Caribbean - Bermuda

Carey Olsen Bermuda Limited

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The trusts and private wealth practice at Carey Olsen Bermuda Limited advises on a wide spectrum of trust matters, encompassing both contentious and non-contentious issues, including high-profile proceedings. Leading the practice and recognised as ‘a powerhouse of unquestionable ability,’ Keith Robinson has extensive experience in major trust cases, while Ashley Fife specialises in advising on trust restructurings, trust disputes and trust documentation. Claire van Overdijk KC, who took silk in 2023, is an expert in cross-border trust and estate disputes; and Stephanie Bernard has extensive experience in international and local estate planning arrangements, wealth management structures, and international and local pensions issues. Key senior associates include Laura Kearns, who has experience in lifetime and succession planning work, and Oliver MacKay, who excels in contentious trust matters.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘Carey Olsen Bermuda is now the leading private client/trust services law firm in Bermuda.’

  • 'Keith Robinson continues to impress with his vast breadth of knowledge and experience. He provides decisive, clear and concise advice without ever being condescending when explaining a particularly complex legal problem. Oliver MacKay has proved to be hard working, diligent and approachable with a positive attitude. Claire van Overdijk KC is insightful, friendly and very knowledgeable.'

  • ‘The trusts and private client team that has been created is extremely strong at all levels. This allows for certain matters not to have to be dealt with at partner level therefore provides a cost efficient service for the client. CO Bermuda is truly a full service practice which is helpful as many of our matters touch numerous other service departments. The team at CO are always open to having a general discussion on any current hot topics and provide wonderful insight.’

  • ‘Keith Robinson - Keith has a wealth of experience on a wide range of topics. Keith is always quick to get to the nub of a matter and always develops a pragmatic and sensible solution.'

  • ‘The best trust litigation team I have worked with in any jurisdiction.’

  • ‘Keith Robinson, Claire van Overdijk KC and Oliver MacKay are very thorough, knowledgeable and detailed. Very proactive in their case management and highly competent in court.’

  • ‘Carey Olsen Bermuda is very responsive and is very good for quality of service, attention to detail, partner inclusion.’

  • ‘The Carey Olsen team's strengths include their outstanding experience and breadth of knowledge in the industry. I am always impressed by the team's dedication to excellence and quality of service as their availability and response times go above and beyond.'

Key clients

  • BCT Limited

Lawyers

Rising stars

Stephanie Bernard

Stephanie Bernard

Carey Olsen

Stephanie Bernard TEP is counsel in the trusts and private wealth team at Carey Olsen Bermuda. Stephanie has extensive and in-depth experience advising individuals, fiduciaries and companies on all aspects of trust law including international and local estate planning arrangements, wealth management structures, variation of trusts and private trust companies, as well as international and local pensions. Stephanie also advises on regulatory issues impacting on trustees and pension plans. Since 2017 Stephanie has been recognised in the Legal 500 Caribbean directory.

Leading individuals

Keith Robinson

Keith Robinson

Carey Olsen

Keith Robinson is a partner in the dispute resolution and trusts and private wealth practice of Carey Olsen Bermuda. With more than 20 years' experience in a wide range of commercial litigation, Keith is highly recognised by publications, peers and clients; being described as "extremely well respected globally" and someone who "knows how to handle big offshore disputes". Often engaged by clients for "significantly challenging" litigation and high value civil matters where his "wider experience and knowledge gives him a very good forensic edge", Keith's dispute resolution practice ranges from corporate and commercial disputes, arbitration, breach of contract and public law to restructuring and insolvency matters. His restructuring and insolvency expertise includes advising on a number of cross-border insolvencies, asset recovery/tracing cases and receiverships, as well as schemes of arrangement. He regularly advises liquidators and receivers, the boards of distressed entities, investors and unsecured creditors in relation to both contentious and non-contentious insolvency issues. In addition, he also has expertise in high-value trust litigation and court approved trust restructurings, often with a multi-jurisdictional element. Keith represents global businesses, trustees, beneficiaries, settlors and protectors in a wide range of contentious and non-contentious cases before the Supreme Court of Bermuda, drawing on his extensive advocacy experience. Keith has been involved in many of the major insolvency and trust cases in Bermuda in recent years and has written widely and spoken internationally on Bermuda law. Keith is ranked as a Band 1 lawyer for Dispute Resolution in Bermuda by Chambers Global 2020 and as a leading individual by The Legal 500.

Next Generation Partners

Ashley Fife

Carey Olsen

Ashley Fife TEP is counsel in the trusts and private wealth team of Carey Olsen Bermuda Limited. He provides advice in relation to the structuring, restructuring and administration of private and commercial trusts and their underlying entities. Ashley advises in respect of the formation of family offices and regulatory issues impacting upon trustees, corporate service providers, trusts and underlying entities e.g. FATCA and CRS, beneficial ownership registers, anti-money laundering/terrorist financing and economic substance requirements.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Keith Robinson

Other key lawyers

Ashley Fife, Claire van Overdijk KC, Stephanie Bernard, Laura Kearns, Oliver MacKay