Acquisition allows global firm HFW to open office in the British Virgin Islands

Global law firm HFW has launched in the British Virgin Islands by acquiring the office of offshore law firm Lennox Paton.

 The move gives HFW a leading disputes practice in the BVI, led by senior partner Scott Cruickshank. The team also includes associates Jonathan Child and Helen Chen. Cruickshank was Lennox Paton's BVI managing partner and head of litigation.

 The team will advise clients on complex, high-value corporate and commercial litigation, including foreign judgment enforcement and interlocutory relief, insolvency and restructuring, fraud and asset tracing, and company law disputes and director claims.

 HFW has been litigating for clients in offshore jurisdictions for more than 20 years, and its new BVI office will work closely with the firm's expert litigators in London, Hong Kong, Shanghai and its other offices across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific.

"This is a very significant development for our global disputes offering – we are now uniquely positioned among international law firms to assist clients with litigation in London, Hong Kong, Shanghai and the BVI,” said Noel Campbell, head of HFW litigation. "We have been looking seriously at the BVI for several years – it’s a major litigation centre and most of the international cases relate to fraud, insolvency/restructuring and shareholder disputes, which are key areas of strength for our team globally.”

HFW's relationship with Lennox Paton in the Bahamas goes back over 20 years and the firm has worked extensively with Cruickshank and his team for more than a decade.

 "It was a natural progression for us to join HFW, which provides a strong platform to continue to build our disputes business and provide clients with a seamless, global service. We are now a formidable, global team,” said Cruickshank.

 The move continues a period of significant international expansion at HFW. The firm has now completed 12 international office openings, mergers and associations since 2016, including a fully-integrated US merger and other moves in Brazil, China, the Middle East and Monaco.

"This is another important step in our continued international expansion, giving us a first-rate team in a jurisdiction that is becoming increasingly significant for cross-border transactions and complex international litigation,” said Richard Crump, global senior partner at HFW.