Chris Keefe

Chris Keefe

Senior Counsel

T +1 345 814 4574
M +1 345 526 4574

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Chris Keefe is a senior counsel in the Insolvency & Dispute Resolution Group at Walkers. He is an experienced commercial litigator, having advised corporate, government and institutional clients on a wide range of disputes. He specialises in contentious cross-border insolvency and restructuring and regularly advises financial institutions, investors, debtors, creditors (both secured and unsecured), investment funds and insolvency practitioners in relation to large and complex insolvencies and financially distressed situations.

Chris regularly appears in the Grand Court's specialist Financial Services Division, as well as in the Cayman Islands Court of Appeal. He has also been involved in multiple cases which have reached the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.

Notably, Chris has been involved in a number of recent high-profile fund / private equity disputes, including the Abraaj Group, Madoff (Herald Fund, Senator Fund, Primeo Fund, Ascot etc.), the Port Fund, Adamas, Ardon Maroon, China Huishan Dairy and General Shopping.

Amongst other current mandates, Chris presently advises the joint official liquidators of Herald Fund SPC, a Cayman Islands hedge fund involved in multi-jurisdictional litigation concerning a US$2bn exposure to the Madoff Ponzi Scheme (this role has included advising in connection with a successful $1bn+ settlement with the SIPC Trustee, as well as ground-breaking representative proceedings regarding the validity and priority of certain claims for redemption proceeds (Privy Council) and the ability of a liquidator to rectify the share register on a "net equity" basis (Court of Appeal).

Prior to joining Walkers, Chris spent four years practising as a solicitor in the Litigation and Dispute Resolution department of Clayton Utz in Melbourne, Australia.​

Admitted In:
Cayman Islands
High Court of Australia (not practising)
Supreme Court of Victoria (not practising)

Qualifications:
Insolvency Education Program, Insolvency Practitioners Association of Australia
Insolvency Law and Professional Practice 1 and 2, Queensland University of Technology
Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice, College of Law
Bachelor of Laws, Deakin University
Bachelor of Commerce (Economics), Deakin University

2022 Chambers Global- Associates to Watch - Dispute Resolution - "He brings a practical understanding to his client's situation."

2022 Legal 500 - Recommended - Dispute Resolution

2021 Chambers and Partners - Associates to Watch - Dispute Resolution - "He is a very good up-and-comer; an enthusiastic and hard-working lawyer," praised a source.

2021 Legal 500 - Recommended - Dispute Resolution - 'Chris is one of the leading associates in the Cayman Islands. He is an excellent advocate but in recent years he has focused on his advice and strategic thinking, and it is paying dividends. Chris is someone you want to have on your team.’

Chris is a member of INSOL, the Cayman Islands Legal Practitioners Association, the Cayman Islands Restructuring and Insolvency Specialists Association, the Law Institute of Victoria and the Insolvency Practitioners Association of Australia.

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