Shareholder and trust disputes form the core pillars of Bedell Cristin’s disputes work, with the firm frequently handling instructions from, inter alia, directors, professional trustees, and trust companies. Practice head Robert Gardner divides his focus between complex shareholder disputes and trusts issues, handling both mistake and rectification matters in relation to the latter. Edward Drummond is a specialist in contentious insolvency proceedings, while also maintaining a broader commercial disputes practice. Robert Christie is well versed in tackling breach of trust and breach of director’s duty claims. Sonia Shah is sought after for her expertise in multi-jurisdictional trust disputes, acting for both trustees and beneficiaries.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'Bedell Cristin is our go-to firm for complex Jersey litigation, in particular when Jersey is part of a wider cross-jurisdictional dispute.'
- 'Ed Drummond is the complete package - he has terrific attention to detail and is a strong and experienced lawyer.'
- 'Very experienced and knowledgeable team.'
- 'Edward Drummond is a fantastic choice for heavy fraud and trusts litigation.'
- 'The go-to offshore firm for me.'
- 'Ed Drummond is a master at handling complex legal issues with aplomb.'
- 'Bedell Cristin would certainly be the firm of choice for construction disputes in the jurisdiction of Jersey.'
- 'Bobby Christie is my go-to advocate for dispute resolution in Jersey. Always willing to go the extra mile for the client and provides top-notch advice and advocacy. He is also very personable and really easy to deal with, even when dealing with the most difficult cases.'
Key clients
- Daniel Pender
- Creditors Committee – Purdue Pharma LP
- PwC – Receiver General
- Harbour Fund II, L.P.
- Albury Land
- JSC Commercial Privat Bank
Work highlights
Acted for the plaintiff, a former CEO of Punter Southall, in trials in both late 2022 and late 2023 in a shareholder dispute, winning on every count. Judgment on the final valuation issues is awaited, but the client is expected to receive a figure in the multiple tens of millions.
Acted for PwC liquidators of an investment fund, culminating in a successful application to pass approximately £25m of monies held on behalf of untraced investors to HM Receiver General.
Acted as special foreign counsel to the unsecured creditors committee in the multi-billion dollar Purdue Pharma matter, alongside Akin in New York and London. On 23 January 2025, a public announcement of a $7.4bn settlement was made.
Lawyers
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Practice head
Robert Gardner
Other key lawyers
Edward Drummond; Robert Christie; Sonia Shah