Walkers BVI > Tortola, British Virgin Islands > Firm Profile

Walkers BVI Offices

Walkers BVI
171 MAIN STREET, PO BOX 92
ROAD TOWN
TORTOLA VG1110
British Virgin Islands
Visit website 1 284 494 2204 1 284 494 5535

Walkers BVI > The Legal 500 Rankings

British Virgin Islands > Dispute resolution Tier 1

‘An outstanding BVI litigation practice’, Walkers BVI regularly represents its stellar clientele in cross-border disputes. It has an active privy council practice, excels in private capital and trusts work, and participates in arbitrations on a global scale. The team also boasts strong restructuring and insolvency capabilities, particularly in the fintech sector. A go-to advisor for HNW individuals, Oliver Clifton is active in fraud and asset tracing and boasts an active cross-border litigation practice. He leads the team alongside corporate litigation specialist Rosalind Nicholson, who boasts experience in cryptocurrency disputes. With an impressive roster of clients spanning North America, China and East Asia, Iain Tucker excels in freezing orders and injunctive relief work and has particular focus on the fintech sector. Meenaa Azsmayesh was promoted to senior counsel in July 2023 and is active in shareholder and investor disputes, corporate insolvency cases and fraud and asset tracing matters. Murray Laing  has left the BVI team for a long-term secondment to the firm's Dubai office.

Practice head(s):

Oliver Clifton; Rosalind Nicholson

Other key lawyers:

Iain Tucker; Meenaa Azsmayesh; Colleen Farrington

Testimonials

‘Technically the most sound. Best strategic thinkers. Best technology platform (as observed by the Court itself). Access to broad range of talent in Cayman, Hong Kong, or other offices as required, which is a big plus on a complex case. Have enough very capable people to never have a case short-staffed, and can (and do) leverage other offices’ resources as helpful and/or required.’

‘Oliver Clifton is hands down the best strategic and tactical lawyer on the island. I have now worked with him for nearly a decade on a piece of litigation that has gone up to the Privy Council and back down (successfully). He is direct, user-friendly, and terribly effective on his feet when needed. Always thinks several moves ahead and can read the court particularly well. The bedrock of the Walkers dispute resolution team in BVI.’

‘Walkers provides a seamless worldwide service, and will go the extra mile in working late or early to cover handovers between different timezones.’

‘High calibre lawyers in the BVI with commercial expertise and great knowledge of substantive law.’

‘Walkers have sound local knowledge and are user friendly.’

‘Oliver Clifton is proactive, strategic and has good judgment.’

‘The team is very professional and responsive.’

Key clients

Cargill Group

Tristan Oil Limited

Bunge SA

Ikon Shina LLC (formerly Nokian Shina LLC)

HSBC

FTX Trading Ltd and 101 associated debtors

Amiral Ports Development Limited

King Bun

Pramod Mittal

C2 Capital Limited

FalconX Limited

Marc Andre Girolstein

Incredible Power and Esben Finance Limited

Work highlights

  • Representing the Cargill Group as a defendant in BVI fraud proceedings brought by the Russian National Bank Trust, a bank holding the distressed assets of an Oligarch.
  • Acted for Tristan Oil Ltd on a restructuring via a BVI Scheme of Arrangement of its New York Law-governed debt and a Chapter 15 recognition.
  • Acted for a successful group of Defendants in JSC BTA Bank v Sabyrbaev BVIHCM2021/0171, proceedings concerning a claim of fraud brought by the Kazakh Bank BTA against multiple BVI companies and other defendants.

British Virgin Islands > Trusts/private client Tier 1

Walkers BVI plays a key role in the firm's renowned cross-Caribbean and indeed global offering in trusts and private client matters. The multi-jurisdictional team of specialists support wealthy families, entrepreneurs, family offices, family businesses, and the range of onshore advisers for such. The range of work, which encompasses contentious and non-contentious matters, includes using trusts and companies for wealth planning purposes; private capital investment; succession planning; trust and estate disputes; commercial trusts; and related regulatory issues. Rosalind Nicholson leads the group in the BVI and receives client praise for her 'clear and pragmatic advice'. She is particularly well regarded for advice to family business companies. Oliver Clifton is the contact to note for disputes in this field, and Omonike Robinson-Pickering has recently advised a breadth of businesses and private clients on succession matters in the BVI.

