Alan Smith of Towry Law Maki Nibayashi

Maki Nibayashi speaks to Alan Smith of Towry Law, an independent firm of financial advisors with roots in the UK.


Can you tell us a bit about your company?
The Towry Law Group was founded by the present Chairman, the Honorable Cecil Towry Law, in 1958 to offer advice on personal financial planning. Over the past 43 years, the company has grown to become one of the largest firms of independent financial advisers in the UK and offshore market, with 31 offices worldwide and over 1000 on staff. In 1993, Towry Law plc (public limited company) was listed on the London Stock Exchange. Towry Law is completely independent and therefore has no ties with any banks, investment management groups, insurance companies or other financial institutions. His Eminence the British Ambassador opened our Japan office in autumn of 1999, and we are registered with the Ministry of Finance as an Investment Adviser.

What sort of clients do you deal with?
We typically deal with expatriates who are looking for a complete financial planning package including investment, tax, regular savings, retirement, insurance and school-fee planning. Our clients tend to be sophisticated and demand high levels of service. We look after a wide range of clients throughout Japan, from the senior management of multinational corporations to short-term expats in junior positions. As we are a division of an onshore UK regulated company we have very strict internal compliance and investor protection in place, meaning the investments we recommend have been very thoroughly researched by our asset management divisions in London and Hong Kong.

What positions are you seeking to fill, and what are some of the requirements?
We are looking to expand our team of financial planning consultants. The role is both interesting and varied. As a plc we seek to maintain the highest standards of quality in our financial advice, so we are looking for ambitious, intelligent individuals, who can work well in a team environment, but possess high levels of initiative. Fluency in English, both written and spoken, is essential, and Japanese language skills are a definite advantage. Our consultants are required to maintain our high standards of professionalism and must be able to demonstrate an ethical approach to their work. The job is demanding, as we typically have high net worth clients with a good understanding of the financial world. Therefore, we usually only recruit candidates with financial services experience.

What about salary and benefits?
All our consultants receive a basic salary, and once the probationary period is successfully completed, a housing allowance, company pension, private healthcare and share options are all available. Joining Towry Law is a career decision, and we are only looking for people who are prepared to commit to us for at least the next 3 - 5 years. The career prospects are excellent for successful people, with transfers possible between our network of offices in Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Dubai, Bahrain, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Cyprus and London.

Please fax your CV to 03-5210-5508, or email it to info@towrylaw.co.jp For further information on the company, please visit www.towrylaw.co.jp  

Do you have a position to fill? Email editor@tokyoclassified.com