Cayman Islands
Camana Bay, Grand Cayman
Cayman Islands, KY1-9006
Cayman Islands
Camana Bay, Grand Cayman
Cayman Islands, KY1-9006
Peter Tyers-Smith is an English barrister representing clients in complex, ultra-high value international disputes typically with a connection to one or more offshore jurisdictions. Mr. Tyers-Smith frequently leads major litigation proceedings in the Cayman Islands and the British Virgin Islands, where he holds permanent court-admissions, but he also has significant experience in acting in global disputes originating from or proceeding before the courts of Nevis, Antigua, Bahamas, Bermuda and Gibraltar, where he has been admitted pro hac vice.
Mr. Tyers-Smith’s practice is focused on disputes arising from distressed or insolvent mutual and private equity funds, failed joint venture arrangements or shareholder relationships and private wealth. He has substantial experience in litigation associated with the affairs of UK and offshore-domiciled companies; Mr. Tyers-Smith is a long-standing contributor to leading practitioner text "Gore Browne on Companies" (authoring the increasingly topical Chapter 34 - dealing with company management and ownership disclosure requirements). Chambers & Partners - UK Bar (Company Law) has also ranked Mr. Tyers-Smith as "switched on" and for his "reputation for getting the results his clients want."
Mr. Tyers-Smith acts for and against large international corporations, institutional investors, sovereign states, general partners, investment managers, court-appointed officeholders, trustees and other financial professionals. His cases invariably involve allegations of grave financial misconduct, dishonesty and/or breach of fiduciary duty. Accordingly, Mr. Tyers-Smith has extensive experience in obtaining time-sensitive freezing injunctions, disclosure orders and interim receiverships as well as deploying aggressive on- and offshore discovery strategies in support of domestic and foreign-proceedings.
Mr. Tyers-Smith has very substantial advocacy experience. He has appeared as sole advocate in well over 50 trials and substantially more contested "heavy" interim hearings in the Commercial Court (now the Business and Property Court of England & Wales), the BVI Commercial Court and the Cayman Islands Grand Court, Financial Services Division, where he has often appeared against Queen’s Counsel. Mr. Tyers-Smith has also acted in cases before the House of Lords (now the UK Supreme Court) and the Court of Appeal (England & Wales and BVI).
Mr. Tyers-Smith is also ranked in Chambers & Partners Global, the Legal 500 and WWL. Prior to joining Kobre & Kim, Mr. Tyers-Smith practiced as a barrister in the Commercial & Chancery Group at No.5 Chambers.
Admissions
- Attorney, Cayman Islands
- Barrister, Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (British Virgin Islands)
- Barrister, England & Wales
- Solicitor, England & Wales
Education
- Nottingham Law School
- University of Northampton, LLB (Hons)
- Cardiff University, LLM (Distinction)
Accolades
- Who’s Who Legal, Commercial Litigation 2021
- Restructuring Insolvency Specialist Association (RISA) Lawyer of the Year Nominee, 2020
- Who’s Who Legal, Asset Recovery Global Leader
Select Engagements
Special Situations Disputes
Insolvency & Debtor-Creditor Disputes
Claim Monetization and Dilution
Joint Venture & Partnership Disputes
Trusts & Estates Litigation
- Peter Tyers-Smith, Daniel Saval and John Han on Cross-Border Insolvency Panel with TMA Brasil
- Who’s Who Legal 2024 Global Guide Recognizes Kobre & Kim and 13 Lawyers
- Chambers Global 2024 Recognizes Kobre & Kim and Multiple Global Lawyers
- Peter Tyers-Smith and Jalil Asif KC Recommended by Who’s Who Legal for Commercial Litigation in Cayman Islands
- Kobre & Kim, Peter Tyers-Smith Earn The Legal 500 Recognition for Dispute Resolution in the Cayman Islands
- Who's Who Legal 2023 Global Guide Recognizes Kobre & Kim and 13 Lawyers
- Jalil Asif KC, Peter Tyers-Smith and Ilona Groark Pen ICLG Chapter on Enforcing Foreign Judgments in Cayman
- Chambers Global 2023 Recognizes Kobre & Kim and Multiple Global Lawyers
- Kobre & Kim, Peter Tyers-Smith Earns Recognitions in The Legal 500’s “Cayman Islands: Dispute Resolution”
- Peter Tyers-Smith Recognized in Who’s Who Legal “Restructuring & Insolvency 2023”
