![Headshot of Nicholas Brookes](/media/jgyffbk3/nicholas-brookes.jpg?cc=0.31341036704499897,0.10757994939418646,0.22602580653751608,0.200882773702683&width=1440&height=1440&quality=90)
Nicholas Brookes
Partner | Legal
British Virgin Islands
![Headshot of Nicholas Brookes](/media/jgyffbk3/nicholas-brookes.jpg?cc=0.31341036704499897,0.10757994939418646,0.22602580653751608,0.200882773702683&width=300&height=300&quality=90)
Nicholas Brookes
Partner
British Virgin Islands
Big things are happening at Ogier. Change is embedded in everything we do. It is redefining our talent, our ways of working, our platforms of delivery, our culture.
Services
We have the expertise to handle the most demanding transactions. Our commercial understanding and experience of working with leading financial institutions, professional advisers and regulatory bodies means we add real value to clients’ businesses.
Sectors
Our sector approach relies on smart collaboration between teams who have a deep understanding of related businesses and industry dynamics. The specific combination of our highly informed experts helps our clients to see around corners.
We have the expertise to handle the most demanding transactions. Our commercial understanding and experience of working with leading financial institutions, professional advisers and regulatory bodies means we add real value to clients’ businesses.
Legal
Corporate and Fiduciary
Consulting
Banking and Finance
Corporate
Dispute Resolution
Employment law
Intellectual Property
Investment Funds
Listing services
Local Legal Services
Accounting and Financial Reporting Services - Ogier Global
Cayman Islands AML/CFT training - Ogier Global
Corporate Services - Ogier Global
Regulatory and Compliance Services - Ogier Global
Sustainable Investment Consulting
Our sector approach relies on smart collaboration between teams who have a deep understanding of related businesses and industry dynamics. The specific combination of our highly informed experts helps our clients to see around corners.
Ogier provides practical advice on BVI, Cayman Islands, Guernsey, Irish, Jersey and Luxembourg law through our global network of offices across the Asian, Caribbean and European timezones. Ogier is the only firm to advise on this unique combination of laws.
Keep up to date with industry insights, analysis and reviews. Find out about the work of our expert teams and subscribe to receive our newsletters straight to your inbox.
Fresh thinking, sharper opinion.
We get straight to the point, managing complexity to get to the essentials. Our global network of offices covers every time zone.
About us
Corporate social responsibility (CSR)
Diversity, equity and inclusion
Information security
Innovation
Sustainability
No Content Set
Exception:
Website.Models.ViewModels.Components.General.Banners.BannerComponentVm
News
08 August 2018
British Virgin Islands
ON THIS PAGE
Ogier's Nicholas Brookes has been part of the team that successfully defended a high-profile and long-running BVI trusts dispute that was fought all the way to the Privy Council.
The Privy Council's judgment in the Zorin case was issued this week – the court upheld the verdict of the Court of Appeal of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, which had found in favour of the family members that Ogier has been representing, alongside lawyers from Stephenson Harwood, for several years.
The case centres on a dispute between family members over the assets of a discretionary trust established by Mohamed Aly Rangoonwala, who died intestate in 1998 after a successful business career in London and Asia.
Nick said: "This has been a high-profile and complex dispute, and our role over several years has been to advise on the BVI law elements along with our colleagues at Stephenson Harwood, led by Jenny McKeown, and instructed counsel.
"It is pleasing to see that the Privy Council has upheld the Court of Appeal's position in this important case both for trustees and for beneficiaries seeking to establish what assets fall within a trust."
The case was particularly noteworthy for its re-statement of how Courts of equity should approach identifying the interests of parties to gifts.
Helpfully, the Privy Council justices clarified that the courts will look at a broad range of factors, including all relevant evidence as to the intention of the parties to the transfer, when identifying where the beneficial interest truly lies. This is very much a modern approach, recognising that intention is easier to evidence in a world of instant communication and intelligent forensic tools.
Nick, a senior associate in Ogier's BVI team, practised as a Barrister in London before moving to Ogier in 2014, where he specialises in trusts disputes and restructuring matters.
Our full briefing on the case, focused on the issue of recovery of foreign lawyers' fees, is here.
Nicholas Brookes
Partner | Legal
British Virgin Islands
Nicholas Brookes
Partner
British Virgin Islands
Sign up to receive updates and newsletters from us.
Sign up
No Content Set
Exception:
Website.Models.ViewModels.Blocks.SiteBlocks.CookiePolicySiteBlockVm