As in other years, ALB showcases the exceptional work of offshore law firm dispute practitioners who have successfully handled significant cases and exceeded client expectations. The full list is arranged alphabetically, and some lawyers have been profiled.
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JUSTIN DAVIS
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Justin Davis joined Ogier in 2020 as a partner, contributing his expertise to the dispute resolution and restructuring and corporate recovery team in Hong Kong. He has an impressive legal background and extensive experience across various jurisdictions, making him a sought-after lawyer for complex, high-value, multi-jurisdictional commercial and corporate litigation, shareholder disputes, and insolvency matters. Before joining Ogier, Davis worked with other leading offshore law firms in the British Virgin Islands. During his time, he regularly appeared in the British Virgin Islands Commercial Court and the Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal, where he handled various significant cases. Before this, Davis was a barrister for 14 years at a leading set of chambers in London, where he primarily focused on cases in the Chancery and Commercial Divisions of the English High Court and the Court of Appeal Davis is a skilled litigation professional with extensive experience handling complex cases related to cryptocurrency hedge funds and exchanges, global restructuring processes, and high-value shareholder disputes. He represents the joint liquidators of Three Arrows Capital, playing a pivotal role in restructuring two BVI companies for Tsinghua Unigroup PRC, and acting on behalf of the joint liquidators of FTX, which was formerly one of the largest global cryptocurrency exchanges. He is a distinguished litigator and has worked with many prominent clients, including Teneo, EY, PwC, KWM, Fangda, Winston & Strawn and DLA Piper. Davis is widely recognised for his reputation as a reliable and trusted legal advisor. His practice involves obtaining and opposing freezing injunctions, asset disclosure orders, receivership orders, anti-suit injunctions, winding up orders, and asset enforcement orders. Davis’ extensive experience in these matters demonstrates his ability to navigate complex legal issues with precision and skill. |
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EDWIN GOMEZ
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Edwin Gomez serves as counsel of the Hong Kong dispute resolution, restructuring, and corporate recovery teams at Ogier. He has been with the firm for over six years, having joined in 2016 when the dispute resolution practice was launched in Hong Kong. Due to his commitment and expertise, he was promoted to senior associate in 2019 and counsel in 2021, reflecting his contributions to the team’s success. Gomez specialises in the Cayman Islands and BVI laws, having been admitted to practice in 2012 and 2021, respectively. He has gained expertise and extensive knowledge through more than four years of practicing on-site in the Cayman Islands. His proficiency in complex legal matters is exemplified by his work as Cayman counsel FamilyMart China in connection with its shareholding in China CVS (Cayman Islands). This case involves high-stakes inspectorship proceedings and a petition to wind up CCH on just and equitable grounds, with significant implications on the interplay between arbitration clauses and winding-up proceedings in the Cayman Islands. Gomez has also represented the Bank of China (Hong Kong), Fubon Bank (Hong Kong), and PwC in noteworthy liquidation proceedings before the Grand Court and the Cayman Court of Appeal. Gomez is renowned for excellence and has been entrusted with key clients such as Family Mart China, Itochu, PwC, and Grant Thornton. He has been instrumental in facilitating complex commercial litigation matters for these esteemed clients. Before joining Ogier, Gomez was a partner in a boutique commercial litigation practice in London. He later moved to the Cayman Islands to practice with a top-ranked firm in 2012. Gomez has maintained a significant nexus between his Cayman law practice and Hong Kong throughout his career. |
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JEREMY LIGHTFOOT
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Jeremy Lightfoot is a well-known legal expert in Hong Kong, taking charge of the dispute resolution and litigation practice at Carey Olsen since 2020. Lightfoot is an accomplished professional with a wealth of experience across various jurisdictions, praised for his sharp mind and personable demeanour by clients. Under Lightfoot’s leadership, his team of eight skilled attorneys has made a name for themselves, earning high praise from distinguished legal directories. His influence extends beyond Hong Kong, having provided expert assistance to the UNCITRAL secretariat on asset tracing and recovery, specifically in cross-border situations, at the United Nations in Vienna. This recognition reflects his significant contributions to one of the most important emerging areas of law. Lightfoot’s practice focuses on high-risk commercial and corporate litigation, as well as insolvency and restructuring in Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, and the Cayman Islands. His experience and success have earned him the trust of clients who seek resolution in the most complex and sensitive situations. In addition to his role at Carey Olsen, Lightfoot participates actively in professional organisations like the Hong Kong ICPA Restructuring and Insolvency Faculty, the International Bar Association, INSOL, IWIRC, the Chancery Bar Association (Overseas Member), and the Inter-Pacific Bar Association. |
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JAMES NOBLE
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James Noble is the head of Carey Olsen’s litigation, insolvency and restructuring team in Asia. He is well-known for his expertise in complicated and high-value shareholder disputes, asset recovery, cross-border enforcement, and insolvency issues. With over two decades of experience, he is highly regarded globally and is the only Cayman and BVI admitted litigator (and registered in Bermuda) in Singapore. Based in Carey Olsen’s Tier 1 ranked office in Singapore, Noble leads the jurisdiction’s most extensive and diverse offshore litigation team. He has provided expert guidance in high-profile cases, especially those involving listed companies. He has specialised knowledge in appellate matters before the Court of Appeal and the Privy Council. Noble achieved notable successes, including successfully representing minority stakeholders in a global shareholder dispute involving WTK Holdings, a timber company listed on the Malaysian stock exchange. The case was one of the 70 sets of proceedings globally and was the first derivative action ever brought on behalf of a Liberian entity in the BVI. He also represented a majority shareholder of China Shanshui Cement Group, a Cayman entity listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange with more than $3 billion assets. James obtained a landmark ruling in the Cayman Courts on the application of a particular provision of the Cayman Companies Law. Noble has been recognised as one of ALB’s list of top offshore litigators for the past three years and has been awarded the Offshore Client Choice award. He is actively involved in professional associations and is a member of INSOL, the International Women’s Insolvency & Restructuring Confederation (IWIRC), and one of the first offshore law practitioners approved as a member of the Insolvency Practitioners Association of Singapore (IPAS). He also co-authored the “Commercial Litigation and Enforcement” textbook published by Global Legal Post in 2023. |
