Dakis Hagen KC
Dakis Hagen KC
Barrister | Serle Court
JURISDICTION
TOP SPECIALISMS
Estates: Contentious
Trusts & Trusteeship
Trusts: Contentious
Office Location
United Kingdom
Short Biography
Dakis Hagen KC specialises in Chancery litigation, both commercial and traditional. His cases usually involve international structures, most often trusts and estates. Dakis is ranked in Chambers & Partners for Chancery: Commercial and Chancery: Traditional (Band 1) as well as for Trusts (Band 1), Offshore (Band 1) and Family/Matrimonial: Trusts/Tax Experts (Star Individual). Chambers HNW has placed him in Band 1 for Traditional Chancery. The Legal 500 ranks him for Private Client, Civil Fraud and Offshore (Band 1). He has appeared in courts in England, Gibraltar, the Cayman Islands, Bermuda and BVI and is regularly instructed both by London solicitors and directly by overseas lawyers including from Continental Europe, the Channel Islands, the Caribbean, Bermuda, Singapore, Hong Kong and North America. Since 2018 he has been co-chairman of Trusts & Estates Litigation Forum, currently held in Marrakesh.
What is your favorite restaurant to take a client or colleague to?
Sessions Arts Club
What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
At the Bar, never underestimate your opponent and always treat him or her with respect
What was your first job?
Doing (low level) data analysis as an intern in a university
What is the book you recommend to everyone?
The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa
What changes do you expect to see in your practice over the next year?
More in person meetings and hearings
Chris Duncan
Chris Duncan
Partner | Carey Olsen
JURISDICTION
TOP SPECIALISMS
Corporate Law
Office Location
Cayman Islands
Short Biography
Chris Duncan is a partner in the corporate team, based in the Cayman Islands. He leads our fintech and digital assets group across both the Cayman Islands and the British Virgin Islands, being one of the few Cayman and BVI dual qualified advisors in the fintech space.
What is your favorite restaurant to take a client or colleague to?
What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
What was your first job?
What is the book you recommend to everyone?
What changes do you expect to see in your practice over the next year?
Carlos de Serpa Pimentel
Carlos de Serpa Pimentel
Partner/Group Head Private Client Trust | Appleby
JURISDICTION
TOP SPECIALISMS
Estates: Contentious
Trusts: Contentious
Trusts: Planning
Office Location
Cayman Islands
Short Biography
Carlos is a Partner and Group Head, Private Client & Trusts of Appleby. He has practised as an attorney in the Cayman Islands since 2001. He was called to the Bar of England & Wales in 1990 and admitted to the BVI Bar in 2004. He has been a member of STEP for over 20 years and is a member of the International Academy of Estate & Trust Law. Carlos has appeared in many of the Cayman Islands' leading trusts & estates cases over the last two decades. Carlos advises trustees, high net worth individuals and family offices on Cayman and BVI trust and estate matters. He also acts as a protector and trustee of several Cayman Islands trusts and a director of private trust companies. In addition, Carlos has previously acted as a court appointed guardian for minors and persons lacking capacity, as well as a court appointed executor.
What is your favorite restaurant to take a client or colleague to?
The Savoy Grill
What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
Never give up!
What was your first job?
Early morning newspaper delivery boy
What is the book you recommend to everyone?
A Time of Gifts by Sir Patrick Leigh Fermor
What changes do you expect to see in your practice over the next year?
More disputes and increasing use of Foundation Companies and Private Trust companies
Brian Lacy
Brian Lacy
Head of BVI Dispute Resolution | Ogier
JURISDICTION
TOP SPECIALISMS
Civil Fraud
Commercial Litigation
Trusts: Contentious
Office Location
Jersey
Short Biography
Brian is the Head of BVI Dispute Resolution at Ogier. He is a commercial litigation barrister, who regularly appears as an advocate in the BVI Commercial Court and Court of Appeal. His practice encompasses civil fraud, insolvency and contentious trusts & probate - often with instances of overlap. He has particular expertise in matters involving the Middle East, FSU and PRC.
What is your favorite restaurant to take a client or colleague to?
The Ten Cases, Covent Garden
What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
You can't direct the wind, but you can adjust your sails.' Things never go entirely to plan, whether in work or life, an being able to pivot without taking too much of a hit is critical.
What was your first job?
Paintball Marshal (Aged 14-18. Loved it.)
What is the book you recommend to everyone?
The Long Walk, Salvomir Rawicz – it puts the 'challenges' we face into perspective.
What changes do you expect to see in your practice over the next year?
An increase in contentious probate, particularly from the Middle East.
Bhavesh Patel
Bhavesh Patel
Partner | Travers Thorp Alberga
JURISDICTION
TOP SPECIALISMS
Commercial Litigation
Estates: Contentious
Trusts: Contentious
Office Location
Cayman Islands
Short Biography
Bhavesh is an experienced litigator specialising in commercial litigation and contentious trusts and private client disputes. He has advised international clients on a variety of high profile matters and frequently appears before the Cayman and BVI Courts. He is a regular speaker at international conferences, and often provides expert evidence on matters of Cayman or BVI law in proceedings in the USA, PRC/Hong Kong, and arbitrations. Bhavesh is recognized and ranked in legal directories for commercial litigation and private client disputes and is an overseas member of the Chancery Bar Association, the American Bankruptcy Institute, COMBAR, and serves on committees within INSOL and RISA Cayman.
