Appleby is proud to announce the appointment of Andrew Willins, the Practice Group Head of its Dispute Resolution team in the BVI, as Kings Counsel – the first such appointment to have been made in the BVI since 2013. His appointment took effect from 9 April 2025 when he received his Letters Patent from His Excellency the Governor, Daniel Pruce.
Andrew has regularly appeared before the Commercial Court and the Court of Appeal, often unled and against experienced Kings Counsel. In Pakistan he defeated enforcement of a $6bn arbitral award against the assets of an international airline. In Jackson v. McNally he defeated an application to challenge the decisions of officeholders, on technical arguments as to standing. He has appeared before the Privy Council in ground breaking litigation such as Sian v. Halimeda (a decision which upended the practice of the English Companies Court in disputed debt petitions), and in Convoy Collateral (the leading modern authority on the jurisprudential basis upon which injunctive relief is granted).
Appointments to the rank of Kings Counsel are made only to experienced members of the Bar that have consistently demonstrated the very highest standards of excellence in advocacy, learning in the law and personal and professional integrity. The rigorous selection process involves consultation with the local judiciary, the Court of Appeal and the Inner Bar locally. Appointments are made on the recommendation of the Silk Advisory Committee, a body appointed by the Chief Justice, which includes serving members of the judiciary amongst its members.
Malcolm Moller, the Global Managing Partner for Appleby, said that "excellence and integrity form part of Appleby's core values, and excellence in advocacy (in all of its forms) is at the heart of absolutely everything that we do. Andrew's appointment is a testament to his hard work and dedication over many years and we are thrilled that we have been able to provide the platform from which his skills as a lawyer dealing with complex international litigation have been recognized in this way."
Appleby's global disputes practice is now home to three leading counsel, including Andrew Willins KC, Claire van Overdijk KC and John McCarroll SC.