Expertise and Professional Background
Phillip is Head of the Litigation Department at Harneys and specialises in large scale commercial litigation and contentious insolvency matters. He joined Harneys in 1997 and has been a partner since 2001. Harneys was the first firm in the BVI to have a dedicated litigation department and has by far the largest litigation team in the BVI. Most of Phillip's cases have a cross border element, in particular, cases involving fraud and shareholder disputes. Phillip has acted on one side or the other in many of the largest claims brought before the BVI courts, for example, and most recently, in the successful dismissal of a US$ 2 billion claim against a Russian oil company and prominent Russian individual.
Phillip is a Solicitor Advocate and a member of the Society of Trusts and Estates Practitioners with a particular interest in contentious trust and probate matters.
Phillip has also represented the BVI Bar Association on a number of committees, including a review of the proposed Legal Professions Act, and one which preceded the Insolvency Act 2003. Phillip was also honoured to be appointed by the Governor on a committee which reviewed and reported on the BVI legal system in 2004. Phillip sits as the Bar Associations' representative on the Insolvency Liaison Committee, which, with the Official Receiver, reviews the operation of the Insolvency Act, and was a member of the committee which advised the Chief Justice on the set up of the rules for the BVI Commercial Court. Most recently Phillip has been appointed to serve as a member of the Court User's Committee, chaired by Commercial Court Justice Edward Bannister QC.
Ranked as a leading lawyer by Chambers Global.
Named leading lawyer by PLC in its restructuring and insolvency rankings.
Highly recommended by PLC in its dispute resolution rankings.
Ranked as leader in his field by IFLR 1000 2005-2006.
Recommended by Legal 500.
Education
University of Birmingham LLB Hons 1989
Chester College of Law 1990
Bar Admissions
Admitted in England and Wales 1992
Admitted in the British Virgin Islands 1997
Admitted in Anguilla 1998
Partner since 2001