Nelcia St. Jean

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Leaders in Law endorses Nelcia St. Jean as our exclusively recommended Commercial Litigation Law expert in the British Virgin Islands. If you wish to get in touch with Nelcia, please use the contact information provided above.

Nelcia is originally from the Commonwealth of Dominica. She resided in the BVI for over 24 years and has been practising in the BVI since 2005. With over fifteen (15) years experience in law, as a Barrister of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (British Virgin Islands).

Nelcia has appeared in the Commercial Court of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (Virgin Islands) and has had conduct of many matters in the Civil Division of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (Virgin Islands) in matters in respect of companies and company disputes. In addition to trials her work at Court featured Interim applications and applications for injunctive relief; applications for the appointments of liquidators; applications for the restoration of BVI companies and rectification of share registers; and applications for a range of other relief available to directors and shareholders under the BVI Business Companies & Insolvency Acts.

Member of BVI Bar Association, Lincoln’s Inn, President of the Rotary Club of Central Tortola and Former President of the Rotary Club of Central Tortola.

Notary Public & Commissioner of Oaths.

Areas of Expertise

  • Commercial Litigation
  • Corporate and Insolvency Law
  • Corporate Governance; Corporate Restructuring: Plans of Arrangement, Schemes of Arrangement and Mergers
  • Property Law

Bar Admissions

  • Bar of England and Wales (non-practising) 2005
  • Admitted to the Bar of British Virgin Islands 2005

Firm Description:

McW. Todman & Co is a small legal firm founded by the late Dr. McWelling Todman CBE, QC in 1969. The late Dr. Todman was the first native British Virgin Islands to operate a law firm in these islands. Despite his untimely passing, the firm has retained its roots in the community of the Virgin Islands while continuing to grow and strive in the fast paced international legal environment that characterizes the Virgin Islands.

The firm is ranked as one of the top litigation practices in the Virgin Islands and specializes in corporate/ commercial law, real estate, family matters, intellectual property, Conveyancing, Family Law and Estate Planning and Probate and offers discreet service to clients in corporate formation and management through its wholly owned subsidiary McNamara Corporate Services Limited.

We provide legal services in our selected practice areas commensurate with the quality and expertise of the big firms but in a personalized client-sensitive manner, with an unwavering commitment to responsiveness, efficiency and professionalism. We serve a wide range of clientele, and value every client relationship greatly. Each engagement benefits from the depth and breadth of our expertise. We approach every client with a focus on integrity, advocacy, and understanding.

 

Jasmine Amaria

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Leaders in Law endorses Jasmine Amaria as our exclusively recommended Corporate Law expert in British Virgin Islands. If you wish to get in touch with Jasmine please use the contact information provided above.

Jasmine is a partner in Carey Olsen’s corporate and finance practice, based in London.

Jasmine advises on both BVI and Cayman Islands corporate law and has significant experience in investment funds and corporate and finance matters, including fund formation, fund financing, general corporate and finance transactions, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and shareholder arrangements as well as group reorganisations and restructurings. She also advises investment and private equity funds on distressed situations.

Jasmine regularly advises Indian companies and clients, as well as those looking to make foreign investments into India.

Jasmine also recently advised Stride Gaming plc on the BVI corporate aspects of its takeover by Rank Group plc which won Carey Olsen the Middle Market Deal of the Year at the Deal Awards Europe 2019.

Jasmine is recognised as a ‘Leading Individual’ by Legal 500, by Chambers UK for her corporate and finance expertise and by Who’s Who Legal (2021) for her private funds work.

Career

Jasmine trained and qualified at Slaughter and May, where she spent 9 years, prior to working for another offshore law firm.

Whilst at Slaughter and May, she advised investment banks and corporate clients in relation to capital markets and structured finance transactions, securitisations, IPOs, investment fund, private equity and banking structures as well as providing general commercial and corporate advice to clients.

In her last role, Jasmine focused on both alternative investment funds and private equity funds, and regularly advised on their establishment, on-going corporate transactions and financing activities. She has also advised clients on their fund restructurings and distressed situations.

Advises on

Firm Description:

Carey Olsen is a leading offshore law firm. We advise on Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Guernsey and Jersey law across a global network of nine international offices.

We are a full service law firm working across banking and finance, corporate and M&A, investment funds and private equity, trusts and private wealth, dispute resolution, insolvency and property law.

Our clients include global financial institutions, investment funds, private equity houses, multi-national corporations, public organisations, sovereign wealth funds, ultra high net worth individuals, family offices, directors, trustees and private clients.

We work alongside all of the major onshore law firms, accountancy firms and insolvency practitioners on corporate transactions and matters involving our jurisdictions.

