolas
1992 Partner, Isola & Isola
1985 Called to the English and Gibraltar Bars, qualified University of
Kingston BA Law


CHRISTIAN ROCCA
Managing Partner
Banking, Commercial Litigation

Expertise
Christian is a multifaceted lawyer and practices in the areas of Banking and Finance and also Commercial Litigation. He regularly advises Banks on day to day matters as well as representing leading UK, US and Swiss Banks in financing and re-financing projects. Christian has been successful in combining his commercial practice with natural ability as and advocate in the higher Courts and he is recognised domestically and internationally as a leading commercial litigator. In addition to his busy practice Christian is the Head of Employment, Employee Benefits and Pensions Team with is very active and is highly regarded in Gibraltar.

Professional Memberships
- Honourable Society of the Inner Temple
- Gibraltar General Council of the Bar
- Chartered Institute of Bankers
- Honorary member of the Association of Fellows and Legal Scholars of the
Centre for International Legal Studies

Background
2007 Managing Partner, Isolas
2001 Partner, Isola & Isola
1994 Called to the English and Gibraltar Bars, qualified University of
Essex LLB (Hons)


CHRISTIAN HERNANDEZ
Partner
Corporate, Corporate Finance, Banking and Financial Services

Expertise
Christian is acknowledged as one of the leading lawyers in Gibraltar in the fields of Corporate and Real Estate Finance, Banking and Financial Services. He has been the leading partner in a large number of multi million pound transactions ranging from mergers and acquisitions, venture capital and management buyouts, corporate and structured finance and regulatory issues. Among others he represents major European and American high street and investment banks, property developers, insurance companies and UK and Irish Plc's.

In addition to his corporate practice Christian is recognised internationally for his work in Admiralty and Shipping law and his portfolio of clients include the International Transport Worker's Federation, P&I Clubs, Banks and Shipowners.

Professional Memberships
- Honourable Society of the Middle Temple
- Gibraltar General Council of the Bar
- Honorary Member of the Association of Fellows and Legal Scholars of the
Centre for International Legal Studies
- Director of the Gibraltar Chamber of Commerce

Background
2001 Partner, Isola & Isola
1995 Called to the English and Gibraltar Bars, qualified University of
Hertfordshire LLB (Hons)


ELAINE BINGHAM
Partner
Conveyancing and Private Client

Expertise
Elaine has been at the forefront of the firm's development in conveyancing and leads the most recognisably thriving and active conveyancing team in Gibraltar. In recent years she has successfully represented developers in residential and commercial developments and her recent work includes Europlaza, Atlantic Suites and Kings Wharf Quay 27 and Gibraltars leading office development, Europort. In addition to heading the firms conveyancing practice Elaine has been instructed by international banks in the financing of property developments in Gibraltar.

Elaine's property practice sits well with her large portfolio of private client business where she has extensive experience in working with all aspects of locating in Gibraltar including ones tax status, residency and immigration issues.

Professional Memberships
- Honourable Society of the Middle Temple
- Gibraltar General Council of the Bar

Background
2002 Partner, Isola & Isola
1995 Called to the English and Gibraltar Bars, qualified University of Kingston LLB (Hons)

MARK ISOLA
Partner

Expertise
Mark specialises in employment, landlord and tenant, personal injury and general insurance work, coupled with a general local practice involving civil and commercial litigation. The growing importance and inter-relationship at work of employment and health and safety legislation, coupled with the rise in employment-related personal injuries claims, has allowed Mark to have an in-depth appreciation and perspective of daily issues affecting business in general and to provide comprehensive and practical advice on the multiplicity of issues affecting local businesses on a daily basis.

Professional Memberships
- Honourable Society of the Inner Temple
- Chairman of the Industrial Tribunal
- Law Reform Committee
- Gibraltar Bar Association

Background
2009: Partner, Isolas
1985: Called to the Bar of England and Wales and the Gibraltar Bar

ELLIOTT PHILLIPS
Partner

Expertise
Elliott is principally a member of the commercial litigation department and frequently appears before the Gibraltar Supreme Court and Court of Appeal. His areas of practice also extend to judicial review claims against the decisions of public authorities and he appeared as a junior on behalf of the Financial Services Commissioner in the leading Court of Appeal case of Financial Services Commission –v- A Gibraltar Company concerning the powers of investigation of the FSC and its ability to pass on information to overseas regulators making requests for assistance.
In addition Elliott has significant experience in Coroners Inquests which have tested the boundaries of verdicts of neglect on the part of public authorities. More recently he represented a family in a inquest where for the first time in Gibraltar’s legal history a verdict of unlawful killing was recorded by the Coroner.
Elliott is also part of the employment law team where he has developed a niche employment law practice with particular emphasis on international cross border issues particularly in respect of the online-gaming industry including start ups.

Professional Memberships
- Honourable Society of the Inner Temple
- The Gibraltar Bar Council
- The International Bar Association (Employment and Discrimination Committees)
- European Employment Lawyers Association (Member representing Gibraltar)
- Employment Lawyers Association
- Academy of European Law

Background
2010 Partner, ISOLAS
2007 Associate, ISOLAS
2002 Associate, Isola & Isola
2001 Called to the Bar of England and Wales and the Gibraltar Bar