- Kobre & Kim Placed in 2022 Global Restructuring Review 100
- Nine Kobre & Kim Lawyers Recognized in Who’s Who Legal’s Asset Recovery 2022
- Harvey Boulter Awarded Indemnity Costs In Dispute with Liquidators of Enigma Diagnostics
- Jalil Asif KC, Peter Tyers-Smith and Ilona Groark Pen ICLG Chapter on Enforcing Foreign Judgments in Cayman
- British entrepreneur Harvey Boulter exonerated after UK liquidators’ allegations of fraud are rejected in the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands
- Kobre & Kim and Lawyers Recognized in Multiple Chambers Global 2022 Categories
- Kobre & Kim Makes Global Restructuring Review’s Top Firms for 2021
- Kobre & Kim and Peter Tyers-Smith Earn Top Legal 500 Caribbean Recognitions
- Thirteen Kobre & Kim Lawyers Recognized in Who’s Who Legal’s Asset Recovery 2021
- Kobre & Kim Co-Sponsors 2021 Inclusion Cayman All-Inclusive Breakfast Fundraiser
- Kobre & Kim Lawyers Achieve Top Bands in Chambers & Partners Global Guide
- Kobre & Kim Lawyers Examine the Latest Asset Tracing Trends in BVI, Hong Kong and South Korea
- Nineteen Kobre & Kim Lawyers Recognized as Leaders by Who’s Who Legal
- Kobre & Kim Hosts Virtual Panels on Ultra High Net Worth Litigation
- Who’s Who Legal Recognizes Fourteen Kobre & Kim Lawyers as Leading Practitioners in Asset Recovery
- Who’s Who Legal Recognizes Twelve Kobre & Kim Lawyers as Leading Practitioners in Asset Recovery
- Kobre & Kim Attorneys Pick Apart Offshore Asset Protection Trusts in the New York Law Journal
- Offshore Lawyers Rebecca Hume and Peter Tyers-Smith Explore Cross-border Insolvency at ABI’s Caribbean Insolvency Symposium
- Publishers of Global Arbitration Review Recognize Kobre & Kim’s Global Asset Recovery Team
- Foreign Insolvency Judgments in the BVI: Recognition and Enforcement Post-Rubin
- To Catch a Debtor: Finding the Money
- To Catch a Debtor: Freezing the Money
- To Catch a Debtor: Seizing the Money
- Enforcing Minority Shareholder Rights in Asia: A Comparative Guide to Derivative Actions
- Enforcing Minority Shareholder Rights in Asia: A Comparative Guide to Unfair Prejudice
- Fraud Victims Pursuing Assets Offshore
- Politically Exposed Persons Should Preemptively Manage Risks from Change in Government in Argentina
- PRC Continues to Open Up in Recognizing Foreign Claims
- Kobre & Kim Helps PRC Clients Enforce US $171M Award in BVI
- The Differences Between UK and EU Russian Sanctions
- Using Arbitration to Stop a Winding Up
- New York Glory Health Decision Makes Enforcement of Bonds Issued by Cayman and BVI Companies Much Easier
- How Israeli UHNWIs Can Prepare and Respond to Criminal Allegations from Western Enforcement Agencies
- Kobre & Kim Successfully Enforces More Than US $40 Billion of Cross-Border Judgments and Awards
- Keeping Offshore Assets Offshore
- How Chinese Ultra-High-Net-Worth Individuals Can Protect Their Global Wealth from Seizure in a High-Tension World
- Enforcing Minority Shareholder Rights in Asia: A Comparative Guide to Just and Equitable Winding Up
- How Offshore Trustees and Beneficiaries Can Mitigate Serious Risks of a Sanctions Violation
- Defending Your Offshore Trusts from Onshore Attacks
- Cross-Border Strategies to Accelerate Non-Performing Loans Recoveries in Korea
- Chinese Investors Can Use Cross-Border Tools to Stand Up to Sovereign Debtors
- Preparing for Politically Motivated Criminal Enforcement Against Companies and Individuals in Asia
- Cross-Border Tools to Aid Latin American Parties in Disputes with PRC Companies
- Defensive and Counter-Offensive Strategies for High-Yield Debt Issuers and Private Borrowers
- Cross-Border Tools for Chinese Investors to Recover in Brazilian Insolvencies and Against Fraud
- Creditors Should Enforce PRC Keepwell Agreements Overseas
- U.S. Sanctions Against Individuals in Greater China May Come Suddenly: How Overseas Advisors Can Protect Their Clients from Overreach
- Looking to Enforce a PRC “Keepwell Agreement”? Look Outside the PRC
- Maximizing Returns on Distressed Assets: China’s Real Estate Industry
- Clashing With Titans: Effective Judgment Enforcement Against Sovereign Entities
- Responding to U.S. DOJ Actions Against Latin American Individuals
- Russian Litigants Can Still Access Critical Legal Tools in U.S. Courts
- Ultra-High-Net-Worth Individuals Should Prepare For the End of Privacy in Offshore Jurisdictions
