The Jersey Retail Price Index (“JRPI”), the main measure of inflation, was 7.9% higher in June 2022 than it was 12 months before - the highest rate of increase seen since 1992. 1 The next JRPI is due to be released in October 2022 and further significant increases are expected. Such a hefty rise in inflation is concerning – it is inevitable that people will suffer from a worrying financial squeeze ...
Whilst generational wealth from around the world has commonly been held, in some form, via Cayman trusts, the client base of the local trust industry has in recent years expanded greatly to include a wider range of global family offices, ultra-high-net-worth individuals, and entrepreneurs keen to take advantage of the modern and flexible options on offer ...
The current regime Under the current regime in the Cayman Islands, the only option for a company to obtain a moratorium on claims, and to benefit from what is often seen as necessary breathing room to explore a restructuring, is for a winding up petition to be issued against the company and for the company to be placed into provisional liquidation, with provisional liquidators (JPLs) appointed over the company on a light-touch basis with the mandate to explore a restructuring of the company&r
The economic substance requirements in the Cayman Islands, introduced by the International Tax Co-operation (Economic Substance) Act (as revised) (the “ES Act”) (Economic substance requirements in the Cayman Islands), have been extended to partnerships pursuant to the International Tax Co-operation (Economic Substance) (Amendment of Schedule) Regulations 2021, which came into force on 30 June 2021 ...
1. The legislative regime In conjunction with the VASP Act, the FSC also published Guidance on the Application for Registration of a Virtual Assets Service Provider (the “VASP Registration Guidance”) (available to view here), and the Virtual Assets Service Providers Guide to the Prevention of Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Proliferation Financing (available to view here) ...
The Guernsey Financial Services Commission (“GFSC”) has published its Guidance for CIS on measures to counter the risk of greenwashing (“Guidance”) which applies to all collective investment schemes which are authorised or registered under the Protection of Investors (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law, 2020 and to those responsible for preparing the prospectuses and other marketing materials of such schemes ...
Corporate income tax Residences Companies tax resident in Guernsey are subject to income tax on their worldwide income ...
Succession of digital assets in Guernsey What are digital assets? The term "digital assets" does not yet have a legal definition in Guernsey but it can broadly be understood to mean any asset that is represented digitally or electronically.[1] Digital assets include: cryptocurrencies; NFTs; social media accounts; photos, audio files and video stored in the cloud; reward cards/loyalty programmes; online bank accounts; email accounts; eBooks; websites ...
Strengthened collaboration between BVI and PRC: a precedent of enforcing a PRC arbitral award Background In Window of Trade, the Claimant applied to the BVI Court to enforce the Award in favour of the Claimant. The Award required the Second Defendant to return 100% of the equity in the First Defendant, a BVI company, to the Claimant and to assist the Claimant in restoring its name to the register of members of the First Defendant. The Second Defendant opposed the enforcement of the Award ...
However, in the light of the recent decisions in Rangecroft Ltd v Lenox International Holdings Ltd [1] , IS Investment Fund Segregated Portfolio Company v Fair Cheerful Ltd [2] , and most recently in A Creditor v Anonymous Company Ltd [3], a reassessment is required as to whether the procedure is truly optional. The Court in Lenox International highlighted the importance of following the "two-step process" to wind up a company on the basis of its insolvency ...
The BVI is a leading international financial centre, and BVI companies play a significant role in the flow of capital across the global economy. As global economic conditions become more challenging, lenders are increasingly reliant on formal insolvency procedures to realise value from distressed assets. As a result, the past year has seen a marked increase in the use of statutory demands against BVI companies as a precursor to an application to appoint liquidators ...
How does Singapore's business environment make it an attractive location for foreign law firms? Anthony McKenzie: Singapore is considered a favourable destination for doing business due to its political stability, strong legal framework, well-regulated financial sector, competitive tax rates, excellent infrastructure and pro-business policies that attract foreign investment. It has a highly skilled and educated workforce with a strong emphasis on innovation and technological advancements ...
