BVI Companies and M&A
Economic Substance: Practical Advice 3 Years On …
10 Things Lawyers Should Know About BVI Transactions
The Privy Council has recently upheld a BVI judgment refusing stay of a winding up petition in favour of arbitration. The recent Sian Participation Corp (In Liquidation) v Halimeda International Ltd1 Privy Council decision...more
Is it possible for a debtor company to issue debt (such as bonds) and contractually agree for that debt to rank lower in priority than debts owed by a company to other unsecured creditors? This article examines the commercial...more
Russell Crumpler & Christopher Farmer (as Joint Liquidators of Three Arrows Capital Ltd (in Liquidation)) v Three Arrows Capital Ltd (in Liquidation) and BVIHC (Com) 2022/0119 (unreported 26 July 2023) The BVI liquidation...more
On 8 February 2024, the Honourable Mr Justice Paul Webster KC dismissed an application to set aside a statutory demand served on Angola Group Holdings Limited (the “Company”) by Bai Jun Tian Cheng Limited (“Bai Jun”). Conyers...more
On 29 November 2023, the UK Supreme Court (the “UKSC”) handed down its decision in Wolverhampton City Council and others (Respondents) v London Gypsies and Travellers and others (Appellants). In that case the UKSC thoroughly...more
As the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands reopens for 2024, we reflect on 2023 and some of the large-scale cross-border insolvency and restructuring proceedings, and complex commercial disputes dealt with in the jurisdiction...more
Norwich Pharmacal orders have long been a powerful tool employed in the BVI in aiding foreign proceedings. It is also quite a welcome development that the BVI Commercial Court has confirmed that a Norwich Pharmacal order is...more
Authorised Push Payment (“APP”) fraud, where victims are tricked into authorising payments to fraudsters, resulted in losses of £485.2m in 2022 and is reported to have risen by 22% in 2023. With consumer protection laws...more
Voidable dispositions in the BVI are governed by section 81 of the Conveyancing and Law of Property Ordinance. The Act was passed in 1961 and is often overlooked in the heady world of fast-paced litigation where fraudsters...more
Nov 2023 In August 2021, the BVI Commercial Court handed down judgment on liability in favour of the Claimants against seven directors of Vanway for carrying out a fraud on the minority shareholders, in selling the assets of...more
The gravity of any arbitration award lies in its successful enforcement. The enforcement process may be frustrated and produce little result if the winning party does not identify at the outset the assets against which the...more
In its seminal decision in Broad Idea International v Convoy Collateral [2021] UKPC 24 (“Convoy”), a case which had its genesis in the BVI Commercial Court, the Privy Council delivered a ground-breaking exposition of the law...more
The UK Supreme Court in a recent decision has clarified the approach to be taken in determining when a matter ought to be referred to arbitration under an arbitration clause, and when such a matter falls outside of an...more
In the crypto world, does it really matter where you are? Is there a sunny offshore paradise perspective on the click of a button and a fintech trade? The answer lies as usual in how to unravel a problem should it arise. Both...more
On 24-25 October 2023, Justice Wallbank of the BVI Commercial Court presided over a valuation trial in the matter of Soemarli Lie v Ng Min Hong & Success Overseas Finance Limited BVIHC(Com) 2020/147 (the “Valuation Trial”). ...more
BVI companies that were struck off prior to 1 January 2023 were automatically dissolved and ceased to exist after 30 June 2023. Any assets held by such companies have now automatically been vested in the Crown. In order to...more
The updated Civil Procedure Rules (the “Revised CPR”) come into force on 31 July 2023, and with them a substantially increased focus on settlement and Alternative Dispute Resolution (“ADR”). In this article, Senior Associate...more
Like a reliable and familiar friend, BVI litigators have been accustomed to the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court Rules (“the CPR”) for a considerable period. They first came into force on 31 December 2000. The CPR, as their...more