Our History

The Isola family arrived in Gibraltar from Genoa during the 1770s and at the end of the nineteenth century married into the Parody family, which itself had strong legal traditions. Horace Parody commenced his own practice in Gibraltar in 1892 and continued until his death in 1921.

His brother Ernest had a distinguished career in the Colonial legal service which culminated in his appointments appointment as Chief Justice of Sierra Leone in the early 1930s.

Horace’s nephew, Albert Isola QC, practised with him until his death, and then set up the practice that still bears the Isola family name in 1921. During his distinguished life he was a member of the Gibraltar Executive Council and the senior elected member of The Legislative Council.

The practice was restructured as a partnership in 1947, when Albert’s son, William, joined him. William Isola died in 1993. He was a member of Gibraltar’s City Council from 1958 to 1969 as a member of the Gibraltar House of Assembly, our legislative council, from 1969 to 1976 serving as a Government Minister from 1969 to 1972.

The death of the Firm’s Senior Partner, The Hon Peter J Isola OBE, in January 2006, was a loss felt by every member of the practice. Described in his obituary in The Times as “keen-witted and charming” Peter was a formidable litigator, intellectual, yet humble and approachable. One of Gibraltar’s Political heavyweights, he served Gibraltar for some 30 years in Government and Opposition and touched everyone who had the good fortune to have met him.

The Firm’s Senior Partner is Peter’s eldest son, Peter A Isola.