Regional news: British Virgin Islands

Two BVI companies that were part of Tokyo-headquartered alternative investor Pacific Alliance Group and were erroneously liquidated and dissolved following a “massive breakdown” of communications will be restored to the islands’ company register.

19 March 2021

The BVI liquidators of a company connected to an insolvent mainland Chinese university group have secured recognition in Hong Kong, allowing them to file potentially novel proceedings in the jurisdiction – while the demise of a pioneering cinema chain has sparked fears for Hong Kong’s real economy.

11 March 2021

Professional misconduct charges brought against Twenty Essex’s Stephen Atherton QC have been dismissed by a bar disciplinary tribunal in London.

09 March 2021

Earlier this year, the BVI Commercial Court delivered its first ever written judgment on whether jurisdiction exists to make a committal order against a personal judgment debtor who is not domiciled or resident in the BVI. Kobre & Kim's John Han, Merrick Watson and Timothy de Swardt explain how the ruling came about and how significant it is for the territory.

09 March 2021

A leading insolvency silk has been accused of recklessly misleading the Privy Council at a bar disciplinary tribunal in London.

08 March 2021

A BVI court has blocked the enforcement of a deed held by a local arm of Harneys, after an Australian judge found it was subject to an Australian administration moratorium that has effect in foreign jurisdictions.

26 February 2021

A BVI appeal court has upheld the local recognition of an Israeli personal bankruptcy but found that the bankrupt’s Israeli officeholder cannot be granted assistance, a decision the court said it came to “with some regret”.

24 February 2021

In a “rare” case that warranted interference with the factual findings of lower courts, the UK Privy Council has ruled that a China-based director breached her fiduciary duties to a British Virgin Islands company when she failed to prevent the full repayment of a loan before it fell into liquidation.

23 February 2021

In separate actions in Australia, the voluntary administrators of a Congolese gold mine owner have secured permission to serve a security interest claim on a Harneys arm in the BVI, while a Queensland court is to consider recognising a Singaporean personal bankruptcy.

23 February 2021

The liquidator of a defunct Russian bank that has been trying to claw back assets from its founder, has secured recognition of an English court’s judgment in the British Virgin Islands against a trio of hurdles – bringing him a step closer to accessing property held in a New Zealand trust.

28 January 2021