Crown Dependencies & Gibraltar

Serle Court has a well-established practice across the Crown Dependencies and Gibraltar. Our barristers are regularly instructed in high-value disputes connected to Jersey, Guernsey, the Isle of Man and Gibraltar, including complex multi-jurisdictional litigation arising from offshore financial and corporate structures.

We are particularly known for private wealth and trusts disputes, civil fraud, and technically demanding commercial litigation – often where there are parallel proceedings in England and other offshore jurisdictions.

Members advise on jurisdictional strategy, interim relief and enforcement, and work closely with leading local advocates and offshore firms to deliver specialist English law expertise in disputes spanning multiple forums.

Serle Court barristers appear in courts across the Crown Dependencies and Gibraltar and, where appropriate, before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. We are often involved in cases raising complex and novel issues of trust law, company law, fiduciary duties and equitable remedies.

Recent cases include:

• Wong v Grand View Private Trust Company Ltd – Acting in a significant authority on trustee powers and fiduciary obligations, relevant across offshore jurisdictions including the Crown Dependencies.
• Offshore shareholder and valuation disputes – Acting in major cases concerning shareholder rights and valuation issues, with principles applied across jurisdictions including Jersey and Guernsey in relation to corporate structures and investor protections.
• Civil fraud and asset recovery (multi-jurisdictional) – Acting in complex claims involving dishonest assistance, breach of fiduciary duty and tracing of assets, often involving entities or trusts based in the Crown Dependencies or Gibraltar.
• Insolvency and restructuring disputes – Acting in cases involving office-holders, misfeasance and recovery actions, including matters where entities are incorporated or managed in offshore jurisdictions such as the Isle of Man or Gibraltar.
• Jurisdiction and enforcement challenges – Advising and acting in disputes concerning recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments and arbitral awards, including cases involving competing proceedings across England and offshore courts.
• Private wealth disputes involving international families – Acting in high-value trust disputes involving family wealth structures administered in Jersey and Guernsey, often with complex cross-border elements and sensitive fiduciary issues.
• Hinduja v Hinduja – A high profile dispute between the beneficiaries of a discretionary family trust, which spans several jurisdictions including England, Jersey, Switzerland and the US, and concerns the control of the underlying assets of the trust which include major international trading groups. The case raises a number of significant points of law and is likely to result in precedent setting decisions.