- Managing Partner: Richard Peters
- Number of partners: 26
- Number of lawyers: 52
- Languages: Cantonese, English, French, German, Greek, Italian, Portuguese, Putonghua, Russian, Spanish
- Permanent Representatives :
- Brazil:
- Tel: +55 21 9599 1406
- Tel: +36 30364 9114
- Sub-Saharan Africa :
- Tel: +263 777 046829
Firm Overview:
Harney Westwood & Riegels is a leading international offshore law firm providing the world’s top law firms, financial institutions and corporations with legal services relating to British Virgin Islands, Cyprus, Cayman Islands and Anguilla law. The firm has a long standing reputation for providing fast, accurate and commercially astute advice. The firm has over 220 lawyers and staff operating in the British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Cyprus, London, Hong Kong and Montevideo. The firm also has permanent representatives in Brazil, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Central and Eastern Europe. The firm’s associated corporate and private wealth services business, Harneys Services, delivers a full complement of company, trust and fund formation and administration services.
Main Areas of Practice:
Banking & Corporate:
12 partners; 38 fee-earners
Areas of specialty include trade finance, debt restructuring, property and acquisition finance, international debt issues, derivatives transactions, joint ventures, private equity transactions, listings,mergers and acquisitions.
• Cayman advice to SAB Miller plc on its subsidiary Bavaria S.A.’s listing of US$1.325 billion in corporate bond securities on the Cayman Islands Stock Exchange
• BVI counsel in relation to a US$613 million note issue to enable the shareholders of a dairy business based in Russia and Eastern Europe to monetise a put and call option granted by/to Danone in relation to the shares in the intermediate holding company
• Cayman advice to private equity firm Crescent Point Group in respect of the US$240 million IPO of a Malaysian education company n Representing an affiliate of Virgin Galactic regarding BVI law aspects of the strategic partnership announced by Abu Dhabi's Aabar Investments and Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group pertaining to Aabar’s US$280 million equity stake in Virgin Galactic
• Cypriot advice in relation to a dual currency facility agreement to X5 Retail Group NV, valued at US$800 million
B anking contact: Colin Riegels Tel: + 1 284 494 6703
Email: colin.riegels@harneys.com
Corporate contact: Leonard Birmingham Tel: +44 207 842 6081
Email: leonard.birmingham@harneys.com
Investment Funds:
7 partners; 16 fee-earners
Specialised advice on fund formation, restructuring, administration, and regulatory issues in the BVI and Cayman Islands, with deep experience in distressed fund situations.
• Cayman Islands counsel to Spring Capital Asia, a high profile China-focussed private equity fund with US$250 million in investor commitments n Advising Cultinvest Asset Management on the establishment of the first-ever wine fund from Brazil
• Advising Equity Trust and the TMF Group on BVI regulatory matters in relation to the acquisition by private equity house Doughty Hanson of Equity Trust in 2011
Contact: Kieron O’Rourke Tel: +1 345 815 2938
Email: kieron.orourke@harneys.com
Litigation & Insolvency:
4 partners, 15 fee-earners
Accurate, clear and timely advice relating to British Virgin Islands and Cayman Islands law, with particular emphasis on high profile multi-jurisdictional commercial and insolvency disputes.
• Acting for a major bank seeking to recover over US$200 million in the BVI as part of a significant case involving litigation in the BVI, US and the Far East and leading to one of the largest liquidations in the BVI with an assets tracing exercise in China, the US and the BVI
• Acting for the Kingate funds advising on the fallout of the arrest of Bernard Madoff and also acting for investors in the Fairfield liquidations in the BVI and for the liquidation of two Rye feeder funds in the Cayman Islands
• Acting in two of the largest trusts matters to be brought before the BVI court
• Acting in connection with the US$1.5 billion fraud allegedly perpetrated against BTA JSC Bank of Kazakstan, now before the UK Commercial Court
• Instructed to provide Cayman advice in the high-profile SPhinX, Saad and Al Sadik disputes
Contact: Phillip Kite Tel: +1 284 494 6059
Email: phillip.kite@harneys.com
Trusts & Private Client:
2 partners, 5 fee-earners
The team specialises in the creation of all types of BVI, Cayman and Cyprus trusts, with particular emphasis on the creation of trusts to hold family trading and investing companies. The firm also advises on real estate, administrative, labour and general commercial matters in the British Virgin Islands.
Contact: Sheila George Tel: +1 284 494 6461
Email: sheila.george@harneys.com
Areas of PracticeBanking & Finance
Corporate & Commercial
Investment Funds & Regulatory
Intellectual Property
Litigation & Insolvency
Private Client
Tax
Trusts
Shipping