Vanessa King > O'Neal Webster > Tortola, British Virgin Islands > Lawyer Profile
O'Neal Webster Offices
COMMERCE HOUSE, 181 MAIN STREET
P.O. BOX 961, ROAD TOWN
TORTOLA VG1110
British Virgin Islands
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Vanessa King
Work Department
Corporate, Commercial, Banking, Finance
Position
Managing Partner
Career
Vanessa King’s practice covers the major financial centers of the world, where her clients include international and domestic financial institutions, law firms, family offices, trust companies, and high-net-worth individuals. She is frequently instructed to establish or amend BVI trusts and various forms of corporate finance, such as bilateral and syndicated loans, project finance, property finance, and restructuring. As managing partner, she leads the law firm in strategic vision and growth, client satisfaction, process improvement, and other management initiatives.
Currently, Vanessa serves as deputy chair of the BVI Financial Services Commission Appeals Board and chairs the Caribbean and Latin America Region of STEP, the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners, and the BVI STEP Branch. Additionally, she sits on the STEP Caribbean Conference Steering Committee and is a member and former secretary of the BVI Bar Association.
In 2023, she was elected as a STEP Worldwide Council representative for the Caribbean and Latin America Region. In this role, she represents the interests of thousands of STEP members across multiple jurisdictions, including the BVI, The Bahamas, Barbados, Cayman, Bermuda, Nevis, Anguilla, Saint Lucia, Panama, Brazil, Mexico, Uruguay and elsewhere.
In the community, she serves as the co-chair of the Board of Directors of Green VI Ltd., is the deputy chair of the Board of Trustees for Cedar International School, and contributes countless hours annually to pro-bono services.
In 2016, Vanessa was the global recipient of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners’ ninth annual Founder’s Award. In 2021, she was distinguished as the BVI Financial Services Awards’ 2020 “Lawyer of the Year.” She is the 2023 recipient of Citywealth’s Powerwomen Awards, Gold, Woman of the Year BVI.
Vanessa’s expertise is globally recognized by highly respected ranking bodies, including The Legal500, Chambers and Partners, IFLR1000, and CityWealth IFC.
DISTINCTIONS
- “An excellent lawyer.” “Commercial Expert” “…significant experience advising major clients on a wide range of BVI corporate and commercial matters.” “Reliable and experienced legal adviser.” “Level of service is absolutely first class.”– Legal500
Languages
English
Memberships
BVI Financial Services Commission Appeals Board, Member
Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP), Member
STEP Worldwide Council, Representative for the Caribbean and Latin America Region
STEP Caribbean and Latin America Region, Chair
STEP Caribbean Conference Steering Committee, Member
BVI Bar Association, Member
Green VI Ltd., Board of Directors, co-chair
Cedar International School, Board of Trustees, deputy chair
Education
- University of the West Indies, BA (Hons); LL.B (Hons)
- Norman Manley Law School in Jamaica, Certificate of Legal Education
Lawyer Rankings
British Virgin Islands > Trusts/private client
O’Neal Webster routinely advises individuals, corporations and beneficiaries on the full spectrum of trust creation, administration and termination work, as well as wealth preservation and probate planning issues. From the London office, group head Christopher McKenzie routinely acts for leading trust companies, various governments and regulatory authorities, and international high-net-worth individuals, while also assisting the litigation department with contested and uncontested court applications. Vanessa King is noted for her expertise in the establishment and amendment of BVI trusts and various forms of corporate finance work.
British Virgin Islands > Corporate and commercial
With a successful track record in transactions and financings involving BVI corporates, banks and funds, the corporate team at O’Neal Webster is regularly instructed on cross-border matters, including those involving Asia and Latin America. Leading the group is Christopher Simpson, who is a key point of contact for global law firms seeking due diligence on BVI companies and assistance with opinions and security documents for high-value M&A and financing transactions. Other names instrumental to the team’s success are the office’s managing partner Vanessa King, who is frequently engaged in establishing or amending BVI trusts and various forms of corporate finance work, and Kerry Anderson, who has expertise in the digital asset space.