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Biography

Andrew Thorp
Andrew Thorpe Harneys front portrait image

Andrew is “one of the most effective lawyers in the jurisdiction”, “a great strategist who has excellent knowledge of local law and is a first choice for major litigation involving substantial firms and clients”.

Legal 500

Andrew Thorp

Partner | British Virgin Islands
+1 284 852 2571 andrew.thorp@harneys.com
Biography

Andrew Thorp is a partner in our Litigation, Insolvency and Restructuring group in the BVI, where he specialises in cross-border asset recovery and insolvency work. His clients include law firms, banks, funds, private equity houses and trust companies. Andrew is a recognised industry leader and largely focuses on pre-emptive remedies, including freezing orders, provisional liquidations and discovery orders, often against a background of fraud. He has a prolific track record of successful asset retrieval operations across CIS, Latin America and Asia. He is known for his strategic approach and effectiveness; clients benefit from his comme ...

Andrew Thorp is a partner in our Litigation, Insolvency and Restructuring group in the BVI, where he specialises in cross-border asset recovery and insolvency work. His clients include law firms, banks, funds, private equity houses and trust companies.

Andrew is a recognised industry leader and largely focuses on pre-emptive remedies, including freezing orders, provisional liquidations and discovery orders, often against a background of fraud. He has a prolific track record of successful asset retrieval operations across CIS, Latin America and Asia. He is known for his strategic approach and effectiveness; clients benefit from his commerciality and insight. Additionally, Andrew has pioneered a number of cross-border protocols between court officers and are regularly retained to advise on the restructuring of international distressed structures.

His leadership roles include serving as a director of INSOL Global and as chairman of RISA. He is also an honorary member of COMBAR and the Chancery Bar Association. You can read more from Andrew on our Offshore Litigation Blog.

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Recommendations

Andrew is ranked for his British Virgin Islands Dispute Resolution expertise. Testimonials include: Andrews is “very affable, very user-friendly, and knowledgeable. He's a good guy and he does know his stuff." (2023 guide) “Andrew Thorp is a really good lawyer." (2022 guide) Sources ...

Andrew is ranked for his British Virgin Islands Dispute Resolution expertise.

Testimonials include:

  • Andrews is “very affable, very user-friendly, and knowledgeable. He's a good guy and he does know his stuff." (2023 guide)
  • “Andrew Thorp is a really good lawyer." (2022 guide)
  • Sources praise him for his "excellent way of relating to the client", with other clients stating that he is "extremely experienced" and "great to work with". (2021 guide)
  • Sources appreciate him as "a very knowledgeable partner with good negotiation skills." (2020 guide)
  • He’s described as a “smart guy” who does an “outstanding” job for his clients. (2019 guide)

Andrew is recognised as a leading individual in the British Virgin Islands Dispute Resolution rankings. Sources have said he is “excellent to work with, and a clear and strategic thinker who is good to have in a client's corner” (2020 guide).

Andrew is recognised as a GIR – Asset Recovery thought leader (2019 – 2023 guides), Restructuring & Insolvency thought leader (2021 guide), Asset Recovery global leader (2019 – 2023 guides), Private Client global leader (2019 – 2023 guides), and Restructuring & Insolvency global leader (2019 – 2023 guides).

Andrew is recognised as a leading lawyer in the private wealth industry.

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Acting as BVI and Cayman counsel to HKSE-listed PRC property development firm Kaisa Group in a US$2.77 billion debt restructuring via a scheme of arrangement.

Acting for Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, the world’s largest telecommunications equipment maker and supplier, in a dispute concerning the appointment of a liquidator of C-Mobile Services.

Advising a shareholder of one of the top 10 New York hedge funds on a petition brought to prevent the US$350 million restructuring of a NYSE-listed BVI company invested in a Chinese aluminium wheel business.

Acting for LeniGas Cuba on its reverse takeover of Knowlton Capital Inc. by way of a BVI scheme of arrangement. The restructuring was intended to enable major foreign direct investment into Cuba’s growing economy.

Advising FTI as liquidator of a number of Pacific Andes entities connected with the high-profile US$1.6 billion insolvency matter involving multiple proceedings in the US, Hong Kong and Cayman. The case is one of the largest ever insolvency matters to be heard by the BVI court.

Acting for Grant Thornton as provisional liquidators of BVI-incorporated financing entities related to the OAS Group international bankruptcy involving US$943 million in debt and courts in New York, the BVI and Brazil.

