In a single week, lawyers from City of London firm Carter Lemon Camerons LLP have embraced three huge dynamic amazing cities with global stature and regional domination within the world of Financial Services.
However, this was not intended as a sightseeing trip. The lawyers are all specialists in English Law relating to banking, investments and property purchases, sales, renting and finance.
This is the eighth trip to Singapore which the firm has made over the last five years that have helped it to develop a network of influential contacts within the country.
Rufus Ballaster, a partner at Carter Lemon Camerons LLP, said: “We are very committed to giving time face-to-face with inbound investors who have the confidence to put part of their portfolio into the UK. We find that personal trips to the cities in which our clients live and work are far more effective than relying solely on contact over the phone or online”.
Andrew Firman, one of Rufus’ fellow partner at Carter Lemon Camerons LLP, was a key part of the Dubai aspect of the week, seeing two different clients or contacts, in addition to giving a business aspect to debates with the ten meetings Rufus and Andrew conducted together.
Rufus’ core area is property and secured lending, whilst Andrew’s focus is on non-property banking, company commercial and employment. They were also able to show people the book which was released on the market while they were in Dubai – A Practical Guide to Drone Law by Ballaster Firman and Clot.
Dubai is a city keen to be at the forefront of drone use, development and deployment, but one with more regulation than England has currently. The book co-authored by Andrew, Rufus and a third colleague who is a consultant to Carter Lemon Camerons LLP, concerns the law in England and Wales, but it references Dubai and Singapore as places to look at for interesting approaches to drone regulation and application.
Andrew and Rufus knew that there were many transactions to discuss, which involved Dubai as the hub for work Carter Lemon Camerons LLP was already undertaking, but they noticed a palpable desire to explore more opportunities – with buying coming on the agenda far more than selling!
The team for Singapore comprised of Prodromos Shakallis, an Associate at Carter Lemon Camerons LLP, who flew direct from London to join Rufus who had flown on from Dubai. Singapore has become a familiar and welcoming base for Carter Lemon Camerons and Prod and Rufus met many of their local contacts who they have spoken with multiple times in the past.
Those to meet with the team included established clients of Carter Lemon Camerons LLP, who had bought, sold or raised finance on UK properties using the firm’s excellent secured lending services. Some have even dealt with more complex matters such as de-enveloping properties out of corporate wrappers so as to hold them in personal names.
Whilst in Singapore the majority of the people Carter Lemon Camerons LLP met with work for Private Banks in that Financial Hub of South East Asia. Prod observed: “There is a real buzz about the opportunities for non-UK based investors to add UK property to their asset base, but care has to be taken so that the tax consequences are fully understood as well as the investment details.”
During their trip to Singapore the UK base rate rose for the first time in ten years. In the financially astute worlds of Dubai and Singapore, however, that was factored into thinking some time ago and it will not disrupt the plans discussed with the firm during the trip.
Rufus noted: “Travelling around the globe to give people quality time in offices, over coffee or meals and at various times of the day is incredibly important. Carter Lemon Camerons is a people business offering personal passionate commitment from its lawyers to clients and contacts. The lovely thing about those whom we met is how many of them Carter Lemon Camerons LLP was meeting for the second third or even tenth time. Another great thing is how often they choose to introduce us to new people with inward investment plans involving the UK!”
