News

Gemma Hopper

SENIOR ASSOCIATE and solicitor, Gemma Hopper, from the Court of Protection department at leading law firm Nelsons, has been recognised with a national accreditation for her expertise in providing legal support for older and vulnerable clients, their families and carers.

The accreditation is awarded by SFE (Solicitors for the Elderly) – an organisation setting the standards for the highest quality legal advice in specialist areas, such as wills, powers of attorney, deputyships and elder abuse.

To achieve the accreditation, Gemma completed an assessment to demonstrate a solid understanding of the specific needs and considerations required when safeguarding and protecting older clients’ interests.

Since joining Nelsons in 2019 as a Court of Protection solicitor, Gemma provides specialist support to clients who lack the mental capacity to make decisions in relation to their property and financial affairs. She brings a wealth of experience and focusses on supporting and empowering Nelsons’ elderly clients. This has given her a unique understanding and insight that allows her to approach all clients sensitively and provide advice on what is sometimes a life-changing decision.

Gemma said: “I am delighted to be an SFE full accredited member and hope it will enable me to support more clients and their families.

“At Nelsons, we strive to give a voice to everyone who needs it, and in my case, it is so important for more vulnerable or elderly clients. Being accredited marks a great milestone in my career and I am very proud of the accomplishment.”

Craig Staten-Spencer, legal director and trust manager at Nelsons, said: “Becoming an SFE full accredited member is a great achievement for Gemma, but also for the court of protection team and firm as a whole. Guiding our more senior or vulnerable clients is an important part of our work at Nelsons, and I am pleased to see Gemma’s contributions have been recognised.”

Lakshmi Turner, chief executive of SFE, said: “When it comes to planning ahead for later life, getting the right advice is essential. An SFE accredited lawyer is an expert in this area of the law and understands the wider, often sensitive, issues around health, care and family that may need consideration. SFE lawyers understand the issues affecting older and vulnerable clients and follow a strict code of practice with respect and dignity at its heart.

“Ultimately, choosing an SFE lawyer means you’ll be guided through this complex and sensitive area of law and will enable you to lay solid foundations to protect you and your loved ones in later life.”

Crestbridge’s team in Luxembourg has provided a range of services to support the successful close of Hiro Capital’s latest fund, bolstering its existing relationship with the innovative tech-focused Venture Capital firm.

Drawing on its well-established Management Company (ManCo) platform in Luxembourg, Crestbridge was appointed as the EuVECA Manager whilst the firm also provided a range of fund administration, accounting, and reporting services to support the launch of the €300m ‘Hiro Capital II’ fund.

The fund is Hiro Capital’s second venture capital fund in three years and will target early-stage games and Metaverse innovators across the UK, Europe, and North America.

The partnership represents an extension of Crestbridge’s long-term relationship with Hiro Capital, a leading specialist European Venture Capital firm focused on videogames, Metaverse technologies, creator platforms, and gamified fitness. Crestbridge’s Luxembourg team also provided AIFM services to the investment firm’s first fund launch in 2019, a fund that has since reached €115m and made 21 investments in leading emerging games studios and gamified fitness and creator platform stars.

In 2011, Crestbridge became one of the first firms to establish a ManCo in Luxembourg, whilst the firm was granted a fund administration licence by the CSSF in 2019 in a move that further strengthened the company’s capabilities in the jurisdiction.

Commenting on the latest Hiro Capital fund launch, Pierfrancesco Rinaldi, Business Development Director, said:

“It’s clearly very exciting to be supporting such a cutting-edge venture capital fund which is backing some of the leading innovators who are creating the digital communities of tomorrow. At the same time, it’s really pleasing to be able to continue to strengthen our positive relationship with Hiro Capital, which stretches back a number of years.”

Alex Di Santo, Group Head of Private Equity at Crestbridge, said:

“We are continuing to see a rise in demand for support in the digital and technology venture space, and this is the latest example of that. Our Luxembourg team has unrivalled experience in providing a full range of ManCo. fund administration and corporate services to support the often specialist objectives of managers like Hiro Capital. That experience, combined with our commitment to first-class client service, makes life easier for fund managers when it comes to fund launches, enabling them to focus on what they do best – fundraising and making great investments.”

Lightware names Siegfried Hermann as Vice President of Business Development for EMEA to develop new business areas and implement sales strategies 

Siegfried Hermann

Budapest, Hungary – 20 September 2022  — Lightware Visual Engineering, a leading manufacturer of matrix switchers, signal extenders and accessories for the professional AV market is excited to welcome on board another professional recognised across the AV industry for his leadership and expertise, as Siegfried Hermann has been appointed as Lightware’s Vice President of Business Development in the EMEA region. 