Professional & Community Involvement
- American Bankruptcy Institute, Member
- Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, Associate
- Commercial Bar Association, Member
- INSOL International, Member
- Bankruptcy Bar Association of the Southern District of Florida, Member
- Society of Trust & Estate Practitioners, Member
Publications & Presentations
- Contributing Author, Gore-Browne on Companies – Chapter 34 (2012 – Present)
- Co-Author, "British Virgin Islands" (The Asset Tracing and Recovery Review 7th Edition , 2020)
- Panelist, “Family Disputes, Trust & Estates Litigation and Civil Fraud” (IPC Virtual Panel Session, 2020)
- Panelist, “Professional Disclosures in Bankruptcy Cases: The Ethics Face-Off of the Century” (ABI Caribbean Insolvency Symposium, 2019)
- Author, “Self-Settled Spendthrifts, Illusions and Shams: When an Asset Protection Trust Affords No Protection” (New York Law Journal, 2019)
- Speaker, “Ultimate Beneficial Owner Register Update” (STEP Cayman, 2018)
- Speaker, "Stanford Update" (STEP Caribbean Conference, Nassau, May 2014)
Credentials
Admissions
- Attorney, Cayman Islands
- Barrister, Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (British Virgin Islands)
- Barrister, England & Wales
- Solicitor, England & Wales
Education
- Nottingham Law School
- University of Northampton, LLB (Hons)
- Cardiff University, LLM (Distinction)
Accolades
- Who’s Who Legal, Commercial Litigation 2021
- Restructuring Insolvency Specialist Association (RISA) Lawyer of the Year Nominee, 2020
- Who’s Who Legal, Asset Recovery Global Leader
Engagements
Special Situations Disputes
Insolvency & Debtor-Creditor Disputes
Claim Monetization and Dilution
Joint Venture & Partnership Disputes
Trusts & Estates Litigation
News
- Peter Tyers-Smith, Daniel Saval and John Han on Cross-Border Insolvency Panel with TMA Brasil
- Who’s Who Legal 2024 Global Guide Recognizes Kobre & Kim and 13 Lawyers
- Chambers Global 2024 Recognizes Kobre & Kim and Multiple Global Lawyers
- Peter Tyers-Smith and Jalil Asif KC Recommended by Who’s Who Legal for Commercial Litigation in Cayman Islands
- Kobre & Kim, Peter Tyers-Smith Earn The Legal 500 Recognition for Dispute Resolution in the Cayman Islands
- Who's Who Legal 2023 Global Guide Recognizes Kobre & Kim and 13 Lawyers
- Jalil Asif KC, Peter Tyers-Smith and Ilona Groark Pen ICLG Chapter on Enforcing Foreign Judgments in Cayman
- Chambers Global 2023 Recognizes Kobre & Kim and Multiple Global Lawyers
- Kobre & Kim, Peter Tyers-Smith Earns Recognitions in The Legal 500’s “Cayman Islands: Dispute Resolution”
- Peter Tyers-Smith Recognized in Who’s Who Legal “Restructuring & Insolvency 2023”
- Kobre & Kim Placed in 2022 Global Restructuring Review 100
- Nine Kobre & Kim Lawyers Recognized in Who’s Who Legal’s Asset Recovery 2022
- Harvey Boulter Awarded Indemnity Costs In Dispute with Liquidators of Enigma Diagnostics
- Jalil Asif KC, Peter Tyers-Smith and Ilona Groark Pen ICLG Chapter on Enforcing Foreign Judgments in Cayman
- British entrepreneur Harvey Boulter exonerated after UK liquidators’ allegations of fraud are rejected in the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands
- Kobre & Kim and Lawyers Recognized in Multiple Chambers Global 2022 Categories
- Kobre & Kim Makes Global Restructuring Review’s Top Firms for 2021
- Kobre & Kim and Peter Tyers-Smith Earn Top Legal 500 Caribbean Recognitions
- Thirteen Kobre & Kim Lawyers Recognized in Who’s Who Legal’s Asset Recovery 2021
- Kobre & Kim Co-Sponsors 2021 Inclusion Cayman All-Inclusive Breakfast Fundraiser
- Kobre & Kim Lawyers Achieve Top Bands in Chambers & Partners Global Guide
- Kobre & Kim Lawyers Examine the Latest Asset Tracing Trends in BVI, Hong Kong and South Korea
- Nineteen Kobre & Kim Lawyers Recognized as Leaders by Who’s Who Legal
- Kobre & Kim Hosts Virtual Panels on Ultra High Net Worth Litigation
- Who’s Who Legal Recognizes Fourteen Kobre & Kim Lawyers as Leading Practitioners in Asset Recovery
- Who’s Who Legal Recognizes Twelve Kobre & Kim Lawyers as Leading Practitioners in Asset Recovery
- Kobre & Kim Attorneys Pick Apart Offshore Asset Protection Trusts in the New York Law Journal
- Offshore Lawyers Rebecca Hume and Peter Tyers-Smith Explore Cross-border Insolvency at ABI’s Caribbean Insolvency Symposium
