In this video, Mourant Ozannes senior partner Rob Shepherd talks to Legal Week publisher John Malpas about the firm's success at the British Legal Awards, where it was named Offshore Law Firm of the Year.

Mourant emerged as the winner in the closely contested category following a sustained period of success which has seen it expand its global presence through office openings in Hong Kong and the British Virgin Islands. In the video, Shepherd discusses the firm's strategy to be the best law firm in the key offshore jurisdictions – in other words, the 'best of the best'. Building strength in depth in core practice areas and resisting the temptation to spread itself too thinly are instrumental to the firm's success.

The firm, which now has six offices around the world, regularly advises 19 of the world's top 20 banks, with its instructions garnered via relationships with 62% of the top 100 global law firms. The awards judges cited the firm's business wins as a key factor in its success in the category, with notable roles including acting for liquidators of a number of funds affected by the Bernard Madoff fraud scandal.

The firm was also praised by the judges for its employee development, including a new partner development programme that sees both new and aspiring partners benefit from a programme of modules led by Rigby and external trainers from magic circle backgrounds. Meanwhile, Mourant Ozannes' CSR programme sees its employees participate in adult literacy programmes, fundraising for hospices and more than 50 local charities, as well as providing pro bono advice for local charities.

Click here for more on the firm's British Legal Awards win, and click here to view the latest Mourant briefings on Legal Week Law.