Fourteen law firms, all BVI Finance members, have been recognised by Legal 500, a prestigious series that provides the most comprehensive worldwide coverage on recommended Law firms, Lawyers, Attorneys, Advocates, Solicitors and Barristers in over 100 jurisdictions.
According the Legal 500 legal overview, a number of firms experienced an uptick in M&A involving BVI licensed entities, as well as demand for advice on both the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, which requires foreign financial institutions to report on US account holders' foreign assets, and the Common Reporting Standard (CRS); the CRS is an information standard for the automatic exchange of bank account information on a global level between tax authorities. The British Virgin Islands was among the first countries to commit to the new standard for automatic exchange of information developed by the OECD.
Firms were ranked in the following practice areas:
A. Banking, Finance and Capital Markets
1. Conyers Dill & Pearman; Harneys; Maples and Calder
2. Ogier; Walkers BVI
3. Appleby; Mourant
4. Carey Olsen; Forbes Hare
Leading Individuals: Robert Briant – Conyers Dill & Pearman; Tanya Cassie-Parker – Harneys; David Collins - Walkers BVI; Anton Goldstein - Conyers Dill & Pearman; Richard May - Maples and Calder; Christopher Newton - Maples and Calder; Colin Riegels – Harneys; Ray Wearmouth – Ogier
Next Generation Lawyers: Michelle Frett-Mathavious – Harneys; Rachael Pape – Conyers Dill & Pearman; Omonike Robinson-Pickering – Walkers BVI
B. Corporate and Commercial
1. Conyers Dill & Pearman; Harneys; Maples and Calder
2. Ogier; Walkers BVI
3. Appleby; Mourant
4. Carey Olsen; Forbes Hare; O’Neal Webster
5. Price Demers & Co
Leading Individuals: Robert Briant - Conyers Dill & Pearman; David Collins - Walkers BVI; Jacqueline Daley – Harneys; Anton Goldstein - Conyers Dill & Pearman; Philip Graham – Harneys; Jeffrey Kirk – Appleby; Richard May - Maples and Calder; Ray Wearmouth – Ogier
Next Generation Lawyers: Ruairi Bourke - Maples and Calder; Rebecca Clark – Ogier; Eric Flaye - Conyers Dill & Pearman; Elizabeth Killeen - Carey Olsen; George Weston – Harneys
C. Dispute Resolution
1. Conyers Dill & Pearman; Harneys; Walkers BVI
2. Appleby; Maples and Calder; Ogier
3. Campbells; Carey Olsen; Forbes Hare; Mourant; O’Neal Webster
Leading Individuals: Oliver Clifton - Walkers BVI; Paul Dennis QC - O'Neal Webster; Richard Evans - Conyers Dill & Pearman; Peter Ferrer – Harneys; Mark Forte - Conyers Dill & Pearman; Arabella di Iorio – Agon Litigation; Ben Mays - Carey Olsen; Eleanor Morgan – Mourant; Rosalind Nicholson - Walkers BVI; Andrew Thorp – Harneys; Andrew Willins – Appleby
Next Generation Lawyers: Jonathan Addo – Harneys; Nicholas Brookes – Ogier; Stuart Cullen – Harneys; Tameka Davis - Conyers Dill & Pearman; Shane Donovan – Mourant; Murray Laing - Walkers BVI; David Welford - Maples and Calder
D. Investment Funds
1. Harneys; Maples and Calder
2. Conyers Dill & Pearman; Walkers BVI
3. O’Neal Webster
Leading Individuals: Philip Graham – Harneys; Richard May – Maples and Calder
Next Generation Lawyers: Stuart Connolly – Maples and Calder; Nadia Menezes – Harneys
E. Real Estate
1. Harneys
2. O’Neal Webster
3. Price Demers & Co
Leading Individuals: Sheila George – Harneys
Next Generation Lawyers: Paul Mellor – Harneys
F. Trust/Private Client
1. Harneys
2. Appleby; O’Neal Webster; Walkers BVI
3. Conyers Dill & Pearman
Leading Individuals: Sheila George – Harneys; Vanessa King – O’Neal Webster
Next Generation Lawyers: Laura Hair, Harneys
BVI Finance congratulates all the lawyers and member firms recognised for their accomplishments!