Leading Silk Lawrence Cohen QC joins Wilberforce Chambers

9/01/2008

PRESS RELEASE

Award-winning Wilberforce Chambers' reputation for large-scale, complex cross-border international work has been further boosted with the arrival of leading silk Lawrence Cohen QC.
Lawrence Cohen has built a reputation as a "great tactician" in particular in international cases acting widely for FTSE 100 and Fortune 500 companies, investment banks, high net worth individuals and government organisations. He works proactively with his clients seeking to identify and address potential problems before they become issues.
His arrival at Wilberforce Chambers highlights the dynamic development of one of the country's leading commercial and chancery sets. In 2007 Wilberforce was voted Chambers of the Year in the British Legal Awards and also won the Chambers Bar Awards 2007.
Lawrence Cohen brings a significant weight of experience to Wilberforce's already impressive offshore credentials. He regularly advises in jurisdictions such as the British Virgin Islands and the Cayman Islands. He is a recognised authority in dealing with offshore trusts, corporations and holding structures where fraud and asset tracing are often central to a case.
His work includes an impressive array of multi-jurisdictional litigation such as obtaining and executing a $2.1 billion judgment for BCCI associated liquidators in ICIC v Adham and defending the estate of the late General Sani Abachi in claims by the Federal Govt of Nigeria that billions of dollars were "looted" by him as Head of State. 2007 cases include: Tasarruff Mevduati Sigorta v Yahya Murat Demirel [2007] EWCA Civ 799 (Turkish Bank Regulator seeking to enforce Turkish judgment in England); GML v Carina Nominees Ltd an English High Court dispute concerning the enforceability in Gibraltar Law of a share option agreement; acting for the BVI Court appointed provisional liquidators of BVI and Congolese companies arising out of the enforcement of the judgments in Kensington v Republic of Congo.
Head of Wilberforce Chambers, Jules Sher QC, commented: "We are delighted to welcome someone of Lawrence Cohen's stature and reputation. His arrival highlights our commercial strength and our commitment to capitalise on the cross-border opportunities flowing from an increasingly global marketplace."

Commenting on his move, Lawrence said: "I am excited to be working alongside the highly talented and dynamic people at Wilberforce. I share their vision of the key role that offshore expertise has to play in future success. Multinational businesses today need and value advisers with strong cross-jurisdiction knowledge and experience as they compete worldwide."

For further information please contact:
Clare Turnbull, Senior Consultant
Kysen PR on: 020 7323 3230
Clare.turnbull@kysenpr.co.uk

Note to Editors:

Wilberforce Chambers is a leading set of barristers with a commitment to delivering excellent advocacy and advice across the full spectrum of business and chancery law.

Lawrence Cohen QC was called in 1974. He took silk in 1993. He became as assistant recorder in 1995 and a recorder in 1998. He is a member of The Bar of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court; the Chancery Bar Association; COMBAR; the Insolvency Lawyers' Association; the European Circuit of the Bar and he is an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. He was previously at XXIV Old Buildings.

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