Offshore Britain - Isle Of Man
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Dispute resolution

Cains

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The litigation team at Cains has a strong track record of managing complex, high value litigation disputes. In particular, the team specialises in insolvency disputes, asset tracing, fraud and trust litigation cases on behalf of a range of significant domestic and international banks, lenders and corporates. Peter Clucas is an expert in insolvency matters and regulatory enforcement, while Robert Colquitt handles all aspects of commercial and chancery litigation domestically and internationally. Seth Caine is a leading name in insolvency cases and Lindsey Bermingham is particularly experienced in regulatory and anti-money laundering issues. Tara Cubbon-Wood handles high profile contract disputes and claims against directors. Charles Williams handles litigious commercial matters for onshore and offshore clients. Robert Long joined the team from Humphrey & Helfrich in 2022.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘Cains has strength in depth across a large number of disciplines. They are first class and leaders in their field in the IOM.’

  • ‘Lindsey Bermingham is the complete and finished article. She is frighteningly bright, a brilliant tactician, and has a wonderful manner with clients. She has an unrivalled knowledge of the development and implementation of the AML legislation, policy and framework.’

  • ‘A practice with a wealth of experience who are a safe set of hands.’

  • ‘Lindsey Bermingham is a superb lawyer with excellent attention to detail. Lindsey is a real team player and puts clients at ease. Lindsey is hard working and a pleasure to work with.’

  • ‘The Cains team offer extensive expert knowledge and experience, they are responsive and professional at all times’

  • ‘Lindsey Bermingham is extremely knowledge on relevant legislation, she is personable and provides experienced and expert advice in her field.’

  • ‘Cains are a long established firm that we use periodically through the year and we find them to be well equipped to answer business related questions in quick fashion. The quality of advice is strong, plain text explanations underpinned by detailed analysis - a very practical oriented firm that makes dealing with them easy.’

  • ‘Lindsey Bermingham has been particularly helpful around AML matters, both sanctions regimes and also case specific advice.’

Key clients

  • Friends Provident International Limited
  • A former MLRO
  • Titley
  • Monument International Life Assurance
  • Dula

Work highlights

  • Representing Friends Provident International Limited in defending a multi-claimant claim before Isle of Man High Court.
  • Advising two defendants in connection with hugely complex, longstanding litigation issues, spanning 10 years +, involving multiple jurisdictions.
  • Successfully representing an asset holding Manx company before the Appeal Court in defending contractual dispute involving interpretation and rectification of loan agreement.

Lawyers

Hall of Fame
The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.
Peter Clucas
Peter is a Senior Consultant with our top tier Litigation team. .  He has been repeatedly recognized as a leading practitioner in the Isle of Man and regularly advises clients on strategy and procedure relating to international and domestic commercial disputes, insolvency and money laundering matters.   His clients include financial institutions, insurance companies, multi-jurisdictional trust companies and HNWIs as well as acting on instruction from major international law firms. He has considerable experience advising on cases involving court approved corporate restructuring and business transfer schemes. Peter appears as counsel in cases before the Isle of Man High Court and the Isle of Man Appeal Court and also has experience of appearing before the Island’s Financial Services tribunal. His longstanding reputation is endorsed by his ‘Hall of Fame’ standing with The Legal 500, due to his ability to handle some of the Islands’ largest injunction and civil fraud instructions. Clients have commented on Peter as being “very professional, experienced, very responsive and good attention to detail” and “a credit to his profession”.
Seth Caine
Seth Caine is a Senior Consultant within Cains' litigation department, with particular focus on trust disputes, asset tracing & fraud recovery, judicial review and regulatory issues. He has extensive expertise in relation to shareholder disputes, insolvency and receiverships, interlocutory freezing and disclosure injunctions, trust disputes, jurisdiction issues, doleance/ judicial review, regulatory issues, enforcement of foreign judgments and requests for information from foreign jurisdictions under mutual legal assistance treaties and banking/fiduciary confidentiality issues. His longstanding reputation is endorsed by his ‘Hall of Fame’ ranking within The Legal 500 for his dispute resolution and litigation work and clients consider him to be “one of the leading litigators on the Island” and who has “a great manner in Court and gives solid, commercial advice”. Clients have also commented on his “excellent service and his negotiation skills were a particular asset”.
Robert Long
Robert is a Consultant within our top tier Litigation team. His practice focuses on all aspects of commercial and chancery litigation, with a particular interest in and experience of insolvency matters. Robert has appeared regularly as counsel in cases before the various divisions of the Isle of Man High Court. Robert is ranked as a ‘Leading Individual’  by The Legal 500 UK for his dispute resolution and litigation work. Selected directory mentions include: “You can always rely on Rob Long’s highly knowledgeable and commercially minded approach to local and international litigation matters” – Legal 500 – 2022 edition. “Rob Long provides sage advice on the most complex of private client matters” – Legal 500 – 2021 edition.
Leading associates
Rising stars with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.
Charles Williams
Charles is a Senior Associate within our top tier Litigation team and since joining in 2015 has been involved in both international and local commercial litigation matters. He has experience advising clients on a wide variety of contentious and non-contentious litigation matters including insolvency, debt recovery matters, contractual disputes and contentious employment cases.   He regularly appears as counsel in cases before the Isle of Man High Court. Charles has been recognised as a ‘Rising Star’ by The Legal 500 for his dispute resolution and litigation work, gaining high praise from clients for “providing practical solutions when required on complex matters”.  
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Robert Colquitt
Robert is a Director and head of our top tier Litigation team. His practice focuses on all aspects of commercial and chancery litigation, having represented a wide range of clients both domestic and international. He regularly advises in cases involving trust disputes, fraud and asset tracing, breaches of financial services legislation, insolvency, commercial contract disputes and professional negligence. Robert has extensive advocacy experience and regularly appears as counsel in cases before the various divisions of the Isle of Man High Court. Robert is also an ADR Group certified mediator. He has acted as mediator and counsel in a number of successful mediations. Robert is ranked as a 'Leading Individual' by The Legal 500 for his dispute resolution and litigation work and is described as “someone who delivers results” and who has “won praise for a careful and considered approach”. Clients have also commented on his “diligence and forensic ability in protecting our interests” and “solid and dependable negotiation of complex commercial proceedings”.
Lindsey Bermingham
Lindsey is a Consultant within Cains' top tier Litigation team and has experience on all aspects of commercial and chancery litigation. She is also highly experienced in regulatory issues, anti-money laundering and international cooperation and has significant experience of large-scale criminal investigations and trials.  In 2010, Lindsey was awarded the Chief Constable’s Certificate of Merit for her contribution to a complex money laundering/fraud investigation. Lindsey recently re-joined Cains having been engaged by the Isle of Man Government between October 2016 and June 2019 to set up the Island’s Financial Intelligence Unit.  During this time Lindsey also served as a member of the Egmont Committee of financial intelligence units, a united body of 164 financial intelligence units from around the globe.  Lindsey has been hailed as “knowledgeable and approachable”, with clients briefing her “because they don’t want her on the other side”.
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
Tara Cubbon-Wood

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Peter Clucas, Robert Colquitt

Other key lawyers

Lindsey Bermingham, Robert Long, Seth Caine, Tara Cubbon-Wood, Charles Williams, Emily Johnson

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