Spencer Vickers

Counsel

Cayman Islands | T +1 345 814 7757
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Spencer Vickers is Counsel in the Litigation and Restructuring department of the Cayman Islands office of Conyers.

Spencer has extensive experience advising clients on a range of insolvency, restructuring and commercial litigation matters, including cross-border disputes. This includes advising on applications regarding the appointment of liquidators and/or receivers, applications to seek disclosure of information and disputes with regulators.

He has represented investment firms, insurance businesses (including captire insurers and their professional advisors), insolvency professionals and sovereign states on a range of complex matters with specific experience in the financial services, insurance, energy and health industries.

Spencer is an experienced advocate. He appears frequently before the Grand Court and Court of Appeal of the Cayman Islands and has recently been praised by the Court for his “persistent eloquence”.

In 2022, Spencer was elected to the Board of Directors of the Recovery and Insolvency Specialists Association of the Cayman Islands (RISA Cayman). RISA Cayman is the INSOL chapter for the Cayman Islands and has over 400 members (consisting of accountants and lawyers specialising in Cayman Islands restructuring and insolvency).

Spencer’s election to the RISA Board follows his many contributions as a long-standing member of the RISA Education Committee, and numerous speaking appearances at RISA events. Spencer is also an author and course coordinator of the INSOL Introductory Certificate in Insolvency Law and Practice in the Cayman Islands.

Jurisdiction

Experience

  • Acting and appearing on behalf of the State of Kuwait in relation to a successful application to obtain documents under the Confidential Information Disclosure Act. See: In the Matter of Kuwait Ports Authority (unreported, 8 March 2022).
  • Acting and appearing on behalf a multi-national solar energy company (formerly listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange) in successfully discharging a Mareva injunction and removing receivers, and striking out a creditor’s winding up petition. See: Hudson Capital Solar Infrastructure v Sky Solar Holdings Ltd (unreported 27 August 2020); and Re Sky Solar Holdings Ltd (unreported 12 October 2020).
  • Acting and appearing on behalf of the liquidators of Lung Ming Mining Co. Ltd in relation to novel issues regarding the completion of the winding up of the company. See: In the Matter of Lung Ming Mining Company Limited [2020(2) CILR 632].
  • Advising both creditor and contributory petitioners in relation to the winding up of several Cayman companies, including the appointment of provisional liquidators. Appearing as sole counsel on both contested and non-contested hearings.
  • Advising a segregated portfolio company in relation to the receivership of segregated portfolios. Appearing as sole counsel before the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands in relation to such matters. See, for example: In the Matter of Pacific Fertility Institutes Holding Company Limited (Unreported, 16 July 2019), In the Matter of ICGI (unreported, 4 August 2021).
  • Acting for a client in respect of the Ocean Rig restructuring, the largest to take place in the Cayman Islands which took place by way of scheme of arrangement.
  • Advising a major US health system on a multi-million dollar shareholder dispute involving a captive insurance company domiciled in Cayman.

Qualifications

Professional Background

  •  Senior Solicitor, Russell McVeagh, Auckland, New Zealand
  •  Secondment, Corporate Lawyer, Bank of New Zealand, Auckland, New Zealand

Education

  • Keble College, Oxford – South Eastern Circuit Bar Mess Foundation Advanced International Advocacy Course, 2019
  • College of Law – Professional Legal Studies Course, 2011
  • University of Auckland – LLB and BCom (Finance), 2010

Bar Admissions

  • Attorney-at-Law, Cayman Islands, 2017
  • Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand, 2011

Awards & Accolades

  • Recognised in the 2023 edition (and 2019) of Legal 500 Caribbean (dispute resolution)
  • Recognised in the 2020 edition (and 2019) of Global Restructuring Review 100

Associations

  • INSOL International
  • RISA, Cayman Islands (Director and Education Committee)
  • Cayman Islands Legal Practitioners Association