Siegfried’s responsibilities will embrace the further expansion of Lightware into EMEA, the development of new partnerships with global corporations, and strategic planning of Lightware’s presence in the region. 

Siegfried has been successful in various leading positions in the AV industry for almost 25 years, with nearly two decades at Crestron, including 6 years managing DACH region with sales and personnel responsibility. One of his key duties throughout his carrier has been the development of new business areas and sales strategies in the AV industry. Championing AV has become part of Siegfried’s DNA. 

“After being in contact with the Lightware management for several years, I am very pleased to join this unique and private-owned European company in this new position. I am sure that my experience in the AV business will help us to drive the further development of Lightware in the years to come to make Lightware a leader in the EMEA AV environment,” said Siegfried. 

“I am honoured to welcome Siegfried to our team at Lightware. Siegfried has a successful and proven track record in business development and will be instrumental to strengthen and build further our presence across the EMEA region and support Lightware’s continued growth globally.” added Szabolcs Turi, Executive Director, Business Development at Lightware. 

With Siegfried Hermann joining the team as VP of Business Development in EMEA, Lightware demonstrates consistency in extending the company’s global footprint. 

For connecting with Siegfried, please get in touch with him directly: siegfried.hermann@lightware.com.

For more information on Lightware, please visit lightware.com. 

Edinburgh 20th September 2022 Aubrey Capital Management, the privately owned Edinburgh-based investment management firm, has announced today that its flagship European Conviction Fund has been registered for institutional investors based in Italy. 

The Fund, managed by Aubrey’s founder and Director, Sharon Bentley-Hamlyn, invests in securities listed on Western or Emerging European exchanges to achieve long-term capital growth. It is a high conviction strategy focused on cash generative growth stocks with good balance sheets and strong ESG scoring. Its objective is to generate significant long-term returns by investing in European companies whose activities have a positive impact.

 Since its inception in 2008, Aubrey’s European Conviction strategy provided investors with a return of +169.6% vs its benchmark, the MSCI AC European Index, which generated a return of +86.9% over the same period, respectively. Sharon has achieved these impressive performance figures through investing in quality European companies across a diverse range of sectors, including Capital Goods, Semiconductors & Equipment, Software and Services, Materials, Diversified Financials, Utilities, Food & Staples Retailing, Technology Hardware & Equipment, Media & Entertainment, Retailing, Commercial & Professional Services, Banks, Consumer Durables & Apparel, Automobiles & Components and Real Estate. In addition, the strategy’s top five holdings include Dino Polska, ASML, Hexatronic Group, and Burckhardt Compression Renovables. 

Aubrey has made the strategy available to broader European investors, as the strategy was originally started in 2008 specifically for an Italian institution.  Aubrey’s investment approach is further endorsed by a prominent Italian consultant, having listed the Global Emerging Market fund in their BUY list since 2021. 

Aubrey Director, Sharon Bentley-Hamlyn, commented, 

“We’re thrilled to have reached a new milestone at Aubrey where we can now offer Italian institutional investors access to our European Conviction Strategy. Italy is a competitive market, but our unique approach of seeking out high-quality companies with impressive ESG credentials that can provide a return on equity, earnings per share, and cash return on assets greater than 15% per cent will offer clients in Italy diversification and promising returns. We’re looking forward to working more closely with investors in the region.”

• Platform targets wealth managers to facilitate private markets access 
• Community aspect identifies investment theme needs not product placement 
• Digital toolkit overcomes cost, personnel hurdles to asset class exposure

London, 16th September 2022   

Private Markets Alpha (PM Alpha), the recently launched company dedicated to improving access to private markets for the global wealth management industry, has announced it is officially launching its new platform at the IPEM industry conference on 20th September.  

The platform links together services and solutions from carefully selected third party providers to create a one-stop-shop for wealth managers, who may have never tackled private markets or may have from time to time but lack the resources and experience to approach it systematically.  

Through the platform, wealth managers can access a macro- and theme-driven strategy investment toolkit, with investor friendly features (such as shorter life funds and providing the option of being fully invested on day 1).  

Strategies are implemented through a blend of carefully selected managers, to achieve the desired investment outcome, with platform users benefitting from a complete package of supporting resources, including:  

• Platform design fundamentally driven by industry regulations 
• Ability to attest investors are of a certain level of means and financial sophistication required to access private markets assets 
• Meets disclosure requirements in areas such as, but not limited to, client suitability checks, product development governance and KYC requirements throughout the value chain 
• Highly scalable in support of wealth manager business growth objectives 
• Offers asset managers (or GPs) access to a client segment not accessed previously 
• Delivers product development based on demand assessment in the wealth manager community, thus more closely aligning product to client needs. 

PM Alpha has designed the platform to leverage insight from the wealth management community to better identify what investment needs exist, and through the community feedback better develop most suitable blends of funds for end investors.  

