Lydia Essa

Lydia is counsel in the trusts and private wealth team in Guernsey and acts for trustees, beneficiaries, protectors and family offices on all aspects of fiduciary law, both contentious and non-contentious.

Lydia has a wealth of experience of both private and commercial trust structures and specialises in advising on the design, implementation and administration of complex asset holding structures with multi-jurisdictional asset bases, sophisticated financing arrangements and diverse business and personal interests. 

During her career in Guernsey and previously in London, Lydia has been involved in a number of high-profile contentious and probate matters and is particularly well-versed in matters which require the navigation of complex family and/or trustee/beneficiary dynamics.

Lydia has extensive experience in advising on trusts in a commercial context, particularly on business asset transfers between offshore trust providers and has acted for a number of private equity houses on large-scale multi-jurisdictional trust company acquisitions.

Lydia has previously been "singled out by clients" in Legal 500 (Contentious Trusts and Probate) and was twice listed in Private Client Practitioner's Top 35 under 35.

She was also named as a "Leading High Net Worth Professional" by Chambers which described her as "fantastic" and "really specialised in trusts and tax". 

Lydia writes on topical matters of interest in a private wealth context and has previously contributed commentary and articles to the STEP Journal, Trust Law Quarterly, Business Life, Philanthropy Impact and Spears Wealth.

Lydia qualified as a solicitor of England and Wales in 2006 (currently non-practising) and began her career in the private client team of a Magic Circle firm in London. Lydia then moved to a top-tier boutique private wealth and litigation practice where she worked as a senior associate for a number of years specialising in UK trusts and tax matters (but focusing primarily during that time on contentious matters involving offshore trust structures) before relocating with her family to Guernsey in 2016.

Most recently, Lydia spent five years as board member and client director of a leading independent fiduciary in Guernsey gaining invaluable practical experience as a fiduciary. During this time, she assumed primary responsibility for the administration of complex and ultra-high value asset holding structures, experience which has complemented and enhanced the fiduciary legal skills that she has now brought back into private practice.

Lydia consulted for the trusts and private wealth team at Carey Olsen Guernsey from 2023 and joined the team permanently as counsel in 2025.