Testimonials

‘Ability to provide seamless contentious and non-contentious trust advice.’

‘Rosalind Nicholson provided clear and pragmatic advice to the clients. Her guidance was key and enabled the clients to take informed decisions on the course of action to be undertaken.’

‘We have used Walkers because of the breadth and depth of their offshore expertise in all of the relevant jurisdictions. They are excellent lawyers and very responsive.’

‘Rosalind Nicholson acted as an expert witness for us on issues of BVI law. She was simply excellent all round.’

Work highlights

British Virgin Islands > Banking, finance and capital markets Tier 2

Walkers BVI stands out on several fronts when it comes to its banking and finance work, including focusing on the recent growth area of fintech entries via BVI, as well as continuing to be a recognised name in traditional, high-value cross-border finance transactions. Asset finance for aircraft and private vessels is also a strength, and the broad offering is also well versed in capital markets work, structured finance, and related regulatory matters. Matthew Cowman, the managing partner of the BVI office, is strong on commercial financing and he co-leads the department with Omonike Robinson-Pickering, who has a thriving, growing practice specialising in advising financial institutions and borrowers on complex cross-border finance transactions from a BVI perspective. Lauren Williamson is another stand-out name across banking and finance transactions.

Work highlights

British Virgin Islands > Corporate and commercial Tier 2

Firm of choice for a large array of asset managers, financial services companies and multinational conglomerates, Walkers BVI is active in a range of matters, including public and private acquisitions and disposals; joint ventures and M&A; private placements, corporate restructurings and reorganisations; and schemes of arrangement. At the head of the practice in BVI, Matthew Cowman has over 25 years of experience in international commercial law, recently acting on matters in the crypto assets sphere. Alex Drysdale bolsters the firm’s notable practice for cross-border work involving Latin American entities, and has a focus on corporate transactions. Lauren Williamson is a further name to note, supporting on corporate restructurings and the range of transactions that the firm handles.

Practice head(s):

Matthew Cowman

Other key lawyers:

Alex Drysdale; Lauren Williamson

Key clients

Autodesk Inc.

FTX

Lumentum Holdings Inc.

Morgan Stanley

Norwegian Cruise Lines

Pfizer

Securitize Capital LLC

The Central America Bottling Corporation

Uber

Work highlights

  • Advised Lumentum Holdings on its acquisition of Cloud Light Technology Limited (Cloud Light) for $750m by way of a BVI statutory merger.
  • Acting for Autodesk Inc on its acquisition of PayApps, implemented by way of a BVI statutory merger.
  • Advising the FTX Debtors.

British Virgin Islands > Investment funds Tier 2

Paul Waldron continues to forge a stellar practice in hedge funds, private equity funds and BVI investment managers, and he spearheads the offering at Walkers BVI. He and the wider team are well versed in acting for both established and start-up institutional asset managers and smaller investment managers. Iona Wright, who was raised to the partnership in July 2024, is the contact to note for fintech regulatory issues.

Testimonials

‘Great people. Very knowledgeable and responsive.’

‘They never make you feel rushed. Willing to put in the time need to explain details and ensure there’s adequate transparency.’

‘Great team under the leadership of Paul Waldron. Team very closed to client and understand our needs.’

‘Paul Waldron as he is always responsive with pragmatic approach. As client, we know that we are in good shape with him as partner in charge.’

Work highlights

British Virgin Islands > Regulatory and compliance Tier 2

Walkers BVI is part of the firm's cross-Caribbean offering in regulatory and compliance law, with the firm's Cayman Islands office handling a share of complex work relating the the BVI. Notable clients from across the banking, insurance and reinsurance, and investment sectors look to the firm for assistance with financial regulation and risk management issues, as well as contentious and advisory matters. Lucy Frew at the Cayman office oversees the BVI regulatory practice too and has particularly deep experience in fintech regulation. Andrew Howarth is a further key contact at the Cayman office, and Sara Hall in London bolsters the financial services and international regulation offering. Iona Wright is the contact to note in the BVI and stands out for her knowledge of the regulatory aspects of investment funds.

Testimonials

‘Walkers’ team in BVI has extensive experience with regulatory and compliance frameworks in BVI, as well as their application to cryptocurrency businesses.’

‘The team is knowledgeable, professional and responsive. They are there every step of the way and find solutions rather then just pointing out issues.’

