Colette Wilkins

Colette Wilkins

Partner

T +1 345 914 4215
M +1 345 525 7199

Practice Areas

Colette Wilkins has been a commercial litigator for 30 years, specialising in contentious insolvency, high value asset recovery, investment fund disputes and issues relating to corporate governance and fraud. Colette advises office-holders in complex cross-border liquidations, and regularly represents creditors and liquidators in insolvency and related proceedings to determine and protect interests in insolvent estates.

Colette started her career as a barrister in Lincolns Inn, London and was admitted as an attorney in the Cayman Islands in 2005. She has been a partner at Walkers since 2009 and is admitted as an attorney in the BVI. Colette is one of the two attorneys appointed by the Chief Justice to sit on the Cayman Islands Grand Court Rules Committee.

With her team at Walkers Colette represented SICL in the year-long Saad trial in which claims and counterclaims exceeded US $15 billion. She has appeared in many leading cases in both the Grand Court and the Court of Appeal in the Cayman Islands including Parmalat, SPhinX, Al Sadik, , Governor v Information Commissioner, Fortuna, Caledonian, Pugachev, Re Wyser-Pratte, Camulos, and HSH Cayman.

Colette is commended by all the leading independent legal directories: Chambers Global (Band 1), Legal 500 (Tier 1), and named as a Global Leader in three areas of practice by Who's Who Legal (Restructuring and Insolvency, Litigation and Asset Recovery). Comments in these directories since 2009 include 'deeply respected' 'one of the most highly regarded individuals', 'an absolute pleasure to work with' and 'Colette Wilkins is a real class act'. Colette has been named 'Lawyer of the Year' twice by the Cayman Islands' Recovery and Insolvency Specialists Association (RISA).

Prior Employment Experience

After her admission to the Bar in 1989, Colette was a pupil at a leading commercial set of Chambers in London, One Essex Court. She accepted the offer of a tenancy in Lincoln’s Inn in 1990 at 1 New Square, Lincoln’s Inn (now New Square Chambers), where she practiced successfully in all areas of corporate and personal insolvency law, including voluntary arrangements, bankruptcy, administration petitions, schemes of arrangement and compulsory liquidations. She appeared regularly in the High Court, including the Companies Court and the Court of Appeal, often representing creditors and office holders in proceedings to determine and protect contractual and proprietary interests in insolvent estates.

Colette acted and advised frequently in shareholder disputes, and appeared on petitions for just and equitable winding up and for relief from unfair prejudice. She has considerable experience acting for and against directors facing allegations of breach of fiduciary duty, including director disqualification proceedings. She was a contributing author to the Oxford University Press publication Freedom of Information (2003 edition) and in the Cayman Islands has assisted in the implementation of the Freedom of Information Law as a member of both the implementation and legal drafting sub-committees.​

Admitted in & Qualifications

Admitted In:
British Virgin Islands
Cayman Islands
England and Wales (not practising)

Qualifications:
Honours Degree in History (Magna Cum Laude), University of Wales
Diploma in Law, City University, London
Bar Finals, Inns of Court School of Law

Other Distinctions

2020 Who's Who Legal - Thought Leaders Global Elite - Asset Recovery

2020 Who's Who Legal - Thought Leaders - Litigation

2020 Who's Who Legal - Global Leader - Restructuring & Insolvency

2020 Chambers and Partners - Notable Practitioner (Dispute Resolution) - "One source stated that she "is very good at giving tactical and sensible advice, has a good sense for the courtroom politics and anticipates problems that need overcoming."

2020 Legal 500 - Leading Individual - Dispute Resolution

2019 Who's Who Legal - Thought Leader - GIR

2019 Who's Who Legal - Thought Leader - Restructuring

2019 Who's Who Legal - Global Leader - Asset Recovery 

2019 Who's Who Legal - Global Leader - Litigation

2019 Chambers Global Guide - Notable Practitioner (Dispute Resolution) - Interviewees say that she is "extremely good"

2019 Who's Who Legal - Restructuring & Insolvency: Analysis - Global Thought Leader - 'Colette is a "great lawyer who is much in demand.'"

