Appleby’s British Virgin Islands (BVI) head of disputes has been made a BVI King’s Counsel (KC), the first such appointment since 2013.
Andrew Willins’ appointment took effect earlier this month, when the advocate received his Letters Patent from the Governor, Daniel Pruce.
KC appointments are made on the recommendation of the Silk Advisory Committee, a body appointed by the Chief Justice, which includes serving judges.
Willins joined Appleby in 2008 from London chambers 29 Bedford Row, becoming a partner in 2013. He served as vice president of the BVI Bar Association for two terms, from 2011 to 2013.
He has developed an extensive practice before the Commercial Court and the Court of Appeal of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, often unled and against experienced KCs from London.
He has appeared in many of the major insolvency disputes of the last decade, either for the liquidators or creditors such as the Fairfield Sentry litigation (for redeeming creditors) and Peak Hotels & Resorts (for the liquidators).
He is also recognised locally for his experience in state immunity issues and the enforcement of investment treaty awards.
In Pakistan International Airways, he defeated the enforcement of a $6bn arbitral award against the assets of an international airline.
He has appeared before the Privy Council in groundbreaking litigation such as Sian v Halimeda, alongside Paul Lowenstein KC of Twenty Essex (a decision which upended the practice of the English Companies Court in disputed debt petitions), and in Convoy Collateral, alongside Maitland Chambers’ David Mumford KC, (the leading modern authority on the jurisprudential basis upon which injunctive relief is granted).
Malcolm Moller, Appleby’s global managing partner, said: “Andrew’s appointment is a testament to his hard work and dedication over many years. We are thrilled that we have provided the platform from which his skills as a lawyer dealing with complex international litigation have been recognised in this way.”
Appleby’s global disputes practice is now home to three leading counsel: Willins, Claire van Overdijk KC, who is based in Bermuda, and Hong Kong-based John McCarroll SC.
News of Willins’ appointment as a BVI silk comes in the same week it was announced that another dual qualified barrister, Blackstone Chambers junior Tim Parker, will be appointed as a Senior Counsel in June.
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