Anguilla
2012

British Virgin Islands
2005

England and Wales (not practising)
1998

Chester College of Law (LPC)
1996

University of Nottingham (LLB)
1994

Andrew is “one of the most effective lawyers in the jurisdiction”, “a great strategist who has excellent knowledge of local law and is a first choice for major litigation involving substantial firms and clients”.
Legal 500

Authored by Andrew

Offshore Litigation Blog
Breaking news: Salford Estates overturned
Offshore Litigation Blog
Crypto Fraud: is it really a matter of trust?
Offshore Litigation Blog
Chambers Global - BVI International Fraud & Asset Tracing (2023)
Offshore Litigation Blog
Enforcement of arbitral awards in the British Virgin Islands
Offshore Litigation Blog
BVI Insolvency Law in 60 Seconds
Offshore Litigation Blog
An open door to imposing fiduciary duties on digital asset developers
Offshore Litigation Blog
Is the Court bound to accept undertakings it would not be willing to enforce, or is that just "bananas"?
Offshore Litigation Blog
Boost to BVI asset tracing
Article
A comparative analysis of the restructuring tools available to financially distressed companies in the Cayman Islands, Bermuda and the British Virgin Islands
Article
Chambers Global - BVI International Fraud & Asset Tracing (2022)
Article
Harneys highly recommended as “go-to law firm” in Chambers Global 2022 guide
Article
Declaratory relief determined outside of scope of the doctrine of merger
Offshore Litigation Blog
Declaratory relief escapes the doctrine of merger
Offshore Litigation Blog
Take 10 podcast: A lesson in case management
Offshore Litigation Blog
Take 10 podcast: Black Swan flies as Siskina dies
Offshore Litigation Blog
Release the shackles! The Privy Council sets Black Swan free to soar again
Article
Back on the right course: Privy Council rules on The Siskina
Offshore Litigation Blog
Recognition of foreign “light touch” provisional liquidations affirmed once again by the Hong Kong Court
Offshore Litigation Blog
Aircraft leasing - third party debt orders not available for foreign debt – English High Court
Offshore Litigation Blog
Black Swan 2.0
Offshore Litigation Blog
Black Swan resurrected
Offshore Litigation Blog
Directors, betrayal and authority - The Privy Council considers directors’ duties and an extension of the Duomatic principle
Offshore Litigation Blog
Hold the champagne! Court orders costs’ reduction for unsuccessful "discrete issue"
Podcast
R&I over Wi-Fi - Restructuring provisional liquidator deployed by BVI court
Offshore Litigation Blog
Trial by Zoom – a look at how Courts across common law jurisdictions are responding to the coronavirus
Offshore Litigation Blog
Let me be frank: important principles for urgent injunctions and material non-disclosure clarified in the EC COA Paraskevaides decision
Offshore Litigation Blog
Hands off! EC court of appeal rules on beneficiaries’ standing to prevent interference with trust assets
Offshore Litigation Blog
Chapter 15 recognition of Olinda BVI scheme signals success for Constellation restructuring
Offshore Litigation Blog
BVI Court confirms third party disclosure orders in aid of foreign proceedings
Offshore Litigation Blog
Recognised but not Compromised; English Court recognises Brazilian insolvency over dissolved company
Article
British Virgin Islands a liquidator’s year
Offshore Litigation Blog
Cayman Islands restructuring of foreign-law governed debt: the Rule in Gibbs revisited
Offshore Litigation Blog
People-Initiated Referendums: Grand Court breathes life into direct democracy
Article
Harneys recognised for “best-in-class legal advice” – Chambers Global 2020
Offshore Litigation Blog
Court of Appeal delves deep into legal advice privilege: CAA v R (Jet2.Com Limited) - (Blog 4)
Offshore Litigation Blog
Court of Appeal delves deep into legal advice privilege: CAA v R (Jet2.Com Limited) - (Blog 3)
Offshore Litigation Blog
Court of Appeal delves deep into legal advice privilege: CAA v R (Jet2.Com Limited) - (Blog 2)
Offshore Litigation Blog
Court of Appeal delves deep into legal advice privilege: CAA v R (Jet2.Com Limited) (Blog 1)
Article
Harneys named an INSOL G36 member
Offshore Litigation Blog
Hong Kong leads the way with its inaugural recognition of Mainland appointed Administrators
Offshore Litigation Blog
Clear, Fair and Sufficient Explanatory Statement of a Scheme of Arrangement
Offshore Litigation Blog
Lexology Getting The Deal Through: BVI Complex Commercial Litigation
News and Deals
“Top of the BVI legal market” – Harneys BVI retains its tier 1 ranking from Legal 500
Article
Chambers Global - BVI International Arbitration
Offshore Litigation Blog
The Judicial Face of the BVI Commercial Court for September 2019 to 2022
Offshore Litigation Blog
New UNCITRAL Model Law for Enterprise Group Insolvencies
Offshore Litigation Blog
Appointment of Mr Gerhard Wallbank
Article
Chambers Global - BVI Trends and Developments
Legal update
Arbitration in the BVI: An introduction
Article
Harneys advises LeniGas Cuba on reverse takeover of Knowlton Capital Inc
Legal update
Black Swan: Stand-alone injunctions in support of foreign proceedings
Legal update
The BVI's new Legal Profession Act: What English QCs need to know
Article
Shareholder disputes: When is just and equitable liquidation appropriate?