Collas Crill tackles multi-jurisdictional disputes on behalf of trustees and trust companies, beneficiaries and settlors, including where claims of breach of trust or fiduciary duty are alleged. The team is headed by Nuno Santos-Costa, who handles both commercial and trusts disputes, as well as fraud proceedings, and Damian James, an experienced trusts litigator. James Sheedy is instructed on breach of trust claims and is also able to assist with asset-tracing efforts, with Lynne Calder‘s caseload spanning trust, property and family litigation. Jonathan Barham is noted for his expertise in contentious insolvencies.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- Primarily worked with James Sheedy and his team. Very personable individual. Superb on trust law and brilliant in court.
- Collas Crill is a team with deep contentious trusts expertise. They are very impressive and really enjoyable to work with. I highly recommend them.
- A wonderful team of excellent lawyers who take a pragmatic and commercial approach to their cases and are also a pleasure to work with.
- Damian James - one of the very best in Jersey. A superb lawyer, brilliant with clients, a great negotiator, and someone who really cuts through the noise and identifies the key issues in the case and the key commercial drivers. Dan Boxall - a superb lawyer and a wonderful person to work with. Catia Barros - one to watch.
- James Sheedy stood out for his combination of technical expertise, calm judgment, and practical advice. In a difficult Jersey trust dispute and Beddoe application, he was able to cut through complex issues and explain the risks clearly. What made him different from competitors was that he was not just technically strong, but also very user-friendly. He understood the trustee’s position, the court process, and the wider dynamics between the parties. I valued his responsiveness, strategic thinking, and ability to give clear, confident advice without overcomplicating matters.
- Damian James speaks with unrivaled authority, both in court and in advising clients. He is one of the true stars of the Jersey bar. Dan Boxall has the most in-depth knowledge of his cases of any lawyer I have met. He lives and breathes his clients' cases and is right on the money every time. Lynne Calder is fabulous with clients, whose confidence she appears to win effortlessly.
Key clients
- VCI Limited/VCI Intermediate Limited/VCI Property Holding Limited
- Therium Litigation Finance
- Teneo
- Equiom Trustees (Jersey) Limited
- Accuro Trustees (Jersey) Limited
- Grant Thornton
- Leonard Curtis
Work highlights
Advised VCI Companies amid a dispute over a £90m London property, involving litigation with a former Saudi shareholder over ownership changes, breaches of duty, and financial misconduct.
Acted for Accuro as a 'white knight' in a dispute against a former, unregulated trustee.
Acted for a professional trustee of a Jersey will trust in proceedings to rescue a trust from failure by severing charitable from non-charitable objects and determining Jersey's laws on perpetuities prior to the enactment of the Trusts (Jersey) Law 1984.
Lawyers
Hall of Fame
The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.
Next generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
Practice head
Nuno Santos-Costa; Damian James
Other key lawyers
James Sheedy; Lynne Calder; Jonathan Barham