Contentious Trusts, Estates and Private Wealth Disputes

Representing a beneficiary of a high-value 19th century will trust (through a series of wills) seeking estate distribution. The matter involved complex trustee and beneficiary capacity issue, as well as difficulties in ascertaining other beneficiaries.

Representing a Channel Islands company in a multi-million GBP claim arising out of loan agreements within a complex trust structure.

Representing beneficiaries of a deceased estate in multi-million GBP claims against the executors of the estate concerning the status of some of the estate's assets and including allegations of breach of trust.

Representing several defendants in a GBP 10m dispute concerning the ownership and control of digital assets and involving allegations of breach of trust and fiduciary duties. The matter included applications to the Supreme Court of Gibraltar to discharge the WFO and trust preservation orders obtained by the claimants.

Representing Gibraltar-registered defendants in a complex multi-million GBP trust dispute in the Supreme Court of Gibraltar between a beneficiary of a Channel Island trust and several defendants, which included a corporate trust administrator, directors and a corporate service provider (Lemberga v Serillo (PTC) Ltd & Ors [2020]). The matter concerned the scope of the Court's power to intervene in the administration of a trust and, in particular, in relation to the scope of directors' duties. The matter also determined whether by entering into a client service agreement an administrator of a trust assumes legal obligations of a trustee.

Representing liquidators of a trust management company in a groundbreaking matter of sector significance involving administration and subsequent conversion to liquidation of a protected cell company in Gibraltar and recovery of company assets from the previous director. The matter included applications which went up to the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Gibraltar.

Representing the trustees of two related trusts with assets valued in excess of GBP 200m in a dispute with members of the family involving allegations of a breach of trust and an attempt to remove the trustees. The matter involved strategic coordination of legal teams in multiple jurisdictions and mediation.

Representing offshore trust companies in resisting USD 300m enforcement and tracing proceedings brought by a leading paper packaging and recycling company in Central Asia and others for alleged beneficial interests in offshore trust assets. The case involved freezing and proprietary injunctions.

Representing the beneficiary of a family trust in multiple contentious trust proceedings with the total value of GBP 2bn concerning privacy, as well as anti-suit injunction proceedings in Gibraltar related to a derivative action against the directors of a listed company in England.

Representing the beneficiaries of a Panamanian Foundation in claims for losses up to USD 500m incurred due to the fraudulent mismanagement of the offshore trust structure by rogue fiduciaries. The claim included applications for interim relief (including worldwide freezing orders, asset disclosure orders and information orders) in the Caribbean, Europe and Asia, in support of an ICC arbitration seated in Panama.

Representing the investment fund of Georgian billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili and his family in a dispute valued at USD 600m–USD 1.2bn against Credit Suisse entities for the recovery of losses arising out of mismanagement of his investment portfolio through a range of trust arrangements, which have led to criminal proceedings against the bank’s fund managers. This case involved parallel proceedings in Switzerland, Singapore, New Zealand and Bermuda.