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OLIVER PAYNE
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Oliver Payne is an accomplished lawyer who joined Ogier’s dispute resolution and restructuring and corporate recovery team in Hong Kong in 2016. He quickly rose to the position of partner at the age of 35. Payne is currently head of dispute resolution in Asia, where he oversees the growth and success of Ogier’s disputes and R&I practice in the Asian market. Before joining Ogier, Payne worked as an associate at Herbert Smith in London and then joined Ogier Cayman in 2009. He was crucial in transforming Ogier’s Asian dispute resolution offering, leading the team to expand from three members to a formidable force of 15 in just over six years. Payne’s expertise is vast and covers a wide range of complex cases. He has appeared before several courts, including the Financial Services Division of the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands, the Cayman Islands Court of Appeal, the Privy Council, and the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, BVI. As a Solicitor-Advocate, he also holds higher rights of audience. He has worked on significant legal matters, including acting as Cayman counsel for FamilyMart China in connection with its shareholding in China CVS (Cayman Islands). This ongoing case will have significant implications on arbitration clauses and just and equitable winding-up proceedings in the Cayman Islands. Payne has also represented the Bank of China (Hong Kong), Fubon Bank (Hong Kong), and PwC representatives in various liquidation proceedings. Additionally, he acted for the joint liquidators of Three Arrows Capital, handling multi-jurisdictional proceedings with exceptional skill. In another high-profile case, he has acted as Cayman Islands counsel for Tianrui International, successfully presenting a winding-up petition against China Shanshui Cement Group. Apart from his accomplishments in the courtroom, Payne has been actively involved in educating legal professionals and the public through speaking engagements, presentations, and publications. His insight and contributions have earned him widespread recognition and respect within the Hong Kong legal community. |
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MICHAEL SNAPE
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Michael Snape is a distinguished lawyer who works in Ogier’s dispute resolution and restructuring and corporate recovery team in Hong Kong. He was promoted to partner in December 2020 in recognition of his exceptional contributions to the firm since he joined in 2018 after working at Harneys. Snape has legal qualifications in New Zealand (2022) and the Cayman Islands (2012), making him a versatile and well-rounded professional. Before moving to Hong Kong in 2016, he gained a wealth of knowledge on the ground in the Cayman Islands, where he acted as a counsel in various courts, including the Cayman Islands Court of Appeal. Additionally, he has served as independent counsel for the Cayman Islands Anti-Corruption Commission. He has a remarkable record of success in handling complex legal disputes across a wide range of notable cases. He has represented a significant shareholder in the China Shanshui Cement Group case, focusing on the improper allotment of shares. Snape has also provided counsel to a fund in matters related to unpaid share redemptions, and advised a joint venture partner in a dispute concerning substantial water treatment infrastructure investments in China. Snape’s professional excellence continues to shine, as demonstrated by his recent representation of Waterwood 020 in a fair value dispute arising from the takeover of Xiaodu (Baidu Waimai). He also skillfully handled a family dispute involving the control of a prominent Hong Kong-based marine logistics company in an ongoing and hard-fought dispute. |
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HELEN WANG
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Helen Wang is a highly skilled litigator and a valuable member of Carey Olsen’s offshore litigation team in Singapore. She has extensive experience handling complex commercial litigation, shareholder disputes, fraud and investigatory cases, and insolvency and restructuring matters. Wang is fluent in English, Cantonese, and Mandarin, which allows her to cater to a diverse clientele. Her expertise in cross-border litigation and high-value disputes has made her successful in various sectors, including banking and financial services, energy and resources, insurance, and high net-worth individuals. Wang trained and qualified as a litigator at a prestigious magic circle firm, where she worked for over a decade. She has provided counsel on various complex and high-profile disputes and regulatory investigations across their offices in Hong Kong, Singapore, and London. Wang is a highly respected and sought-after litigator in the Asia-Pacific Market. She has earned a strong reputation, particularly among mainland Chinese and Mandarin-speaking clients from other locations such as Malaysia and Taiwan. Her instrumental role in expanding the firm’s business in the Asia-Pacific region led to her becoming a strategic senior hire for Carey Olsen in 2021. This makes her the ideal choice to advance Carey Olsen’s litigation offerings in Singapore and beyond. Apart from being a successful litigator, Wang is also a committee member on the IWIRC Diversity Inclusion and Belonging Committee and International Programming Committee. She is the co-chair of the legal interest group of the Primetime network, a Singapore-based professional women’s association. As a female partner at Carey Olsen, Wang is the Asia lead of Carey Olsen’s Women’s Network. She is also an active member of INSOL and the Insolvency Practitioners Association of Singapore (IPAS). Additionally, she is a full TEP member of The Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP). |
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ALB ASIA TOP 10 OFFSHORE LITIGATORS 2023 |
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JUSTIN DAVIS AISLING DWYER EDWIN GOMEZ PAULA KAY JEREMY LIGHTFOOT JAMES NOBLE OLIVER PAYNE MICHAEL SNAPE HELEN WANG COLETTE WILKINS KC |
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METHODOLOGY |
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• Lawyers were invited to submit for this list between the months of April and May 2023. • To be eligible, they needed to be either based in Asia full-time or do a significant amount of work related to Asian jurisdictions. • • The lawyers were selected based on their high-profile cases, clients’ recommendations, and feedback from the market. |
