Caribbean - British Virgin Islands

Carey Olsen

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Carey Olsen‘s ’boasts some of the most talented litigators in the BVI‘ who provide ’an excellent all-round service’ on the full spectrum of contentious issues for a client roster of high-net-worth individuals, family offices, banks, companies, and hedge funds. The firm's global network also allows for coordination of complex cases, offering a ‘seamless 24/7 service’ that proves especially beneficial to clients in Hong Kong, Singapore, and London. Praised as a ’true Rolls Royce of the BVI litigation scene’, practice head Alex Hall Taylor KC frequently handles cases before the Commercial Court and is also an accredited mediator, while the ‘highly intelligent’ Tim Wright is a go-to name for insolvency matters. Recently promoted to the partnership, Simon Hall ’has a superb client manner, and shows real tactical flair’ in insolvency, fraud, contentious trust and corporate litigation. Associate Sara Malik also shines, with ‘judgment and self-sufficiency that are years beyond her experience.’

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • 'Formidable team led by Alex Hall-Taylor KC. Smart lawyers who are client friendly. Necessary resources allocated to address the issues and importantly the team is on hand during UK and BVI time. Go to firm for complex and high value commercial or trust disputes.'

  • ‘Tim Wright: A highly intelligent and vastly experienced partner who leads from the front. Superb with clients and a delight to work with.'

  • ‘Alex Hall-Taylor KC is a true Rolls-Royce of the BVI litigation scene. Fiercely intelligent, utterly charming, and fearless in making even the most difficult of arguments. A rare example of a barrister who is every bit as good a leader as he is a lawyer.'
  • 'Sara Malik: An excellent recent addition to the BVI disputes team. Sara is incredibly hard working and responsive, and her attention to detail is second to none. A rising star in the BVI legal market.’
  • 'Tim Wright has phenomenal commercial insight, and a real gift for translating a client's objectives into courtroom outcomes. It's no wonder insolvency practitioners keep coming back to him time and again - he knows the law and the business inside out.'
  • 'Sara Malik is one of the brightest junior solicitors. Her judgment and self-sufficiency are years beyond her experience. Very obviously a partner-in-waiting.'
  • ‘They have one of the largest teams in the jurisdiction, they are a relatively new team with very capable and experienced practitioners working efficiently. They have offices in key offshore jurisdictions that they are able to collaborate seamlessly with. They are very much in the ascendancy, getting the important things right for their cases, their clients and their team.’

  • 'Simon Hall more than deserves his recent promotion to partner. He has a superb client manner, and shows real tactical flair. His skills of legal analysis are impressive.'

Key clients

  • Von der Heydt Invest SA
  • Various senior managers of the Renova Group
  • Ikana Holdings S de RL (a subsisiary of the InterEnergy Group)
  • Federal Republic of Nigeria
  • Geneva Trust Company
  • Sancus Financial Holdings
  • Izit Management Limited
  • Tahakom Investments Company & Sakab Saudi Holding Company
  • The Republic of Kazakhstan and the National Bank of Kazakhstan
  • Sukhbaatar Batbold & ors
  • Kenworth Industrial Limited

Work highlights

  • Acting for von der Heydt Invest SA, a Luxembourg fund manager, in a case involving multiple funds victimised by fraud, with ongoing proceedings initiated in the BVI against entities within the Multibank Group and its chairman.
  • Acting for two individuals in a dispute concerning the assets of the a deceased wealthy and prominent Ukrainian businessman, and particularly his interest in the prominent West Oil Group and Continuum Group in Ukraine.
  • Acting for a number of senior managers of the Renova Group in the long-running litigation in the case of Renova & Ors v Emmerson & Ors in relation to a dispute over a joint venture.

Lawyers

Leading individuals

Alex Hall Taylor

Alex Hall Taylor

Carey Olsen

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

Next Generation Partners

Simon Hall

Simon Hall

Carey Olsen

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.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Alex Hall Taylor KC

Other key lawyers

Tim Wright, Simon Hall, Sara Malik