Work highlights

United Arab Emirates > Offshore

Praised as ‘well-established, responsive, and easy to work with’, Walkers is proficient in capital market transactions and project financing. Daniel Wood is knowledgeable of private equity funds, Ciaran Bohnacker handles Islamic financing, and Tom Cochrane is well-versed in investment funds. Luke Petith and Cate Barbour are experienced in restructuring. Murray Laing is often engaged in civil litigation, and Johanna Hendry often advises on corporate transactions. Bryan O’Donnell is another key team member.

Practice head(s):

Daniel Wood; Ciaran Bohnacker; Tom Cochrane; Luke Petith; Murray Laing

Other key lawyers:

Cate Barbour; Johanna Hendry; Bryan O’Donnell

Testimonials

‘The Walkers team in Dubai is incredibly responsive and provides top-quality legal advice from both a legal and practical perspective. They are by far the best offshore practice in the UAE.’

‘Walkers consistently delivers high-quality service, especially in offshore jurisdictions.’

‘The team is very well-established, responsive, and easy to work with.’

‘Despite working across different continents and time zones, the team seamlessly attends to clients’ queries and requests without delay.’

‘The team is well-established, professional, and strategic. Their transparency in pricing and speed of delivery make them a reliable choice.’

‘Murray Laing is an exceptional partner, he is hard-working, very responsive, and demonstrates excellent tactical nous.’

‘I am particularly impressed with Luke Petith for his clear and constructive interactions with clients on both legal and commercial matters.’

‘Cate Barbour stands out for her impressive work ethic and teamwork.’

Key clients

GFH Financial Group

International Airfinance Corporation

HSBC

Gulf Capital

SHUAA Capital psc

Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank

Emirates NBD

Emirates Airlines

Kitopi

Sidra Capital

Work highlights

  • Represented MBFX in ongoing disputes with Von Der Heydt S.A. (“VDHI”).
  • Advised KSA’s Public Investments Fund (PIF) on the establishment of an inaugural green bond issuance.
  • Advised Tabby on its US$200 million series D equity financing at a valuation of $1.5 billion.

Walkers BVI > Firm Profile

Firm Details

Global Managing Partner: Ingrid Pierce

Office Managing Partner: Matthew Cowman

Number of partners worldwide: 149

Number of lawyers worldwide: 406 (includes partners)

Total staff worldwide: +1.3k

Languages: 20+ languages including Cantonese, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin, Portuguese, Spanish

 

Firm Overview

We are an international financial services firm with offices across geographies and expertise in multiple jurisdictions. We provide legal, corporate, regulatory filing, compliance and fiduciary services to the world’s leading financial institutions and companies. You’ll find us in the time zone you need us to be, combining deep expertise with a determination to give our clients the best. In a volatile world we are a safe pair of hands in important financial jurisdictions. Our people and our approach to solving our clients’ challenges are tried and tested, but that doesn’t mean we ever stand still. Markets change, regulation evolves, businesses adapt, and we keep on reinventing our service for the times we find ourselves in.

We practice six laws with teams working from a network of 10 offices across the Americas, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Our clients receive the responsive service, clear commercial advice and jurisdiction relevant solutions that make deals happen, markets move and businesses thrive.

 

Legal Services

Asset Management & Investment Funds

Our services in Asset Management and Investment Funds provide tailored solutions to meet our clients’ ever-evolving needs. Whether launching a new fund, addressing regulatory changes or optimising asset performance, our global team delivers straightforward advice that supports your strategic aims. We focus on actionable insights to help you steer through complex financial landscapes with confidence.

 

Finance

We understand finance moves quickly. Our firm offers robust support to help clients manage risks, secure transactions and enhance financial strategies. Our specialists deliver decisive,

timely advice across financial practices including project finance, banking and capital markets. We’re committed to helping you achieve your business goals with the latest financial acumen and strategic foresight.

 

Corporate, Mergers & Acquisitions

Our corporate, mergers and acquisitions solutions are designed to drive growth and maximise value for our clients. From due diligence to deal closure, our experts offer strategic guidance covering all aspects of M&A transactions such as merging with a competitor, buying a new business, or restructuring your company. We ensure a seamless, efficient process aligning with your corporate strategy at every step.

