Carey Olsen

Dispute Resolution and Litigation; Trusts and Private Wealth; Private Client

Claire is senior counsel and King's Counsel in the dispute resolution and litigation team and trusts and private wealth team at Carey Olsen Bermuda.

She has extensive court experience in the fields of commercial and civil litigation, contentious and non-contentious trust and estate disputes, and public law. As a specialist in the resolution of complex disputes, Claire's practice is principally contentious extending to advocacy, strategic expertise and tactical advice in domestic and multi-jurisdictional high-value litigation. As an expert in private international law, she is also well equipped to advise on cross border elements that arise in these fields.

Claire also has a broad private client practice advising on wealth structuring and estate planning matters including the creation, restructuring and termination of trust structures, matters relating to trust administration, as well as probate and testamentary issues.

She is also a recognised expert in the field of mental capacity law and is described as “go-to counsel for international mental capacity matters” (Chambers & Partners). She is an editor of "The International Protection of Adults" (Oxford University Press), which provides comparative analysis of private international law rules relating to mental capacity law and the Hague Convention on the International Protection of Adults.

Claire's client base is predominantly comprised of global businesses, financial institutions, public bodies, trustees, beneficiaries, settlors, protectors, private individuals and families who she advises and represents before the Supreme Court of Bermuda and Court of Appeal for Bermuda.

Claire is a member of the STEP Bermuda Committee. She also sits on the Bermuda Mental Health Tribunal and is also Panel Chair of the Bermuda Human Rights Tribunal. She is the immediate past Chair of the STEP Mental Capacity Global Special Interest Group, a full member of STEP and a member of the Chancery Bar Association. She was appointed King's Counsel in 2023.

Prior to joining Carey Olsen Bermuda in 2021, Claire practised as a barrister at Outer Temple Chambers in London. She was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 2003 and throughout her time practising as a barrister there she developed extensive advocacy experience before the High Court and Court of Appeal of England & Wales in the fields of civil and commercial litigation, trust and estates disputes, mental capacity and public law. Prior to her appointment as King's Counsel, Claire was appointed to the Attorney General's London Panel of Civil Counsel through which she represented the UK Government in a wide variety of high profile cases before the High Court, Court of Appeal and UK Supreme Court. She was also appointed to the "A Panel" of the Equality and Human Rights Commission Panel Counsel. Claire was also shortlisted as “Advocate of the Year” at the 2019/2020 STEP Private Client Awards.

Claire is a full member of STEP, Chair of the STEP Mental Capacity Global Special Interest Group and a member of the Chancery Bar Association.