Keith Robinson > Carey Olsen Bermuda Limited > Hamilton, Bermuda > Lawyer Profile
Carey Olsen Bermuda Limited Offices
Rosebank Centre, 5th Floor
11 Bermudiana Road
Pembroke HM 08
Bermuda
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Keith Robinson
Work Department
Dispute Resolution and Litigation; Regulatory; Restructuring and Insolvency; Trusts and Private Wealth; Family Office; Private Client
Position
Keith Robinson is the global head of the trusts and private wealth practice at Carey Olsen and head of the dispute resolution and trusts and private wealth practice of Carey Olsen Bermuda. With more than 20 years’ experience in a wide range of commercial litigation, Keith is highly recognised by publications, peers and clients; being described as “extremely well respected globally” and someone who “knows how to handle big offshore disputes”.
Often engaged by clients for “significantly challenging” litigation and high value civil matters where his “wider experience and knowledge gives him a very good forensic edge”, Keith’s dispute resolution practice ranges from corporate and commercial disputes, arbitration, breach of contract and public law to restructuring and insolvency matters.
His restructuring and insolvency expertise includes advising on a number of cross-border insolvencies, asset recovery/tracing cases and receiverships, as well as schemes of arrangement. He regularly advises liquidators and receivers, the boards of distressed entities, investors and unsecured creditors in relation to both contentious and non-contentious insolvency issues.
In addition, he also has expertise in high-value trust litigation and court approved trust restructurings, often with a multi-jurisdictional element.
Keith represents global businesses, trustees, beneficiaries, settlors and protectors in a wide range of contentious and non-contentious cases before the Supreme Court of Bermuda, drawing on his extensive advocacy experience. Keith has been involved in many of the major insolvency and trust cases in Bermuda in recent years and has written widely and spoken internationally on Bermuda law.
Career
Prior to joining Carey Olsen in 2017, Keith was partner at another offshore law firm in Bermuda having relocated to the Island in 2008.
Keith was called to the Bar in Northern Ireland (1996), Ireland (2000), Bermuda (2009) and England and Wales (2010). He graduated from the University of Oxford with first class honours in Jurisprudence and also obtained a first class Bachelor of Civil Law (BCL) degree from the University of Oxford. In addition he has a Masters of Laws degree from the University of British Columbia, Canada, and a Masters of Laws degree in International Legal Studies from New York University School of Law.
Keith has written extensively on Bermuda law and is a regular speaker to audiences both in Bermuda and internationally.
He is a member of the Bermuda branch of the Restructuring and Insolvency Specialists Association (RISA). He has been elected as a fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) and is an elected member of the International Academy of Estate and Trust Law (TIAETL). He is also an active member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) and joined their editorial board in 2020. Keith was presented with a 2021 STEP Founder’s Award for Outstanding Achievement. He is also Honorary Secretary of the Bar Council of the Bermuda Bar Association.
Keith is ranked as a Band 1 lawyer for Dispute Resolution in Bermuda by Chambers Global 2024, and as a Star Individual for Chambers HNW 2024, and he is the only lawyer to feature in this category in Bermuda. He is also ranked as a leading individual for Offshore Trusts and Dispute Resolution in The Legal 500 2023. Keith is listed as a Global Elite Thought Leader by Who’s Who Legal for Private Client. He is also featured in the Private Client Global Elite Directory, a respected global directory of the world’s top private client and trust and estates litigation talent, and was named as a ‘Top Recommended Offshore Expert’ in Spear’s 500 2023 edition.
Lawyer Rankings
Bermuda > Dispute resolution
(Leading partners)Praised as ‘one of the best trust litigation teams’, Carey Olsen Bermuda Limited frequently acts for multinational corporations, ultra-high-net-worth individuals, banks and funds, insurers, and trade unions in cross-jurisdictional disputes involving multiple parties. Commercial and civil matters, employment-related disputes, and litigation surrounding trusts are all areas of expertise for the group. Regulatory disputes are also a growing area for the practice. Managing partner Michael Hanson jointly heads up the practice alongside ‘powerhouse’ Keith Robinson. Other notable team members include Kyle Masters, who boasts expertise in insolvency, regulatory, and compliance law, Sam Stevens, who is skilled in commercial litigation and arbitration, and Jay Webster who has a thriving immigration and employment practice. Claire van Overdijk KC is also a notable senior counsel.
Bermuda > Trusts/private client
(Leading partners)For Carey Olsen Bermuda Limited, contentious and non-contentious trusts and private wealth matters are core areas of focus, and the practice is praised by one client as ‘exceptionally strong in dealing with international complex trusts, wealth and succession planning’. Its client base is broad ranging and encompasses ultra-high-net-worth families and professional and lay trustees, as well as banks, financial institutions, and charities. Practice head Keith Robinson is widely recognised as a ‘go-to adviser in Bermuda for complex international trust matters’, and he has represented clients before the Supreme Court of Bermuda. Senior counsel Claire van Overdijk KC boasts expertise in cross-border trusts and estates disputes, while counsel Stephanie Bernard is skilled in international and local estate planning arrangements, wealth management structures, and trust restructurings. Counsel Ashley Fife is a trust structuring expert, and litigator and counsel Oliver MacKay is another name of note, as is the ‘simply brilliant’ senior associate Laura Kearns, who has expertise in the establishment and ongoing administration of trusts.
Bermuda > Insurance/reinsurance
Carey Olsen Bermuda Limited expertly handles both contentious and non-contentious insurance-related mandates. This offering includes corporate, finance, and regulatory advice on the formation and licensing of insurers, transactional matters, and restructuring and winding-up proceedings. The team’s client base includes large (re)insurance companies, private equity firms, pension funds, and investment managers, as well as financial institutions and alternative capital providers. Corporate partner Gavin Woods chairs the department, while managing partner Michael Hanson and Keith Robinson lead the insurance-related disputes work. Senior counsel Michael Frith is experienced in the transactional and regulatory needs of insurance structures, and corporate and finance counsel Alexander Collis often assists with incorporations, M&A, and reorganisations and restructurings. Counsel Michelle Falcucci is also another notable name.
Lawyer Rankings
- Dispute resolution Bermuda
- Insurance/reinsurance Bermuda
- Leading partners Bermuda > Trusts/private client
- Leading partners Bermuda > Dispute resolution
- Trusts/private client Bermuda
Top Tier Firm Rankings
- Corporate and commercial
- Dispute resolution
- Insurance/reinsurance
- Regulatory and compliance
- Trusts/private client