Harney Westwood & Riegels
Encyclopedia
British Virgin Islands
The Virgin Islands, often called the British Virgin Islands , is a British overseas territory and overseas territory of the European Union, located in the Caribbean to the east of Puerto Rico. The islands make up part of the Virgin Islands archipelago, the remaining islands constituting the U.S...
(BVI). It also has offices in the Cayman Islands
Cayman Islands
The Cayman Islands is a British Overseas Territory and overseas territory of the European Union located in the western Caribbean Sea. The territory comprises the three islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman, located south of Cuba and northwest of Jamaica...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
and Montevideo
Montevideo
Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento...
. It offers advice in Anguillan, BVI, Caymanian and Cypriot law.
The firm began in 1960 when Harold Harney formed the first resident legal practice to be set up in the BVI. He was joined by Neville Westwood in 1967 and Michael Riegels
Michael Riegels
Michael Riegels, QC was the inaugural chairman of the Financial Services Commission of the British Virgin Islands. He is a qualified barrister and was formerly the senior partner of Harneys from 1984 to 1997, and he also served the president of the BVI Bar Association from 1996 to 1998 and as...
in 1974. Harneys is the oldest and largest legal practice in the BVI.
Recently the firm has expanded steadily, with office openings in Hong Kong (2005), the Cayman Islands (2008), Cyprus (2009) and Montevideo (2010).
Specialising in corporate
Corporate law
Corporate law is the study of how shareholders, directors, employees, creditors, and other stakeholders such as consumers, the community and the environment interact with one another. Corporate law is a part of a broader companies law...
and commercial law, the firm is especially well known for its corporate & finance, investment funds and commercial litigation practices.
The firm has worked closely with the government of the BVI over the years in relation to the development of the offshore finance industry in the Territory. Three of the partners of the firm formed part of the "gang of five" that drafted the original International Business Companies Act
International Business Companies Act
The International Business Companies Act, 1984 was a statute of the British Virgin Islands which permitted the incorporation of International Business Companies within the Territory...
.
Harneys is recommended by the 2011 edition of the IFLR1000 - the guide to the world's leading financial law firms. Harney’s ratings include:
| Jurisdiction: | Practice Area: | Ranking Position: |
|---|---|---|
| British Virgin Islands | Financial & Corporate | Tier 1 |
The firm is also the second-largest private employer in the BVI.