Robert Lindley
Partner, Head of Cayman & BVI Private Client & Trust
Robert Lindley, Partner, is Head of the Private Client & Trust practice in both the Cayman Islands and the British Virgin Islands offices of Conyers.
Robert’s practice covers all aspects of Cayman Islands and British Virgin Islands trust law advice and trust litigation. He regularly advises trustees, beneficiaries, protectors and other office holders on a variety of contentious and non-contentious trust and private client related matters. He has a broad range of experience in estate planning and administration of estate issues for high net worth individuals and families. Robert also advises on the establishment of private trust companies and trust structures in both jurisdictions.
Prior to joining Conyers in 2016, Robert worked in the private client and trust department with another offshore law firm in the Cayman Islands and in the Isle of Man where he qualified as a Manx Advocate, as well as in the commercial dispute resolution department for a leading firm in the UK.
Robert has authored several chapters for leading industry publications. He is also recognised in The Legal 500 and Chambers High Net Worth guides as a “very hard-working and good litigator” and “very capable, measured and personable,” as well as “very knowledgeable in what he does and calm in his demeanour”. Who’s Who Legal recognises Robert as a “First-Class lawyer” and having a “strong grasp of what matters to the client, allied with a forthright and direct but charming manner”.
Jurisdictions
Experience
- Acted on behalf of numerous trustees and beneficiaries before the Cayman Islands Grand Court in respect of applications for directions and Beddoes-type relief relating to HNW individuals involved in foreign matrimonial proceedings, and also in relation to Court approved variations and rectification applications.
- Represented beneficiaries and trustees in relation to Public Trustee v Cooper applications.
- Represented the trustee in an application to set aside a transfer of assets on the grounds of mistake in Schroder Cayman Bank and Trust Company Limited v Schroder Trust AG (2015).
- Represented the beneficiary of a large Cayman Islands trust in relation to an application to establish the validity of the trust’s administration and obtaining court approval to the appointment of private trust companies.
- Acted for the beneficiaries of a Cayman Islands trust in relation to matters concerning the validity of the removal of the protector company.
- Acted for trustees, beneficiaries, protectors and other office holders on a variety of BVI and Cayman Islands non-contentious trust and private client related matters.
Qualifications
Professional Background
- Appleby, Cayman Islands
- Simcocks, Isle of Man
- Walker Morris, England, UK
Education
- Lancaster University, Master of Science, 2008
- College of Law, Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice, 2000
- College of Law, Postgraduate Diploma in Law, 1998
- University of Edinburgh, Bachelor of Science (Hons), 1997
Bar Admissions
- Cayman Islands, Attorney-at-law, 2013
- British Virgin Islands, Solicitor, 2012
- England & Wales, Solicitor, 2005 (non-practising)
- Isle of Man, Advocate, 2003
Awards & Accolades
- Recognised in the 2024 edition (and previous editions) of The Legal 500 Caribbean (trusts/private client; regulatory and compliance)
- Recognised in the 2022 edition (and previous editions) of Chambers HNW (Offshore: Trusts)
- Recognised in the 2021 edition of CityWealth’s top 100 Crypto advisors and managers
- Recognised in Legal Week’s Global Elite Directory 2021 (and previous editions)
- Recognised in the 2021 edition (and since 2019) of The Legal 500 Caribbean (dispute resolution)
- Recognised in the 2021 edition (and previous editions) of Who’s Who Legal (Private Client)
- Recognised in the 2020 edition of Citywealth’s Top 100 Trust Litigators and Polymaths
- Recognised in the 2018 edition (and previous editions) of the CityWealth Leaders List
Associations
- Cayman Islands Legal Practitioners Association
Publications
Professional trustees: a discussion on whether Public Trustee v Cooper “blessing” applications are being abused by overly cautious trustees (Lindley and O’Brien, Trust & Trustees, Oxford Publishing, June 2020)
Trustees & Private Wealth Practitioners: Time to Review, Reset & Reload (Lindley & O’Brien, The Journal of Swiss-Chinese Law Review)
Firewalls and families: Analysis of recent Cayman case law and legislative changes to Cayman’s firewall provisions in relation to foreign divorces with a Cayman connection (Lindley and O’Brien Trust Leaders 4 HNW Divorce, 2020)
Change is afoot: Suggestions for legislative reform in the Cayman Islands – Trust & Trustees Journal (December 2017)
Getting the Deal Through – Cayman jurisdiction analysis (November 2017)
Trusts & Estates Law & Tax Journal – 30 years’ flaw: Absent or defective protector consent (August 2017)
Secrets and Isles – Changes to the Cayman Islands’ confidentiality laws – STEP Trust Quarterly Review (June 2017)
Trust Mistakes: a Cayman Islands Analysis – Practice Law Company (April 2017)
Families and Firewalls – Analysis of new Cayman case law regarding firewall legislation – LexisNexis (April 2017)