Our advice is delivered by an approachable and experienced team of globally-minded lawyers who work in partnership with our clients to help them achieve their objectives. We have the expertise and resources to handle the most complex international transactions combined with a personal approach to business.

In the face of opportunities or challenges, our clients know that the advice and guidance they receive from us will be based on a complete understanding of their goals and objectives combined with outstanding client service, technical excellence and commercial insight.

Whether playing a lead or a supporting role, we always look at the bigger picture.

 

Richard May

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Leaders in Law endorses Richard May as our exclusively recommended Joint Ventures Law expert in British Virgin Islands. If you wish to get in touch with Richard please use the contact information provided above.

Richard is Managing Partner of Maples and Calder, in the Maples Group’s British Virgin Islands office where he is also head of the Corporate and Finance teams.  He advises on a variety of corporate transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, stock exchange listings and corporate reorganisations.  Richard also advises investment managers and private equity houses on the structuring, formation and financing of investment funds and private equity funds.

Background

Richard joined the Maples Group in 2011.  He was previously head of the Corporate and Investment Funds group at an international law firm in the British Virgin Islands and, prior to that, worked for Ashurst in London.  Richard has been featured in Latin Lawyer 250 and recommended in Who’s Who Legal, Chambers Global and Legal 500.  He has been named as a leading lawyer in IFLR1000.

Professional Activities

He is a member of the Securities and Investment Business Advisory committee, the General Legal Council of the British Virgin Islands and a private sector-led focus group advising on corporate and regulatory legislation in the British Virgin Islands.

Practice Areas

Bar Admissions

  • 2002 – Admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales (not practising)
  • 2006 – Admitted as a solicitor of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (British Virgin Islands)

Education

  • Bristol University, UK, LLB
  • College of Law, London, UK, Legal Practice; Professional Skills

Firm Description:

With over 50 years’ experience in the financial services industry and expertise in the provision of a wide range of domestic and international services, we have become a global partner to our clients with offices strategically situated to best serve their needs.

We offer a broad range of solutions tailored to the unique requirements of each of our clients, independently providing specialised fiduciary, fund administration, regulatory and compliance, entity formation and management and legal services on the laws of the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Ireland, Jersey and Luxembourg.

Over the course of five decades, the Maples Group has grown from modest beginnings into one of the world’s preeminent professional services firms, with operations in the Americas and Caribbean, Asia Pacific, Europe and the Middle East.

Our clients represent diverse backgrounds and sectors, and include many of the world’s foremost financial institutions, international corporations, asset managers and institutional investors. Given the global nature of doing business, our extensive footprint makes us perfectly positioned to deliver services that are designed to meet the unique requirements of our clients and the demands of the markets in which they operate.

Our practice-proven knowledge of the global marketplace and our willingness to embrace today’s technological advances means that we are able to continually update and evaluate our operational models and tailor solutions to ensure that we are delivering the greatest value to each and every client.

At the Maples Group we are dedicated to helping you foresee, innovate and deliver the results ‒ and value ‒ you deserve.

 

Matt Richardson

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Leaders in Law endorses Matt Richardson as our exclusively recommended Asset Recovery Services expert in British Virgin Islands. If you wish to get in touch with Matt please use the contact information provided above.

I joined Grant Thornton BVI in 2017 and have spent 12 years living and working in the British Virgin Islands. Prior to joining the firm, I established and ran the office of a global firm specialising in contentious insolvency and asset recovery.

I have extensive experience in corporate recovery services, primarily in contentious cross-border insolvency and fraud involving international litigation, fraud investigation, asset tracing and realisation of complex and illiquid assets. I have undertaken work in a variety of industries, including financial services, offshore banking, real estate, shipping, financial institutions, mining, oil & gas and telecommunications.

I’ve been recognised as an asset tracing and recovery expert by Who’s Who Legal: Asset Recovery in 2014 – 2018 and was described as “one of the very best in the asset recovery space” and “absolutely excellent” in the same publication in 2018.  In 2019, I was recognised as an Offshore ‘Thought Leader’ by the same publication.

Firm Description:

Grant Thornton (British Virgin Islands) Limited is part of one of the world’s largest and most technically skilled professional services firms.

We specialise in providing recovery and restructuring services for or to companies registered in the BVI and the Eastern Caribbean, we act for companies, directors, creditors, investors and other stakeholders.

Our assignments frequently result in us being liquidators or receivers of distressed companies, often arising from fraud and/or shareholder disputes and normally require multi-jurisdictional asset tracing and litigation.  As part of our assignments we often collaborate with our Grant Thornton member firms in the Eastern Caribbean, where we have a presence on all major islands unlike any other firm, and across the globe.