Short term holiday lets in Jersey Following the introduction of the Planning and Building (General Development – Short-term Holiday Lets) (Jersey) Amendment Order 2024 (the "2024 Order") which comes in to force on 1 April 2024, properties may be used for the purpose of short-term holiday lets for up to 12 weeks in each calendar year ...
Contents Abstract What is an asset protection trust? Conflict of laws What is the objective of firewall legislation? What is the objective of fraudulent transfer legislation in a trust context? Jurisdiction Does comity continue to undermine firewalls? Simplification of structure of Bermuda's firewall legislation Extension of Bermuda's firewall When is a foreign order 'inconsistent' with the firewall legislation? Conclusion ABSTRACT View More
The Supreme Court's judgment is a landmark decision of significant importance in the arena of company law and directors' duties ...
Many billions of assets under management have already been tokenised. High profile managers such as Franklin Templeton, Abrdn, KKR, Mitsui and Hamilton Lane have already launched tokenised products. Whilst there is no doubt that this is a nascent space, and these assets still represent a tiny percentage of the funds industry, we expect this area to grow exponentially in the coming years. What is tokenisation? Tokenisation is the digital representation of "traditional" financial assets (e.g ...
The section 238 appraisal process under the Companies Act [1] in the Cayman Islands is a vital safeguard designed to protect minority shareholders' economic interests. When there is a merger or consolidation involving at least one Cayman company under Part XVI of the Companies Act, a dissenting shareholder may demand payment of the “fair value” in respect of all his shares ...
The Cayman Islands Court of Appeal ("CICA") has delivered a valuable judgment on the application of section 238 of the Companies Act (as revised) in Re Trina Solar Limited.[1] This case update can be read in conjunction with our previous briefing setting out certain practical points to note in 'fair value' appraisal proceedings ...
NotPetya Cyber-attack In June 2017, data-destroying malware called NotPetya, which has since been attributed to Russia’s military intelligence agency, infected hundreds of organizations in dozens of countries causing an estimated $10 billion in losses ...
Contents Introduction Bermuda British Virgin Islands Cayman Islands Guernsey Jersey Conclusion Introduction Carey Olsen, recently ranked in the FinTech sector by Chambers & Partners across each of its Bermuda, British Virgin Islands (BVI), Cayman Islands and Jersey offices (with a number of notable practitioners), continues to be a leader in the Fintech and digital/virtual asset sector, advising clients on the most novel and innovative crypto and blockchain projects ...
Contents Please click on the links below to jump to the relevant section: Overview FAQ 1: Are SPV trustees in scope? FAQ 2: What about SPVs that aren’t trustees? Do you need to have a “customer” or “third party” to be in scope? FAQ 3: I do have “customers” or “third parties” ...
Re Coinomi - Reconsidering the remedies for unfair prejudice Whereas the position at first instance (Re Coinomi [2022] EWHC 3178 (Ch)) had determined that a shareholder could not claim damages in favour of the company when invoking the statutory unfair prejudice jurisdiction, the appeal (reported as Ntzegkoutanis v ...
Contents Changes to the Money Laundering (Jersey) Order 2008 Changes to the Proceeds of Crime (Jersey) Law 1999 - Schedule 2 Businesses Limited Partnerships (Continuance) (Jersey) Regulations 2023 Forthcoming changes to the JFSC's Outsourcing Policy Changes to the Money Laundering Order The Government of Jersey is set to make a number of amendments to the Money Laundering (Jersey) Order 2008 ("MLO") following the conclusion of its recent consultation ...
Contents Changes to the requirements for individuals acting as a director 2022 Annual Report - Guernsey Financial Services Commission (the “Commission”) Updates to the AML/CFT Handbook Update on the Lending, Credit and Finance (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law, 2022 Financial Crime Return Rules Changes to the requirements for individuals acting as a director Acting as a director of a company or incorporated body (whether incorporated in or under the laws of the Bailiwick o
Re Piedmont Trust and the Riviera Trust [2021] JRC 248 (Royal Court of Jersey, Commissioner Birt, Jurats Ramsden and Olsen, 5 October 2021) The Court held that the protector will usually be entitled and required to form his or her own judgment on a trustee’s decision and whether to consent to it or veto it, rather than simply review whether the trustee’s decision has been reached properly ...