We would like to provide a further update, following our previous communications on Hurricane Irma and our operations in the BVI.
As we reported last week, all of our colleagues from the BVI office are safe. Our BVI team continues to work tirelessly on temporarily relocating colleagues, as well as getting the business up and running – their efforts have shown great resilience and determination. Globally, throughout the Conyers network, we further thank our colleagues for the tremendous amount of support they continue to provide. This has demonstrated a collective, internal effort that, as a firm, we can all be proud of.
Our BVI office remains temporarily closed. It should be ready soon and we will advise further on this in due course. We can proudly say though, that our business continues, with minimal interruption, from various locations across the Conyers network.
Our lawyers were relocated to our Bermuda and Cayman Islands offices. Last week, the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court announced on 14 September that it would be relocating the Commercial Division of the BVI High Court to Saint Lucia. As such, Conyers’ BVI Litigation Partner, Jerry Samuel, will be relocating to the region to maintain an on the ground presence for the firm. The Commercial Court will re-open in Saint Lucia on 25 September 2017.
Conyers Corporate Services (BVI) is fully operational. We can attend to incorporations and filings on VIRRGIN, and will be carrying out our usual services.
The BVI Government is also committed to restoration of resources in the financial services sector. Premier Dr. the Hon. D. Orlando Smith, OBE, released a statement saying that, BVI Financial Services Commission, which houses other services such as the corporate registry, survived and were able to reopen the online company registration portal, VIRRGIN, to full functionality.
The humanitarian effort has been extraordinary. Several of our BVI team have stayed in the BVI to assist with the office and BVI, generally. The firm remains committed to contributing to the rebuilding efforts in the BVI and as such, are supporting the Virgin Unite’s BVI Community Support Appeal. If you are looking for ways to aid in the relief effort, we welcome you to visit the site: http://www.virgin.com/unite/bvi-community-support-appeal.
British Virgin Islands +1 284 852 1113
British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands +1 345 814 7360