Dispute Resolution

Partner and Head of Bermuda's Dispute Resolution practice

John Wasty is Head of Bermuda’s Dispute Resolution practice. In his Bermuda role, John leads the Bermuda Insolvency & Restructuring team and the Regulatory Disputes team. John also leads the Insurance and Reinsurance Disputes practice globally.

He specialises in the areas of commercial litigation, restructuring, insolvency litigation, funds litigation and regulatory matters and has represented clients in a wide variety of commercial disputes in Bermuda, London, the US, Europe and Asia.

John frequently advises on a wide variety of contentious insolvency matters, complex multi-jurisdictional restructurings and all issues arising out of schemes of arrangement. In particular he has experience in Bermuda light touch provisional liquidations accompanying Chapter 11 proceedings in the US. In recent years, John has advised on the Noble, Seadrill and C&J restructurings amongst many others.

His complex international and local commercial dispute resolution expertise includes advising on disputes concerning shareholder and joint venture, funds and fund managers, M&A, financial institution, regulatory (particularly Bermuda Monetary Authority, Financial Intelligence Agency and Regulatory Authority of Bermuda) and extensive experience representing major companies and corporate groups in defending against shareholder fair value appraisal actions (often pursued for purposes of appraisal arbitrage) commenced under section 106 of the Companies Act.

John has been involved in the majority of section 106 appraisal actions commenced in Bermuda in recent years acting almost exclusively for companies defending against dissenting shareholders.

John has extensive experience in a broad range of corporate governance matters. He also regularly advises on sanctions related issues.

He is also frequently involved in major arbitrations in Bermuda and internationally in both commercial and insurance/reinsurance matters.

He advises insurers, reinsurers, policyholders, captives and brokers in disputes in the London Market, the US, Europe and Asia.

In the regulatory sphere, John has an extensive body of experience in dealing with the Bermuda Monetary Authority and the Regulatory Authority of Bermuda in relation to AML/ATF, banking/financial institution, telecommunications, insurance and reinsurance, and fund regulation and enforcement issues including regularly advising Bermuda’s largest companies and their management in connection with On-site Investigations, Warning Notices, Decision Notices and appeals of Bermuda Monetary Authority and Regulatory Authority of Bermuda decisions.

Prior to joining Appleby, John practised extensively in both London and Hong Kong with a leading global law firm.

John is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and the Chair of the Bermuda Branch of CIArb. John is also Deputy Chair of the Insurance Appeals Tribunal.

In addition to being admitted in Bermuda, John has also been admitted in New York, England, Hong Kong, Canada and the British Virgin Islands.

University of British Columbia (Canada) (JD) Osgoode Hall Law School, York University (Canada) (LLM)