Currently in Beta version built in-house, a full version will be in place by Q1 2023 following further feedback from users.  

PM Alpha will deliver investment products (funds) through the platform at a cost range of 25-55 bps, in line with its aim to popularise private markets investment to a wider investment base by enabling better access for wealth managers to the best private markets managers.   

Tom Douie, PM Alpha Founder and CEO commented,  

“Aside from generally improving access to private markets by addressing ALL the typical barriers to entry for a wealth management firm to offer such strategies, we are confident our curated, thematic private markets tool kit delivers the tangible ‘alpha’ benefits of a strong product design and manager selection leading we believe to superior performance outcomes, a structuring benefit (such as shorter life funds) and a cost advantage on the product itself.”  

IPEM  

The platform launch is taking place at the IPEM event in Cannes, France, which brings together 5,000 delegates from the global private markets community, including Investors, Advisors and General Partners.   

PM Alpha will be hosting platform demonstrations from 20th through 22nd September at its Meeting Pod in the Meeting Pod Area (Level 0 – Croisette).  

Tom Douie, Founder and CEO will additionally lead a panel discussion titled Private Markets Democratisation for Wealth Through Retail Access on Tuesday 20th September at 5pm-6pm at the IPEM Showcase Area, Demo Room #2.  

Panelists include: 

Richard Young, Managing Director – Oaktree Capital  

Rafael Torres Boulet, Co-Head of European Private Debt – Muzinich Private Credit  

Maria Porta, CEO Europe – Saranac Partners  

Ayesha Corrine Singh, Head of Regulatory Fund Services – E&Y Legal Services, UK   

Alexis Weber, Chief Investment Officer – PM Alpha, UK 

PARIS (Reuters) – French carmaker Renault will reach its target of having an 80% integrated electric vehicle (EV) chain before its initial date of 2030, said Renault chief executive Luca de Meo.

De Meo added that collaboration remained a key aspect regarding thermal engines vehicles.

Renault upgraded its full-year outlook in July, saying that its turnaround plan to improve profitability was delivering results ahead of schedule.

(Reporting by Gilles Guillaume; Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta)

VIENNA (Reuters) – Two-thirds of the U.N. nuclear watchdog’s 35-nation Board of Governors endorsed a non-binding statement by the United States, Britain, France and Germany on Wednesday pressing Iran to explain why uranium traces were found at three undeclared sites.

At its last quarterly meeting in June the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Board of Governors passed a resolution expressing “profound concern” that the traces remain unexplained due to insufficient cooperation by Iran, and calling on Tehran to engage with the watchdog “without delay”.

The Vienna-based IAEA says there has been no progress and no engagement by Iran since then.

Rather than pass a new resolution at this week’s board meeting, the four countries behind June’s resolution – the United States, Britain, France and Germany – issued a joint statement reaffirming support for that text and sought to get as many other countries as they could to sign up it.

“We call upon Iran to act immediately to fulfil its legal obligations and, without delay, take up the (IAEA) Director General’s offer of further engagement to clarify and resolve all outstanding safeguards issues,” the joint statement presented by Germany to the board said.

A list of countries provided by Germany showed that 23 countries on the board supported it. The 12 that did not included Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Egypt, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Senegal and Vietnam.

That is fewer supporters than the 30 countries that voted in favour of the June resolution, which only Russia and China opposed. Those two did not back Wednesday’s joint statement, either. India and Pakistan abstained in June. Libya went from abstaining on the resolution to supporting the joint statement.

A resolution passed by the Board of Governors carries the weight of a formal decision by the IAEA’s top policy-making body that meets more than once a year. Countries banding together to issue a statement without submitting and passing a resolution are merely expressing an opinion.

The issue of the unexplained uranium particles has become an obstacle in wider talks to revive Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers since Tehran is now seeking a closure of the IAEA’s investigation as part of those negotiations, Western powers say.

This has jeopardised the talks to revive the now badly eroded deal that restricted Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for relief from Western sanctions, the three European powers said on Saturday, venting their frustration.

(Reporting by Francois Murphy; Editing by Catherine Evans)

(Reuters) -The world of sport reacted to the death of Queen Elizabeth on Thursday with a raft of cancellations across cricket, golf, rugby and cycling, while others paid tribute by holding a minute’s silence.

The queen, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, died peacefully at her home in Scotland aged 96.

The second day of the third and deciding cricket test between England and South Africa at the Oval on Friday was suspended as a mark of respect, while matches in the domestic Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy were called off.

The English Football League (EFL) cancelled two games scheduled for Friday, while West Ham United fans sang a rousing rendition of “God Save the Queen” before their Europa Conference League match against Romanian side FCSB on Thursday. A minute’s silence was observed at Europa League games featuring British teams and players wore black armbands.

