Matthew Brown
Partner
Matthew Brown is a Partner in the British Virgin Islands Litigation & Restructuring practice. Matthew has over twelve years’ litigation experience covering all contentious aspects of commercial, trusts and insolvency law.
Since joining Conyers in 2017, Matthew has been involved in some of the jurisdiction’s leading cases and frequently appears as an advocate on behalf of clients in the Commercial Court and the Court of Appeal. His broad practice spans the full spectrum of commercial litigation and insolvency disputes, many of which are complex, high value and involve cross-border elements, with particular expertise in contentious trusts and estates.
Matthew is consistently ranked by leading legal directories, which recognise him as being ‘a particularly impressive commercial, trusts and insolvency lawyer’ who is ‘skilled in the full array of commercial disputes’, with client testimonials describing him as ‘ferociously hard-working’, ‘bright and creative in his solutions’ and ‘brilliant at running a case with real insight into tricky legal points’.
Prior to joining Conyers, Matthew practised for six years as a commercial chancery barrister in the UK with a nationally-renowned set of chambers in London and Bristol, where his practice included commercial, trusts and insolvency work. He was ranked in legal directories as an up and coming leading junior, which described him as being ‘clever and diligent’, ‘good with clients’ and somebody who ‘sees the bigger picture’.
Jurisdiction
Experience
- Representing a substantial creditor of a multi-billion dollar insolvent estate in connection with claims worth in excess of US$1 billion.
- Acting for the trustees of a non-BVI trust against the former BVI trustees of the trust and directors of the companies forming part of the trust fund (among others) in relation to substantial claims worth in the region of US$200 million for breach of trust and fiduciary duty as well as for knowing receipt and dishonest assistance.
- Acting for a non-BVI company in connection with a substantive dispute concerning the enforcement of a foreign arbitral award worth in excess of US$120 million.
- Acting for a shareholder in a significant unfair prejudice claim in respect of the affairs of a company involved in the provision of telecommunication services in the Middle East.
- Acting for an estate of a well-known Asian businessman in relation to multiple BVI proceedings brought against the estate and related companies raising issues of fraud, breach of trust and fiduciary duty, forum non conveniens and issue estoppel.
- Advising and acting for the liquidator of a BVI company in relation to substantial misfeasance claims valued in the region of US$14 million against the former directors of the BVI company.
- Representing a high net worth Brazilian individual in relation to allegations of breach of fiduciary duty in respect of a BVI company valued at approximately US$30 million.
Qualifications
Professional Background
- Barrister, Guildhall Chambers, London and Bristol
Education
- University of Oxford, BCL (specialising in Personal Taxation, Corporate Insolvency, Restitution and Civil Procedure) – Distinction
- University of Cardiff, LLB – First Class Honours (ranked 1st in the year group)
- University of the West of England – Bar Professional Training Course – Outstanding (ranked 1st in the year group)
- Awards & Scholarships: Astbury Scholarship, Baron Dr Ver Heyden de Lancey Price, Certificate of Honour (Middle Temple), Faculty of Business and Law Prize (UWE), Sweet & Maxwell Law Prize (Cardiff), The Western Circuit Advocacy Prize (2011)
Bar Admission
- British Virgin Islands, Barrister, 2017
- England & Wales, Barrister, 2011 (not currently practising)
Awards & Accolades
- Recognised in the 2023 edition of Chambers Global (dispute resolution)
- Recognised in the 2024 edition (and since the 2019 edition) of The Legal 500 Caribbean (dispute resolution; trusts/private client)
- Recognised in the 2020 edition (and 2019) of Global Restructuring Review 100
Associations
- BVI Bar Association
- Recovery and Insolvency Specialists Association (BVI)