2019 Legal 500 -  Leading Individuals - Dispute Resolution - "Colette Wilkins has 'an excellent grasp of the bigger picture and the ability to command a room with quiet authority'"

2018 Who's Who Legal - Litigation

2018 Chambers Global Guide - (Dispute Resolution) A Notable Practitioner. "Colette Wilkins has extensive experience and is described as being "up there with the best lawyers in Cayman." "Her reputation is phenomenal and she is a wonderful advocate who will always represent the client in the most diligent manner."

2018 Legal 500 - Recommended Lawyer - Dispute Resolution - "Colette Wilkins is ‘calm, measured, thoughtful and committed to advising clients in a principled, constructive and effective way’."

2017 International Who's Who Legal Asset Recovery Lawyers

2017 Chambers Global Guide - (Dispute Resolution) A Notable Practitioner - "Clients comment on her 'exceptional knowledge of the Cayman legal system,' as well as her 'commerciality and pragmatism'."

2017 Legal 500 - Recommended Lawyer - Dispute Resolution

2016 - Who's Who Legal,Leading Individual - Restructuring & Insolvency

2016 International Who's Who of Asset Recovery Lawyers

2016 Chambers Global Guide – (Dispute Resolution) A Notable Practitioner. "Sources hold Colette Wilkins in very high regard, highlighting her impressive work ethic, commitment to client service and 'commanding presence' before the court."

2016 Legal 500 - Recommended Lawyer - Dispute Resolution

2015 International Who's Who of Asset Recovery Lawyers

2016 - Who's Who Legal - Leading Individual: Restructuring & Insolvency

2015 - Chambers Global Guide – (Dispute Resolution) A Notable Practitioner - 'Colette Wilkins is a well-respected litigator with extensive commercial and insolvency experience. "She's a very good advocate, excellent technically and offers superb service," said one interviewee. '

2015 Legal 500 - Recommended Lawyer - Dispute Resolution

2015 - Global Investigations Review - 100 Women in Investigations

2014 - Lawyer of the Year - Restructuring and Insolvency Specialists Association - Cayman Islands

2014 Legal 500 - Recommended Lawyer (Dispute Resolution) - "Colette Wilkins is a ‘commercially astute, extremely capable litigator who is an asset to any team’."

2014 - Who's Who Legal 100 - Asset Recovery and Insolvency & Restructuring

2013 - Chambers Global Guide - "Colette Wilkins is a very well-respected individual in the litigation arena and is said to be 'exactly what you want in offshore counsel – responsive, with good judgement and commercially sound', according to clients."

2012-2013 - The International Who's Who of Asset Recovery Lawyers - 10 Most Highly Regarded Individuals

2011-2013 - The International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers - Leading Practitioner - Insolvency & Restructuring

2009-2013 - The International Who’s Who of Insolvency & Restructuring Lawyers

2012 - The Who's Who Legal 100 - "...sources commend Colette Wilkins as 'a fantastic litigator - very bright and always on the ball'."

2012 - Chambers Global Guide – "Colette Wilkins is a well-respected insolvency and corporate restructuring litigator. 'She is a calm and impressive lawyer who brings a very measured approach to her cases'."

2012 Legal 500 - Recommended Lawyer (Dispute Resolution) - "Colette Wilkins 'is a real class act'."

2011 - Chambers Global Guide- “Colette Wilkins... sources describe her as ‘an impressive advocate who stands her ground'.”

2011 - Legal 500 - "Shrewd operator."

2009 - Chambers Global Guide - “Colette Wilkins… has rapidly developed an excellent reputation as a fantastic litigator. ‘A dependable, incisive and user-friendly attorney,’ she impresses clients with her ‘commercial, articulate and highly efficient counsel'."​

Boards & Associations

Chancery Bar Association
INSOL
American Bankrtupcy Instutute
ICC Fraudnet (Cayman representative)
IWIRC
RISA Cayman Islands
Grand Court Rules Committee
Insolvency Rules Committee

News, Matters and Publications

ARTICLES
NEWS
ADVISORY
EVENTS
MEMO

"Colette Wilkins is a ‘commercially astute, extremely capable litigator who is an asset to any team’."

Legal 500

 

"Sources hold Colette Wilkins in very high regard, highlighting her impressive work ethic, commitment to client service and 'commanding presence' before the court."

Chambers Global

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