Matt Freeman

Senior Associate
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Matt Freeman - Senior Associate, Campbells BVI - Litigation, Insolvency & Restructuring
"Matthew Freeman is a very accomplished practitioner and a diligent and commercially savvy litigator." - Chambers and Partners, 2021

Overview

Matthew is a senior associate in the Litigation, Insolvency & Restructuring Group. He joined Campbells in 2018 having previously worked for three and a half years at another firm in the British Virgin Islands. Prior to that, Matt was a partner at a niche practice in Southampton. In his spare time Matt likes to sail and is an avid rugby and ice hockey fan.

Matthew advises and appears in the High Court and Commercial Court of the British Virgin Islands on behalf of provisional and official liquidators, creditors, shareholders, directors, managers and other professional service providers in relation to a broad range of pre and post-liquidation disputes. He has acted in litigation involving widely varying commercial contexts and structures, but his practice principally involves shareholder disputes (specifically relating to shareholders located in China and CIS countries) and claims relating to breaches of fiduciary duties.

Matthew regularly publishes articles, including The International Comparative Legal Guide to Litigation & Dispute Resolution (BVI Chapter) 2018-2019 and the Chambers Global Practice Guides, Insolvency (BVI Chapter) 2020.

Expertise

Work Highlights

  • Storca Intertrans Corp. and Another v Norvalo (Overseas) Limited and Ors- successfully applied to the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, Court of Appeal to set aside an injunction order made against his clients and also obtained an order recusing a former Justice from being involved in the case going forward.
  • Livingston Properties Equities Inc. and Others v JSC MCC Eurochem and Anor – successfully applying to the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, Court of Appeal to set aside orders for permission to serve claims against his clients and also staying the proceedings. The case involved allegations of fraud carried out on an international scale.
  • Kevin Stanford v Stephen John Akers and Mark McDonald (as liquidators of Chesterfield United Inc) – acted for Kaupthing Bank following the collapse of the Icelandic banking system. Mr Stanford was an investor in a scheme made between Kauphing entities and Deutsche Bank and filed a claim in the liquidation of several of the Kaupthing entities as an aggrieved party. Successfully arguing before the BVI High Court (Commercial Division) and the Court of Appeal that Mr Stanford had no standing to bring the application.
  • Renova Industries Ltd and Others v Emmerson International Corp and Others – acting for associated companies in this long running and highly contentious shareholder dispute. Successfully removing two of the subsidiary parties from the litigation by getting all claims made against them dismissed.
  • Digital Wings Limited – Acting for the liquidator of the company in a multi-jurisdictional dispute (BVI, St Kitts and Nevis, England and St Vincent and the Grenadines) to include challenges to the liquidators’ appointment and taking steps to secure real property, ultimately assisting the liquidator in settling all claims.
  • Perry and Others v LOPAG Trust Reg and Others – advising trustees in relation to fraud allegations, defending proceedings against them in both the BVI and Cayman.

Qualifications and Admissions

  • Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales, 2008 (non-practising)
  • Solicitor of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (British Virgin Islands), 2015

Prior Career History

  • Trethowans
  • Stillwells
  • Lennox Paton (BVI)
  • Campbells (BVI)

Professional Associations

  • Law Society of England & Wales
  • BVI Bar Council
  • INSOL
  • RISA

Recognition and Awards

Chambers and Partners – Associates to Watch (BVI, 2021)

Legal 500 – Rising Star in Dispute Resolution (BVI 2019-2021)