- Publishers of Global Arbitration Review Recognize Kobre & Kim’s Global Asset Recovery Team
- Foreign Insolvency Judgments in the BVI: Recognition and Enforcement Post-Rubin
- To Catch a Debtor: Finding the Money
- To Catch a Debtor: Freezing the Money
- To Catch a Debtor: Seizing the Money
- Enforcing Minority Shareholder Rights in Asia: A Comparative Guide to Derivative Actions
- Enforcing Minority Shareholder Rights in Asia: A Comparative Guide to Unfair Prejudice
- Fraud Victims Pursuing Assets Offshore
- Politically Exposed Persons Should Preemptively Manage Risks from Change in Government in Argentina
- PRC Continues to Open Up in Recognizing Foreign Claims
- Kobre & Kim Helps PRC Clients Enforce US $171M Award in BVI
- The Differences Between UK and EU Russian Sanctions
- Using Arbitration to Stop a Winding Up
- New York Glory Health Decision Makes Enforcement of Bonds Issued by Cayman and BVI Companies Much Easier
- How Israeli UHNWIs Can Prepare and Respond to Criminal Allegations from Western Enforcement Agencies
- Kobre & Kim Successfully Enforces More Than US $40 Billion of Cross-Border Judgments and Awards
- Keeping Offshore Assets Offshore
- How Chinese Ultra-High-Net-Worth Individuals Can Protect Their Global Wealth from Seizure in a High-Tension World
- Enforcing Minority Shareholder Rights in Asia: A Comparative Guide to Just and Equitable Winding Up
- How Offshore Trustees and Beneficiaries Can Mitigate Serious Risks of a Sanctions Violation
- Defending Your Offshore Trusts from Onshore Attacks
- Cross-Border Strategies to Accelerate Non-Performing Loans Recoveries in Korea
- Chinese Investors Can Use Cross-Border Tools to Stand Up to Sovereign Debtors
- Preparing for Politically Motivated Criminal Enforcement Against Companies and Individuals in Asia
- Cross-Border Tools to Aid Latin American Parties in Disputes with PRC Companies
- Defensive and Counter-Offensive Strategies for High-Yield Debt Issuers and Private Borrowers
- Cross-Border Tools for Chinese Investors to Recover in Brazilian Insolvencies and Against Fraud
- Creditors Should Enforce PRC Keepwell Agreements Overseas
- U.S. Sanctions Against Individuals in Greater China May Come Suddenly: How Overseas Advisors Can Protect Their Clients from Overreach
- Looking to Enforce a PRC “Keepwell Agreement”? Look Outside the PRC
- Maximizing Returns on Distressed Assets: China’s Real Estate Industry
- Clashing With Titans: Effective Judgment Enforcement Against Sovereign Entities
- Responding to U.S. DOJ Actions Against Latin American Individuals
- Russian Litigants Can Still Access Critical Legal Tools in U.S. Courts
- Ultra-High-Net-Worth Individuals Should Prepare For the End of Privacy in Offshore Jurisdictions
Professional & Community Involvement
- American Bankruptcy Institute, Member
- Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, Associate
- Commercial Bar Association, Member
- INSOL International, Member
- Bankruptcy Bar Association of the Southern District of Florida, Member
- Society of Trust & Estate Practitioners, Member
Publications & Presentations
- Contributing Author, Gore-Browne on Companies – Chapter 34 (2012 – Present)
- Co-Author, "British Virgin Islands" (The Asset Tracing and Recovery Review 7th Edition , 2020)
- Panelist, “Family Disputes, Trust & Estates Litigation and Civil Fraud” (IPC Virtual Panel Session, 2020)
- Panelist, “Professional Disclosures in Bankruptcy Cases: The Ethics Face-Off of the Century” (ABI Caribbean Insolvency Symposium, 2019)
- Author, “Self-Settled Spendthrifts, Illusions and Shams: When an Asset Protection Trust Affords No Protection” (New York Law Journal, 2019)
- Speaker, “Ultimate Beneficial Owner Register Update” (STEP Cayman, 2018)
- Speaker, "Stanford Update" (STEP Caribbean Conference, Nassau, May 2014)
He is “switched on” and has “a reputation for getting the results his clients want”
- Chambers & Partners – UK Bar
“He is skilled at distilling challenging and complex facts into clear, pragmatic recommendations," and "His clear, direct and thoughtful communication style is very persuasive”
- Chambers & Partners – Global
“Peter Tyers-Smith is a key contact for complex commercial and insolvency-related litigation”
- Legal 500
Peter Tyers-Smith is "an excellent advocate" who has "a top-notch practice and is great to work with."
- Who's Who Legal