Carey Olsen

Alex Hall Taylor

Alex Hall Taylor is a barrister, King's Counsel, partner and head of Carey Olsen’s BVI Dispute Resolution and Litigation team. Alex has over 25 years' court experience in commercial litigation and dispute resolution across a broad range of commercial, company, shareholder, trusts, insolvency, restructuring, civil fraud, asset tracing, security enforcement, tax, professional liability and fiduciary claims, arbitrations and mediations. He has extensive case management, interlocutory, trial and appellate advocacy experience including before the Privy Council. His practice is principally contentious, involving advocacy, tactical advice and strategic expertise in high value, complex, document heavy matters that are frequently multi-jurisdictional in nature. He is a CEDR-accredited mediator. Alex is ranked as a leading individual in BVI dispute resolution in the most recent editions of both Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners Global, where he is said to stand out for 'his knowledge, experience and responsiveness' and is described by market sources as 'an exceptionally bright, sensible litigator',  'fantastic' and a 'real delight to work with'. Alex regularly acts and advises on trusts and shareholder disputes including unfair prejudice claims, alleged breaches of trust or of shareholder agreements, rectification actions, minority squeeze-outs and just and equitable winding up applications as well as on fraud and asset tracing claims and regulatory, corporate investigation, anti-corruption and money-laundering assignments. Alex is often involved in seeking or defeating interim remedies such as injunctions, the appointment of receivers and Norwich Pharmacal relief, often on an urgent basis. He has acted as an expert witness on BVI law, practice and procedure in foreign proceedings. Recent BVI experience includes: Enforcement of arbitration award in the Unitel/Vidatel Angolan telecommunications dispute Obtaining discharge of an interim injunction obtained in support of Swiss arbitration proceedings in the medical imaging industry Acting for lead secured creditors in the billion $ restructuring of the Brazilian Constellation offshore drilling group, including first ever appointment of ‘light touch’ joint provisional liquidators in support of foreign restructuring Resisting unreasonable interference by BVI Receivers of BVI company in a Japanese listed subsidiary Liquidations and related applications and claims in connection with frauds by a former Sao Paolo mayor, including obtaining first reported BVI judgment on pooling related liquidations Advising trustees of long-established family trusts on allegations of breach of duty and potential application for removal by warring beneficiaries

Christopher McCarthy

Christopher is a senior associate in the British Virgin Islands Dispute Resolution and Litigation team. Christopher's practice includes property, company, insolvency, and aviation disputes issues. He has been recognised by the Legal 500 UK Bar directory for his ability to "get to the heart of cases quickly" and to "add value by being very user-friendly and approachable". Christopher has acted in matters before the Court of Appeal of England and Wales, the High Court of England and Wales, and the County Court, as well as in the specialist First Tier Tribunal. In 2020, he was nominated for the Young Pro Bono Barrister of the Year Award, part of the Advocate Pro Bono Awards in association with LexisNexis.

Clinton Hempel

Clinton advises on a wide range of British Virgin Islands corporate and commercial law, including, financings and investment structures, takeovers, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions and public and private equity transactions. Clinton also advises on BVI regulatory compliance and risk management.

Elizabeth Killeen

Elizabeth is a partner in the firm's corporate and finance practice. She qualified as a lawyer in London before moving to the British Virgin Islands (BVI) in 2008, where she began to specialise in BVI law. Elizabeth has a broad range of experience in corporate, commercial and financial transactions. She advises on cross-border debt and equity financing, joint venture arrangements, IPOs, mergers and acquisitions, aircraft and other asset financing, continuations in and out of the BVI, corporate governance, corporate reorganisations, directors' duties and voluntary liquidations. She also advises clients on regulatory compliance in the BVI and structuring, forming and maintaining regulated investment funds.

Katrina Lindsay

Katrina advises on a broad range of funds, corporate finance and real estate finance matters. During her three years at the Carey Olsen Jersey office, she has acted on a number of high-profile transactions, including the establishment of the largest real estate fund to be listed on the London Stock Exchange. In addition to working with global financial institutions and leading international law firms, Katrina also worked closely with local businesses, advising on various matters relating to Jersey property unit trusts, limited partnerships and protected or incorporated cell companies. Katrina relocated to the Carey Olsen BVI office in 2016 and has developed a diverse practice in advising clients from around the globe on BVI corporate, financing, security enforcement, restructuring, insolvency and regulatory matters.

Simon Hall

Simon Hall is a Partner in Carey Olsen's dispute resolution and litigation practice in the British Virgin Islands (BVI). Simon moved to the BVI in 2015 and has significant BVI litigation experience. His caseload has primarily involved shareholder / director disputes, fraud and asset tracing, contentious trust and probate, and insolvency work. This has also included a wide array of interlocutory work including applications for freezing orders, prohibitory injunctions and the appointment of receivers. Simon has conducted litigation before the BVI Commercial Court, ECSC Court of Appeal and the Privy Council. He has acted for a wide range of clients including large financial institutions, high net worth individuals, insolvency practitioners and professional trustees. Simon also has considerable advocacy experience and regularly appears as lead and junior counsel before the BVI Commercial Court and ECSC Court of Appeal. He has conducted numerous trials in the BVI as well as interlocutory hearings (on and without notice), and interlocutory and final appeals. His recent cases include: Conducting a four week trial on behalf of two defendants to a derivative claim alleging breach of directors’ duties, dishonest assistance, conspiracy and unjust enrichment; Acting for a BVI shareholder in relation to unfair prejudice proceedings to prevent the compulsory redemption of a BVI minority shareholders' shares at an unfair price, including obtaining an interim injunction preventing the redemption; Conducting unfair prejudice proceedings on behalf of two defendant shareholders which proceeded to a three week trial in the BVI, a three day appeal before the Court of Appeal and which is now before the Privy Council; Acting for the defendant BVI company to a claim for rectification of the share register in circumstances where there were allegations of fraud; Conducting and advising on various sets of proceedings on behalf of a BVI shareholder, including as claimant on an application for the winding of a BVI company on just and equitable grounds, and advising as the funding creditor of litigation being conducted by appointed liquidator.

Tim Wright

Tim is a partner in Carey Olsen's British Virgin Islands (BVI) Dispute Resolution and Litigation team, practising BVI law from Carey Olsen’s London office. Tim previously worked for Carey Olsen in the BVI and re-joined the firm in December 2020 having been head of litigation at another offshore law firm. Tim advises on a wide range of litigation and insolvency matters drawing on his broad onshore and offshore experience. He is a Solicitor Advocate and Barrister and regularly appears in Court. Tim's recent work in the BVI has focused on cross-border fraud and asset tracing, and all forms corporate insolvency work, including liquidation. Tim has particular experience in acting for and against liquidators, in shareholder disputes and unfair prejudice petitions, trust disputes and fraud work, and complex multi-jurisdictional cases emanating especially from Russia/CIS and China. He is regularly instructed on an emergency basis in relation to interim remedies such as freezing injunctions, the appointment of receivers, and Norwich Pharmacal relief (third party disclosure orders).