Grant Thornton’s significant presence and experience in handling these global matters makes us the perfect choice to act both in both cross-border matters and those located purely in the Eastern Caribbean.

At the outset of an assignment we work closely with stakeholders to understand the situation and the complexities associated with the matter and work collaboratively with stakeholders to maximise value.  Over the last decade our BVI practitioners have been involved in some of the largest and most complex matters in the region.

 

John Carrington QC

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Leaders in Law endorses John Carrington as our exclusively recommended Commercial Litigation Law expert in British Virgin Islands. If you wish to get in touch with John please use the contact information provided above.

John Carrington QC is a native of Trinidad and Tobago who has practiced law for 30 years, his last 16 years of practice being at the Bar in the Virgin Islands.

John practices generally as an advocate before the High Court, the Court of Appeal and has appeared before the Privy Council in civil and commercial matters. He has had conduct of matters in several islands of the Eastern Caribbean and as far as Turks and Caicos Islands.

He has advised and prepared written briefs for Privy Council matters and has provided expert evidence on BVI law in proceedings in foreign courts. He has also served as an Acting Justice of Appeal of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court.

John has been counsel in two landmark cases in recent times: the Black Swan case in the BVI High Court where he persuaded the court that it had jurisdiction to make certain orders to prevent the dealing with assets in a way that could frustrate a future foreign judgment and the Judges Pension case where he acted for the High Court judges of the entire Eastern Caribbean region on questions regarding the interpretation of legislation governing their pension rights.

Firm Overview:

The Sabals Team Motto summarises the principles that govern our practice – Integrity. Commitment. Results.

Our experienced team of lawyers is well known in the legal field in the BVI and throughout the Eastern Caribbean. Over the years we have successfully represented and advised both individual and corporate clients and assisted them in the accomplishment of their goals.

We are committed to understanding and meeting our clients’ needs in a timely and cost effective manner, and to working closely with them to achieve this.

The Sabals Team is committed to offering quality legal service and also quality personal service to our clients.

Our Service First Policy guarantees accessibility, responsiveness, and ensures that all client needs are met in respect of all aspects of our legal service.

Our Service First Policy is implemented by the entire Sabals Team.

 

John Gosling

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John Gosling is based in Walkers’ British Virgin Islands office where he is a partner in the firm’s Global Finance and Corporate Groups. He is also a member of Walkers’ Global Latin America Group.

John advises clients on public and private M&A (including BVI statutory mergers and schemes of arrangement), private equity and joint ventures, IPOs, debt and equity capital raisings, restructurings, partnerships, project and acquisition finance. John also has extensive knowledge in general banking, security and regulatory matters. ​

John practised in London for twelve years with Freshfields, Ashurst and Norton Rose. Subsequently, he practised for four years in the Bermuda and Cayman Islands offices of another leading international offshore firm before joining Walkers’ British Virgin Islands office in 2008.​

Walkers:

Walkers is a leading International Financial Centre law firm and a member of the International Financial Centres Forum (IFC Forum). From our offices in the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Dubai, Dublin, Hong Kong, Jersey, London and Singapore, we provide legal services to FORTUNE 100 and FTSE 100 global corporations and financial institutions, capital markets participants, investment fund managers and middle market companies.

Our global presence means we are always accessible to our clients in all time zones.

Hélène Anne Lewis

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Hélène is a national of Trinidad and Tobago and English qualified lawyer of more than twenty-five years who has been practising in the BVI since 1990. She is the Founding Partner of SimonetteLewis a boutique law practice that serves as BVI legal advisers to private banks in Europe and Asia as well as to private wealth advisers and high net worth individuals onshore. Mrs Lewis’ practice includes advising on property, trust, probate and corporate matters involving BVI structures. With her Litigation Partner, she has also appeared in several high value trust and civil litigation matters in the Supreme Court of the Virgin Islands and the OECS Court of Appeal. She has presented to several conferences on Trust, Compliance and Corporate issues and is a member of the organising committee of one of the trust industry’s most successful conferences – the STEP Caribbean Conference which she has chaired twice in her capacity as Chairman of the BVI Branch of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (“STEP”).