What is your favorite restaurant to take a client or colleague to?
Taikun or Bacaro in Cayman, Il Borro Tuscan Bistro in London
What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
Worrying is like a rocking chair, gives you something to do but doesn't get you anywhere.
What was your first job?
Office Clerk at Ciro Citterio Menswear's head quarters
What is the book you recommend to everyone?
100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
What changes do you expect to see in your practice over the next year?
An increase in contentious work as families and businesses restructure following global downturn in markets, and an increase in insolvency from the end of 2024
Arabella di Iorio
Arabella di Iorio
Partner | Agon Litigation
JURISDICTION
TOP SPECIALISMS
Commercial Litigation
Insolvency
Trusts: Contentious
Office Location
British Virgin Islands
Short Biography
An offshore lawyer for over 20 years, I head up boutique litigation firm Agon Litigation. My practice focuses on general commercial litigation and insolvency, fraud and asset tracing and contentious estate, trust and probate matters. I am a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.
What is your favorite restaurant to take a client or colleague to?
Assuming I had the world at my disposal, The Black Swan at Olstead in North Yorkshire
What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
What was your first job?
What is the book you recommend to everyone?
Cannot restrict it to one, Perfume - Patrick Suskind and Rebecca - Daphne du Maurier
What changes do you expect to see in your practice over the next year?
Andrew Bayles
Andrew Bayles
Director - General Counsel | SwissIndependent Trustees SA
JURISDICTION
Switzerland, England and Wales, Jersey, Guernsey, British Virgin Islands, Malta, Cyprus, New Zealand
TOP SPECIALISMS
Family Office
Trusts & Trusteeship
Trusts: Planning
Office Location
Switzerland
Short Biography
Andrew Bayles, a lawyer and professional Trustee in Switzerland, acts for global families, business owners, family offices, and professionals. His extensive expertise encompasses trust law, corporate, commercial and tax. Andrew's role at SwissIndependent Trustees SA highlights his dedication to serving clients with cross-border needs. He possesses a strong understanding of complex legal matters related to family offices, trusts, and trusteeship.
What is your favorite restaurant to take a client or colleague to?
Any restaurant where there is a decent wine list, or, even better, where they let you take your own!
What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
Never make desicions under duress. Sleep on it if you can.
What was your first job?
Ball boy at Rosslyn Park RFC.
What is the book you recommend to everyone?
The Billionaire's Vinegar.
What changes do you expect to see in your practice over the next year?
I hope to see technology continue to disrupt our business to the benefit of our families.
Adil Mohamedbhai
Adil Mohamedbhai
Barrister | Serle Court
JURISDICTION
TOP SPECIALISMS
Civil Fraud
Commercial Litigation
Trusts: Contentious
Office Location
United Kingdom
Short Biography
I have a broad commercial chancery practice. I have particular expertise in high-value, multi-jurisdictional offshore, trust, private client, civil fraud and commercial disputes. I act both as sole counsel and junior counsel as part of a team of barristers. In addition to regular appearances in both the Chancery Division and the Commercial Court, I have appeared in the Court of Appeal, the UK Supreme Court and the Privy Council. I also have substantial experience appearing in, or assisting with, cases in other jurisdictions, including Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, the BVI, Jersey, Guernsey, the Bahamas and Mauritius. Prior to coming to the Bar, I qualified as a solicitor at Freshfields, where I was involved in a broad range of transactional and contentious work.
What is your favorite restaurant to take a client or colleague to?
What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
What was your first job?
What is the book you recommend to everyone?
What changes do you expect to see in your practice over the next year?
Alasdair Davidson
Alasdair Davidson
Head of Litigation, Partner | Bedell Cristin
JURISDICTION
TOP SPECIALISMS
Dispute Resolution or Arbitration
Insolvency
Trusts: Contentious
Office Location
Guernsey
Short Biography
Partner at Bedell Cristin based in the Guernsey office but with a practice in the BVI as well. I specialise in 'Offshore' contentious and advisory work including fiduciary, insolvency, shareholder disputes, corporate/commercial, fiduciary, private wealth & trusts (including pensions and foundations), regulatory work. I have been in practice for over 30 years and, before qualifying in Guernsey, not only having practised as a barrister in England but also spent several years working in the Caribbean. In addition am a Notary Public and a Lt Bailiff of the Royal Court of Guernsey.
What is your favorite restaurant to take a client or colleague to?
Hook, Guernsey
What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
There is no such thing as a free lunch!
What was your first job?
Paperboy
What is the book you recommend to everyone?
Voltoir Candide
What changes do you expect to see in your practice over the next year?
An increase in contentious trust instructions involving intergenerational tensions in which the trustees have become wrapped