Rock Lobster's Roger dropped bass for Bar

He may have had an early taste of the rock 'n' roll lifestyle, but Advocate Roger Le Tissier went on to become founding partner of Ogier's Guernsey office. He spoke to Rosie Allsopp ROGER LE TISSIER was no ordinary aspiring teenage rock star.

His band, Rock Lobster, had the honour of supporting Adam and the Ants when they visited the island while at the peak of their fame in 1981.

And it won the regional heats of a TSB Rock School competition and travelled to Manchester for the national contest.

'We didn't win the competition but we were on Radio 1 and I believe it was broadcast elsewhere on the BBC as well,' he said.

As well as playing bass in the band, he played violin in the Elizabeth College orchestra and sang in the choir, but he harboured no desire to pursue music as a career.

'I had already chosen to be an advocate. I didn't want to be a rock star. It was a hobby and I'm very pleased it remained a hobby.

'I know professional musicians, opera singers and classical musicians who have left the profession to get a regular job where they don't have to worry where the money is coming from.'

He read law at Leicester Polytechnic after leaving the college.

'My A-levels weren't entirely the triumph they were meant to be. To be fair, I was spending more time playing in bands than studying.'

When he reached the polytechnic, he admits to knuckling down 'as well as any other student'.

He passed his exams and went to become a barrister at Gray's Inn. On his return to the island he studied for the Guernsey Bar exams. His first position was with Collas, Day and Rowland practising general law.

'As a pupil, I had done commercial work, particularly funds, which I enjoyed hugely, but there wasn't the opportunity to do that.'

He left to join Barings, working with Guernsey International Fund Managers, the largest such administrator in the island.

While he was there, Advocate Le Tissier was seconded to the Guernsey Financial Services Commission.

'They wanted someone in the industry working with them. It was a great experience. I was working with Nigel Taylor and John Roper. I was authorising funds and licensees and doing compliance visits.

'While I was there I drafted and pushed through the new limited-partnership law in 1995, which was an important development for Guernsey's funds industry.

'There are now more than 500 limited partnerships registered in Guernsey and the legislation has helped private equity business in Guernsey to become a world leader.'

While he was at GIFM, Barings went bust as a result of Nick Leeson's activities.

'It was an extraordinary experience and we all learned a huge amount over the two weeks that followed. Everyone in Guernsey came out of it even stronger than before.'

Nine years ago, he was approached by law firm Ogier about whether he was interested in setting up a Guernsey office.

'Prior to that, Ogier and Le Masurier, as it was known then, was entirely Jersey-based. They were the first offshore firm to open an office in another jurisdiction.'

It was almost unthinkable to establish a Guernsey office of a Jersey firm, but Advocate Le Tissier pursued it despite the potential difficulties it posed.

'It was quite a considerable risk I was taking on. There were all the usual business risks - the risk of being the first to do anything like that, reputation risks. But it's funny how clearing out one's office can bring certain things to light.

'I had written a business plan in the early 90s for a law firm which would be multi-jurisdictional, though I couldn't interest anyone in it at the time.'

He took up the challenge and it proved to be a controversial move, though he insists he had never wanted to cause a storm.

'I had taken a number of challenges but I have never thought of myself like that at all.

'I have caused controversy but have never considered myself controversial at all.

'Leaving private practice to go to Barings caused a storm, which I found incomprehensible. Then I was followed by a number of advocates who also left private practice.

'There was controversy over the secondment to the GFSC, so can you imagine a Jersey law firm in Guernsey?'

He remembers fondly the early days of setting up Ogier's Guernsey office.

'It was an absolutely wonderful time for me - the business forged ahead. It really took off despite the barriers many people tried to put in my way.'

It was just Advocate Le Tissier and his secretary, Caroline Raines, in a small Town office at the start, but 18 months later Ogier moved to new premises in Le Truchot and began recruiting lawyers.

The firm has scored several firsts, including employing Marcus Leese, the first New Zealand lawyer to be admitted to the Guernsey Bar and first Kiwi to become a partner in the Ogier group.

'We brought a lot of Kiwis and Aussies because they like to travel and are also first-class lawyers, but they don't want to stay forever.'

This year, Ogier outgrew its Coutts House premises and is now in the former Bank of Bermuda building.

Advocate Le Tissier said there was still plenty he wanted to achieve in his career and personal life.

'There is a long list of things I would like to do and more things I would like to do with music.'

He is a member of the Guernsey Chamber Choir and the Choral Society, where he met his wife, Frances.

One of his out-of-work ambitions will be realised later this year.

He plans to sing Spem in Alium Numquam Habui, by Thomas Tallis. The piece is a 40-part motet that is notoriously complicated to perform.

'It is performed by eight five-piece choirs. There are 40 separate lines of music going on at the same time and is it extraordinarily difficult to sing.

'It is something I have always wanted to do. Frances has put in a huge amount of effort to organise it.'