After admission to the Bar at Gray’s Inn the former Hélène Anne Simonette returned to Trinidad where she was at various times, State Counsel in the Attorney General’s Chambers, Legal Advisor to the Ombudsman and to the Leader of the Opposition. After having been the Senior Crown Counsel and sometimes Acting Attorney General of the Turks and Caicos Islands, she joined a prominent BVI law firm but established her own practice (SimonetteLewis) in February 2007. Mrs Lewis has served as President of the B.V.I. Bar Association, of which she was previously Secretary for seven years and has also served as Vice President and Treasurer of the OECS Bar Association, a regional association of the Bar Associations of the nine countries which comprise the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States. She has served as a member of the STEP Worldwide Council and Board of Directors and had the distinction of being elected in November 2012 to be Chairman of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners. She was re-elected to the post in November 2013 and stood down in November 2014. She currently serves as a Vice President of STEP Worldwide and Chairman of the Branch Development Committee and Emeritus Member of the STEP Caribbean Conference Steering Committee which plans, organises and hosts the STEP Caribbean Conference annually.

Trusts & Estates Law Practice:

At the core of our practise is the Trusts and Probate Group. We offer trust formation services to commercial and private clients.

Services include:

  • Estate planning
  • Establishing Trusts for commercial and investment purposes
  • Wills and Probate

To act on behalf of trustees, beneficiaries, we offer 360 degree advice on the on the establishment of trusts. SimonetteLewis also has a wealth of experience in trust related litigation and contentious trust and estates matters.

“We rely on the advice and on prompt, personal and effective service offered by Mrs. Lewis and her team. We are always pleased by their prompt efficient and cooperative attention.”

 

Kieron O’Rourke

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Kieron joined Harneys in 1995 and has been a partner since 1998. Kieron is Global Head of Investment Funds and Regulatory and recently relocated to the Cayman Islands to spearhead Harneys new Cayman operation. Kieron is qualified as a lawyer in England & Wales and is admitted as an attorney in the state of New York. Harneys has the largest Investment Funds practice in the British Virgin Islands, and is consistently ranked as the leading authority on the British Virgin Islands Investment Funds Industry by the major legal and funds directories.

The Investment Funds practice is comprised of a team of specialist investment funds lawyers headed by Kieron which, together with its affiliated trust company Harneys Corporate Services Limited, provides legal advice and related corporate services to approximately one third of all regulated funds and fund management companies established in the British Virgin Islands.

In addition to advising on private and professional funds and fund management companies for clients ranging from first time hedge fund managers to large institutional sponsors, the team is also the acknowledged leader in the specialised field of regulated public funds and acts for the principal sponsors of public funds domiciled in the British Virgin Islands.

Kieron is a member of the British Virgin Islands Mutual Funds Advisory Committee, a statutory body whose principal function is to advise the Financial Services Commission on matters relating to the mutual funds industry.

Ranked as leader in his field by Chambers Global 2005-2008.

Ranked as a leading lawyer by IFLR 1000.

Education

Central Lancs (LLB Hons)

Queens University, Belfast (CPLS)

Bar Admissions

Admitted as a Solicitor in England & Wales 1990

Admitted in New York 1991

Admitted in the British Virgin Islands 1996

Admitted in Anguilla 2000

Admitted in the Cayman Islands 2008

Partner since 1998

 

Robert J.D. Briant

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Robert Briant is Partner and Head of the British Virgin Islands office of Conyers Dill & Pearman, overseeing the corporate and finance teams. Robert joined Conyers in 1994 and is highly regarded for his extensive experience in all aspects of corporate and commercial law.

Robert is considered one of the most senior corporate lawyers in the BVI and focuses on mergers and acquisitions, joint venture companies and investment vehicles. He provides specialist advice to hedge funds and private equity funds, as well as advising on a broad range of financing transactions. His clients include Diageo, Burger King, the Virgin Group, Denham Capital, Bank of America, Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan, Commerzbank and others.

Robert sat on the Premier’s Financial Services Task Force (the only private sector lawyer to do so), a task force established by the head of the BVI Government to oversee the entirety of the financial services industry. He also sits on the Securities, Investment Business and Mutual Funds Advisory Committee and is also a member of the Joint Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Advisory Committee of the BVI. Robert was also responsible for forming and chairs a consortium of the largest law firms in the BVI to make recommendations to Government on issues affecting financial services in the BVI. He is also regular contributor to the media on matters of BVI law.

Robert is consistently recognized in the top tier in Chambers Global, Legal 500 and IFLR1000. Robert holds a BA from McGill University, an LLB from University of Toronto and an LLM from Cambridge University.

Conyers Dill & Pearman:

Founded in 1928, Conyers Dill & Pearman is an international law firm advising on the laws of Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands and Mauritius. With a global network that includes 140 lawyers spanning eight offices worldwide, Conyers provides responsive, sophisticated, solution-driven legal advice to clients seeking specialised expertise on corporate and commercial, litigation, restructuring and insolvency, and trust and private client matters. Conyers is affiliated with the Codan group of companies, which provide a range of trust, corporate secretarial, accounting and management services.