Corporate & Commercial Law in the BVI

A leading offshore financial centre

The BVI is one of the world's largest company-domicile jurisdictions, home to hundreds of thousands of active companies. Its appeal rests on tax neutrality, a flexible Business Companies Act, a legal system based on English common law, a specialist commercial court and final appeal to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. That combination makes it a default choice for holding companies, joint-venture vehicles, investment funds and cross-border mergers and acquisitions.

Corporate & commercial services

BVI commercial firms advise on the full range of business legal work, including:

• Banking and finance, security and lending arrangements
• Commercial contracts, drafting and negotiation
• Corporate structuring, reorganisations and group planning
• Joint ventures, shareholders' agreements and partnerships
• Fiduciary and trust services
• Mergers, acquisitions and disposals
• Civil and commercial fraud, confidentiality and fiduciary-duty issues

The BVI Commercial Court

Complex and higher-value business disputes are heard in the High Court (Commercial Division) — commonly called the BVI Commercial Court — established in 2009. General claims in the Commercial Division are subject to a minimum value threshold of US$500,000, though certain matters (such as insolvency and shareholder disputes) proceed there regardless of value. Procedure follows the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court Civil Procedure Rules.

Commercial disputes

Common commercial disputes handled by BVI firms include shareholder and joint-venture disputes, unfair-prejudice and derivative claims, company and insolvency litigation, asset-tracing and fraud claims, and applications for freezing (interim) relief — including in support of proceedings taking place in other countries.