 

Dispute Resolution

We recognise the challenges and stakes involved in legal disputes. Our International Dispute Resolution team is equipped to handle complex cases across multiple jurisdictions – our aim is always to resolve conflicts effectively and efficiently. We emphasise risk minimisation and safeguarding your interests through arbitration, litigation, or alternative dispute resolution methods.

 

Insolvency & Restructuring

Understanding the nuances of a client’s insolvency and restructuring needs acute legal insight and strategic planning. Our team offers bespoke solutions that protect assets, manage liabilities and ease recovery and growth. Whether restructuring to enhance profitability or handling bankruptcy, our expert support turns challenges into opportunities.

 

Regulatory & Compliance

Keeping up with regulations is essential in today’s global market – but that doesn’t make it easy. Our Regulatory and Compliance services deliver proactive solutions that ensure your operations follow laws and regulations, avoiding potential liabilities and enhancing business integrity. We provide audits, compliance reviews and ongoing advice from our global team to keep you ahead in your industry.

 

Fintech

From start-ups to bigger players, we’ve got an expert for you. Our fintech solutions harness the latest legal innovations to support the full lifecycle of companies in the sector. We help with everything from intellectual property protection and regulatory compliance to strategic partnerships, blockchain and tokenisation. Our global perspective guarantees you’ll get expert advice that keeps you competitive.Our team works closely with many of the leading international law and insolvency practitioners on complex cross-border cases and restructuring transactions to provide local law advice.

Insurance

Our firm offers tailored legal solutions for the insurance sector, covering regulatory issues, risk management and litigation. We support insurance companies, brokers and policyholders with the legal aspects of their operations, ensuring tough protection and strategic advice tailored to specific needs.

 

Private Capital & Trusts

Our expertise in private capital and trusts offers secure, strategic solutions for managing private wealth. From forming trusts to estate administration, our team provides discreet and thorough support. We work with you so that your assets are protected, and your estate planning goals are met with precision and personal attention.

 

Employment

In a fast-moving sector, our employment law services help both employers and employees in managing workplace legalities. From drafting contracts to handling disputes and ensuring compliance with labour laws, we provide clear, practical advice that fosters a productive workplace and minimises legal conflict.

 

Real Estate

Our real estate solutions offer extensive support for deals involving commercial and residential properties. We handle negotiations, contracts and litigation with a focus on maximising value and securing your interests in any real estate transactions.

 

Tax

We offer strategic tax advice that cultivates your financial health while following local and international tax laws. Our team advises on tax planning, dispute resolution and transactional taxes, helping you manage liabilities and taking advantage of any available incentives.

 

Formation, Fiduciary & Compliance services

Formation

We help pave the way for a successful launch and scalable growth. Our experts guide you through every step of incorporating your business, ensuring legal soundness and alignment with your strategic objectives. Our team provides focused advice on choosing the right legal form, drafting foundational documents and registering your business for a robust and compliant corporate structure.

 

Fiduciary Services

Our fiduciary services are designed to uphold the highest standards of corporate governance and trust management. We act as trustees, executors or administrators for the responsible management of assets according to legal requirements and your specific directives. Our approach is characterised by meticulous attention to detail, so that all fiduciary duties are performed with integrity and transparency.

 

Compliance

Keeping up with compliance is more important than ever before. Our team offers continuous monitoring and advisory to keep your business up to date with evolving legal standards, safeguarding your reputation and operations. We help steer the way through complex compliance needs, from conducting thorough audits and risk assessments to implementing effective compliance programmes.

 

Listing Services

Listing Advisory Services

Our listings team are on hand to seamlessly introduce your business into public markets. We offer specialist guidance on the entire listing process, from initial preparation and documentation to compliance with regulatory standards and ongoing reporting requirements. Our experts’ advice ensures your listing maximises visibility and attracts the right investors, positioning you for long term success.

 

Continuing Obligations Services

As all issuers of listed debt securities are subject to clear rules to avoid market abuse, it pays to have a trusted guide who understands the intricacies of continuing obligations. Our experienced team help clients across the world navigate their listings duties, helping them to remain secure and compliant.

 

Ancillary Services – LEI and ISIN

International issuers are typically required to obtain and maintain a Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) while all bonds must have an International Securities Identification Number (ISIN). Ensuring that these are in place and correctly presented is an important obligation. Our expert team work closely with a variety of agency bodies to ensure every client is fully equipped and compliant.