- Leading asset recovery firm rehires widely-respected former Head of Litigation as Partner
- Dan Wise was formerly Head of Litigation at MKS
Former Martin Kenney & Co (MKS) Head of Litigation, Dan Wise, has rejoined the firm as Partner, bringing a 30-year background in transnational asset recovery and insolvency cases to complement MKS’s expanding litigation and investigative capabilities.
Dan served as Head of Litigation at MKS from 2005 until 2019, then was Litigation Partner at O’Neal Webster in the BVI until February this year.
His return reconstitutes the core team that built MKS from the firm’s arrival in the BVI in 2005, becoming one of the region’s leading asset recovery legal practices. It also complements the recent hire of notable white collar crime barrister, Charles Bott KC, bolstering MKS in London and the BVI.
Dan Wise, Partner at MKS, said:
“Rejoining MKS really feels like coming home. I’m excited to return to what is one of the foremost asset recovery practices operating in both the region and the world today, and to do so when the firm is expanding with notable new hires and continuing to break new ground in complex litigation and insolvency matters.
“I’m very happy to work alongside a trailblazer like Martin and the rest of the team once again: I can’t wait to get going.”
Martin Kenney, Head of Firm at MKS, said:
“With Dan returning to our firm, alongside our recent hire of Charles Bott KC, MKS has assembled a heavyweight capability in asset recovery, arbitral and insolvency work, across both civil and criminal spheres.
“Alongside the recent bolstering of our investigative teams with two new hires, our firm is expanding to meet full-on the challenges of today’s and tomorrow’s complex litigation environment. I know Dan will deliver an enormous benefit to all our work and in interacting with all our clients.”
Andrew Gilliland, Head of Litigation at MKS, said:
“I’m delighted that Dan has returned to the fold. He makes a formidable addition to the team and is highly respected by his many international colleagues and clients.
“His rejoining MKS marks the full return of those lawyers who were forced to depart following the devastation caused to the BVI by Hurricane Irma. Their return is a testament to the strength of the practice and work we now undertake.”
Background: Dan Wise
Dan Wise is a highly-experienced, transnational asset recovery and insolvency lawyer, specialising in complex, cross-border commercial litigation. He is admitted to practice in England and Wales, the British Virgin Islands, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Dan trained and practised in the City of London from 1992 until 2005, when he moved to the BVI to join Martin Kenney & Co. Rising to be our Head of Litigation, Dan then joined O’Neal Webster in the BVI in 2019, before rejoining MKS in April 2023 as a Partner.
His litigation and trial work covers a range of international matters for clients in London and the BVI, as well as the wider Eastern Caribbean. He brings a wealth of accumulated experience and knowledge to resolving complex, contentious commercial matters, often of a cross-border nature, including those involving an element of fraud.
Dan possesses particular expertise in obtaining offshore disclosure orders and in assisting in 28 USC s.1782 discovery applications in aid of litigation abroad. He frequently represents BVI companies in shareholder disputes and strives to achieve quick and cost-effective resolutions for complicated problems.
He is also well-versed in assisting with the enforcement of arbitral awards, as well as representing clients in unfair prejudice proceedings, fraud claims and trust litigation. Dan has regularly dealt with novel crypto currency issues since 2016, including 3 successful restructurings of crypto players. He has also obtained freezing orders against “persons unknown” to secure crypto assets held in the BVI.
His clients appreciate his commercial “nous” in the analysis of their cases and his ability to form and carry out effective strategies that are legally, commercially, and factually sound. Dan is a highly effective leader of teams comprising a wide variety of members and skills.
Dan earned his BA (Hons) in History and Politics from Queen Mary College, University of London; his Diploma in Law from the University of Westminster (Commendation); and completed his Law Society Finals at the College of Law, London.
He is a member and a two-term past First Vice President of the BVI Bar Association, a member of the Law Society of England and Wales, and a former British Army officer. Dan also sits on the BVI Arbitration Committee. He is recommended by both Chambers & Partners and Who’s Who Legal for his work in global asset recovery.
Background: Martin Kenney & Co (MKS)
Martin Kenney & Co (MKS) is a world-renowned investigative legal practice based in the BVI, focused on multi-jurisdictional fraud and corruption cases, as well as complex commercial disputes, international insolvencies and arbitral work.
The firm has been consistently ranked by Chambers & Partners for its work in asset recovery, and has rated Martin Kenney as one of the world’s top asset recovery lawyers.
Martin Kenney & Co (MKS)
+1 (284) 494 2444 / info@mksolicitors.com / martinkenney.com
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