Maples Group Strengthens BVI Practice with New Dispute Resolution and Insolvency Partner
Maples and Calder, the Maples Group’s law firm, is pleased to announce that Matthew Freeman has joined the firm as a Dispute Resolution & Insolvency Partner in its British Virgin Islands (“BVI”) office.
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Matthew is a senior litigation lawyer with over 15 years’ experience working at international law firms in the BVI and the UK. He has considerable experience in commercial litigation including insolvency, shareholder disputes, trust litigation, fraud and asset tracing. Matthew appears frequently before the BVI Commercial Court and the Court of Appeal and has broad experience of ADR procedures including mediation and arbitration. He qualified as a solicitor in England and Wales in 2007 (now non-practising) and has been based in the BVI for nearly seven years. He has been commended for his expertise and depth of experience by The Legal 500 with clients praising him for being “able to cut through distractions and get right to the key points” on contentious matters.
Matthew will be an integral member of the firm’s first class BVI Dispute Resolution & Insolvency team who are widely known for their jurisdictional expertise and market-leading advice on high value, complex, cross-border litigation matters. Notable recent and on-going matters that the team is advising on include Showa Holdings Limited around the BVI receivership granted over Showa’s majority holding in addition to advising Sergey Taruta on proceedings brought in the BVI to enforce Russian judgments. Matthew will work closely with the BVI-based team and also alongside fellow BVI-based Partners Richard May, Adrian Francis, Ruairi Bourke and Chris Newton to further expand and develop the firm’s other core BVI practices. He will also coordinate closely with the firm’s global Dispute Resolution & Insolvency practices in the Cayman Islands, Dublin, London, Hong Kong and Singapore to service international clients in time zones convenient to them.
Adrian Francis, head of the BVI Dispute Resolution & Insolvency practice said, “I am delighted to welcome Matthew to the Maples Group. Matthew’s arrival is part of our long-term growth strategy for our BVI Dispute Resolution & Insolvency practice which continues to go from strength to strength. We believe that Matthew’s extensive international experience and knowledge of the jurisdiction will complement our existing global capabilities.”
Commenting on his appointment, Matthew said, “I am excited to join the Maples Group and its renowned Dispute Resolution & Insolvency practice. I look forward to working alongside the global team and the firm’s international clients to provide jurisdictional specific advice.”
Matthew’s appointment follows the recent appointment of senior lawyer, Stuart Rau who also joined the firm’s practice in the BVI. Earlier this year, the firm announced the addition of three Partners to its global Dispute Resolution & Insolvency practice, significantly enhancing its capabilities in the Cayman Islands, Hong Kong and London1.