“A determination regarding the remainder of this weekend’s scheduled fixtures will be made following a review of the official mourning guidance, in addition to further consultation with DCMS and other sports on Friday morning,” the EFL said.

The Scottish Championship game on Friday between Cove Rangers and Dundee was also postponed by the Scottish Professional Football League.

British media reported that the Premier League is also likely to decide on the weekend’s fixtures on Friday.

At Wentworth, which is hosting the BMW PGA golf Championship, the flagship event of Europe’s DP World Tour, play was suspended on Thursday, and organisers cancelled Friday’s second round.

“She was truly an inspiration to people the world over … no play will take place at the BMW PGA Championship on Friday and the golf course and practice facilities will be closed,” the Tour said in a statement.

Peter Forster, captain of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club, said the queen’s 70-year patronage was a “great honour”.

“Following her accession in 1952, Her late Majesty graciously accepted the Patronage of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews … although not a golfer, Her late Majesty’s 70-year patronage of the club was a great honour for its members,” said Forster.

In cycling, the Tour of Britain called off Friday’s sixth stage before also cancelling the weekend’s remaining stages.

Saracens’ game against Northampton Saints in the Premiership Rugby Cup later on Thursday was postponed while Scottish Rugby has suspended all domestic watches this weekend.

The British Horseracing Authority also suspended all events for two days. Horse racing was the queen’s passion and she was a regular race-goer as well as an owner and breeder of racing stock.

The U.S.-based National Football League observed a moment of silence before the start of the regular-season opening game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Buffalo Bills.

The U.S. Open tennis championships and motor racing’s Formula One will also observe silences.

World Athletics president Sebastian Coe hailed the queen for her role in the successful staging of the 2012 London Olympics.

“In the most demanding of roles, she has shown exceptional leadership, grace, wisdom and fortitude, touching us across the full fabric of society, including sport,” said Coe.

“I will never forget her total commitment to the success of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.”

(Reporting by Dhruv Munjal and Manasi Pathak in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Ferris, Ed Osmond and Lincoln Feast)

(Reuters) -The world of sport reacted to the death of Queen Elizabeth on Thursday with a raft of cancellations across cricket, golf, rugby and cycling, while others paid tribute by holding a minute’s silence.

The queen, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, died peacefully at her home in Scotland aged 96.

The second day of the third and deciding cricket test between England and South Africa at the Oval on Friday was suspended as a mark of respect, while matches in the domestic Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy were called off.

The English Football League (EFL) cancelled two games scheduled for Friday, while West Ham United fans sang a rousing rendition of “God Save the Queen” before their Europa Conference League match against Romanian side FCSB on Thursday. A minute’s silence was observed at Europa League games featuring British teams and players wore black armbands.

“A determination regarding the remainder of this weekend’s scheduled fixtures will be made following a review of the official mourning guidance, in addition to further consultation with DCMS and other sports on Friday morning,” the EFL said.

The Scottish Championship game on Friday between Cove Rangers and Dundee was also postponed by the Scottish Professional Football League.

British media reported that the Premier League is also likely to decide on the weekend’s fixtures on Friday.

At Wentworth, which is hosting the BMW PGA golf Championship, the flagship event of Europe’s DP World Tour, play was suspended on Thursday, and organisers cancelled Friday’s second round.

“She was truly an inspiration to people the world over … no play will take place at the BMW PGA Championship on Friday and the golf course and practice facilities will be closed,” the Tour said in a statement.

Peter Forster, captain of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club, said the queen’s 70-year patronage was a “great honour”.

“Following her accession in 1952, Her late Majesty graciously accepted the Patronage of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews … although not a golfer, Her late Majesty’s 70-year patronage of the club was a great honour for its members,” said Forster.

In cycling, the Tour of Britain called off Friday’s sixth stage before also cancelling the weekend’s remaining stages.

Saracens’ game against Northampton Saints in the Premiership Rugby Cup later on Thursday was postponed while Scottish Rugby has suspended all domestic watches this weekend.

The British Horseracing Authority also suspended all events for two days. Horse racing was the queen’s passion and she was a regular race-goer as well as an owner and breeder of racing stock.

The U.S.-based National Football League observed a moment of silence before the start of the regular-season opening game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Buffalo Bills.

The U.S. Open tennis championships and motor racing’s Formula One will also observe silences.

World Athletics president Sebastian Coe hailed the queen for her role in the successful staging of the 2012 London Olympics.

“In the most demanding of roles, she has shown exceptional leadership, grace, wisdom and fortitude, touching us across the full fabric of society, including sport,” said Coe.

“I will never forget her total commitment to the success of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.”

(Reporting by Dhruv Munjal and Manasi Pathak in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Ferris, Ed Osmond and Lincoln Feast)