International / Offshore
Wilberforce Chambers has a pre-eminent reputation in offshore and international work, and is independently listed in Band 1 in both Chambers & Partners and The Legal 500 for offshore expertise.
The expertise of members at Wilberforce naturally supports the type of legal issues that frequently arise in offshore and international disputes.
Areas such as:
- Asset tracing, freezing and recovery
- Banking and finance
- Civil fraud
- Company law
- Conflicts of law
- Enforcement of foreign judgments
- Financial services, financial products and derivatives
- Funds disputes
- Joint venture disputes
- Property disputes
- Restructuring and corporate insolvency
- Trusts
For more information on our international arbitration practice, please click here.
Wilberforce has a well-established reputation for assisting overseas clients and appearing in high-profile and important cases across all of the principal international and offshore jurisdictions where English law, or common law and statutes based heavily on English law, apply.
Many of our barristers are full members of, or have been called, ad hoc, to, the local Bars of the following jurisdictions:
- Anguilla
- The Bahamas
- Bermuda
- The British Virgin Islands
- St. Kitts & Nevis
- The Cayman Islands
- Dubai
- Gibraltar
- Guernsey
- Hong Kong
- Isle of Man
- Jersey
- Singapore
- The Turks & Caicos Islands
Wilberforce Chambers is a member of the ICC (International Chamber of Commerce).
Rankings and recognition
Wilberforce is top-ranked in Chambers Global and is also tier 1 in both Chambers & Partners’ and The Legal 500’s offshore categories.
Chambers & Partners 2024 (Offshore commentary): Wilberforce Chambers offers significant strength and depth in all the major offshore jurisdictions, including those in the Channel Islands, the Caribbean and Asia. Market commentators regard it as a “top class” set, “boasting some of the top names of the offshore Bar.” Members of the set are instructed to act in matters such as trust litigation, high-value commercial disputes, fraud claims and insolvency matters. Its barristers continue to appear in a number of high-profile cases, such as Halabi v Equity Trust (Jersey). The Privy Council handed down a landmark decision regarding the insolvent trust, which will have a significant impact on the wider industry. A particular fan of the set remarked: “I love Wilberforce Chambers. It is by far and away the easiest set to deal with.” They continue: “I have no doubt that in the field, it stands out against the other chambers.”
The Legal 500 2023 (Offshore commentary): Wilberforce Chambers has a reputation for their handling of high profile and important cases across a wide variety of offshore regions, such as Anguilla, Bermuda, Guernsey and further afield. Members of chambers have found themselves at the forefront of ground-breaking cases within various jurisdictions, with noteworthy examples including Equity Trust (Jersey) Ltd v Halabi in which Clare Stanley KC and James Goodwin appeared, concerning issues of how to handle insolvent trusts under Jersey law. Robert Ham KC has a litigation and advisory practice related to trust law pensions, traditional chancery and offshore and enjoy devising complex transactions and drafting documents to give effect to them. Michael Furness KC specialises in occupational pensions, charities, tax and professional negligence claims in Bermuda, the Cayman Islands and elsewhere, while Anna Littler is noted for her commercial Chancery practice.