BVI Companies and M&A
Economic Substance: Practical Advice 3 Years On …
10 Things Lawyers Should Know About BVI Transactions
Where a debt is due under an agreement (and assuming there is no binding non-petition clause in effect), it is possible to take steps to wind up the company without first proceeding to arbitration, in accordance with the...more
The British Virgin Islands (the BVI), along with most other major offshore jurisdictions, has introduced “economic substance” requirements for entities carrying on certain specified activities. This economic substance regime...more
本文書では、BVIにおいてファンドが活用できる各種オプションの概要をご紹介いたします。 BVI投資ファンドは、会社、リミテッドパートナーシップまたはユニットトラストのいずれかの形態で組成することができます。BVI会社型ファンドは、オープンエンド型ファンドを設立する際に最も一般的な形態です。クローズドエンド型ファンドは、リミテッドパートナーシップの形態で設立されることが多いです。...more
The Cayman Islands remains the most popular jurisdiction for offshore investment fund set-ups. However the British Virgin Islands (BVI) offers a range of fund products worth considering. In addition, the BVI provides a...more
Bermuda, the Cayman Islands and the British Virgin Islands (BVI) are among the most prominent offshore jurisdictions. All three enjoy a strong global reputation, with modern, business friendly corporate laws and effective...more
There are two approaches for determining whether a decision is final or interlocutory: the "application test" or the "order test". For the purpose of an application for permission to appeal from the Court of Appeal of the...more
When I last reviewed the themes and trends we are seeing for IPOs of Bermuda and Cayman companies from our office in Hong Kong in mid-2022, it was very much a tale of two cities. Two years later, there is little to indicate...more
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
In a recent decision of the BVI Commercial Court, the Honourable Mr Justice Wallbank dismissed an application by the Defendants in King Bun Limited & Ors v Lau Man Sang James & Ors to set aside a previous order granting...more
The British Virgin Islands (“BVI”) are home to 361,491 active companies as of 31 December 2023. This article considers the reasons for the BVI’s popularity as a jurisdiction to structure international transactions....more
Welcome to the first edition of our Quarterly Corporate Update for 2024 covering recent developments in the British Virgin Islands. The first quarter of 2024 saw continued strong activity in the BVI office. Our corporate...more
A successful party to a buy-out order made in the course of unfair prejudice proceedings can find themselves in a difficult position, at the hands of an uncooperative respondent. Commonly, the Court will try liability and...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
In its recent judgment in Tristan Oil Ltd v The Scheme Creditors (BVIHCM 2023/0120) the BVI Commercial Court (the Hon. Justice Paul Webster (Ag.)) has considered the question of when a party not bound by a scheme of...more
The recent decision of the BVI Commercial Court (the "Court") (the Hon. Justice Ingrid Mangatal (Ag.)) in Kenworth Industrial Limited v Xin Gang Power Investments Limited BVIHCOM 2023/0006 has provided clarity on the...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 5 February 2024, the Honourable Justice Paul Webster granted a restoration order (the “Order”) pursuant to section 218A of the BVI Business Companies Act (Revised Edition 2020) (as amended) (the “Act”), declaring the...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
As described in more detail in our recent client bulletin, BVI companies are now required to prepare and file with their registered agent an “annual return” containing a basic balance sheet and income statement. This annual...more
A Cayman Islands scheme of arrangement is a court approved compromise or arrangement between a company and its creditors or shareholders (or classes thereof). A scheme of arrangement is frequently used to implement a...more
New specific licensing grounds available under Cayman Islands and BVI Russia sanctions will pave the way for Cayman Islands and BVI investment funds and other entities to divest their frozen assets in Russia as well as remove...more
In a recent judgment, which was heavily critical of the claimant bank, the BVI Commercial Court has set aside an order obtained ex parte permitting service on non-BVI resident defendants of a fraud claim out of the...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
Welcome to the latest edition of our Quarterly Corporate Update covering recent developments in the British Virgin Islands. Q4 of 2023 saw a strong uptick in activity in the BVI office. Our corporate legal team continued...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