Robert Colquitt Director & Head of Litigation

DD: +44 1624 638357

E: robert.colquitt@cains.com

V-card Chambers profile Legal 500 profile

Profile.

Back to team

Robert is a Director and head of our top tier Litigation team. His practice focuses on all aspects of commercial and chancery litigation, having represented a wide range of clients both domestic and international.

He regularly advises in cases involving trust disputes, fraud and asset tracing, breaches of financial services legislation, insolvency, commercial contract disputes and professional negligence.

Robert has extensive advocacy experience and regularly appears as counsel in cases before the various divisions of the Isle of Man High Court. Robert is also an ADR Group certified mediator. He has acted as mediator and counsel in a number of successful mediations.

Robert is ranked in Chambers and Partners UK Guide and as a ‘Leading Individual’  by The Legal 500 UK for his dispute resolution and litigation work.

He is described as “someone who delivers results” and “is diligent, precise and measured.” “He provides a highly strategic services with excellent attention to detail, and he leaves no stone unturned.” Clients have also described him as “well reasoned and thoroughly in control of the court room” and “creative and supportive in addressing the requirements of an issue”. “He has a very professional approach and is pragmatic in resolving trust matters.”

Recent clients have remarked:

“Robert is astute and personable. He is well grounded and understands the importance of interpersonal relationships when dealing with his clients and caseload.”

“He’s a standout lawyer for dispute resolution and litigation.  He has been excellent, and has cut through extraneous information to focus on what the judge wants to hear.” 

“Robert is the advocate who stands out the most. He is a confident litigator and his communications are always to the point and professional. He is certainly the first advocate we turn to as he instils confidence in us that we do not experience with other litigators on the Island.’’

Services and Sectors

Case history.

  • Click to view case history:

    • Quilter and Ors (formerly Old Mutual International) v Leonteq Securities AG and others

      Acted for the Leonteq defendants in a significant claim alleging conspiracy and misrepresentation. Successfully applied to the Isle of Man Court to set aside an order permitting service out of the jurisdiction against the Leonteq companies. Successfully defeated an application for permission to appeal out of time.

    • Highlights Holdings Limited v SMP Partners and others

      Acting for two defendant CSP in-house companies, facing a Norwich Pharmacal type Claim. Successful application made for substantial security for costs. Successful opposition and defeat of an application by the Claimant to discontinue against the Defendant CSP companies. Trial scheduled for 2020.

    • Global Steel Holdings Limited (in liquidation)

      Successfully acted for a creditor in placing the respondent Isle of Man company, connected to the Mittal steel family, into liquidation. Subsequently advised the liquidators of Global Steel Holdings Limited (in liquidation).  Apart from the scale and complexity of the liquidation, numerous novel legal points arose within the liquidation, including a contested application to rescind the winding up. Also obtained a precedent setting order that two of the joint provisional liquidators be given a release by the Court (under its inherent jurisdiction) when leaving office, given the lack of specific statutory protection.

    • Various v Stuart Smalley & Co LLC

      Acting for the respondent law firm following the discovery, in 2014, of a large-scale fraud and theft of monies by a former consultant of the firm.  Management and extensive advice given on numerous complex civil law aspects arising.

    • In the matter of the Fossdale Trust

      Acted for the Protector of the Trust (assets US$230 million) in the context of an application to the Isle of Man Chancery court seeking guidance and confirmation as to the status of the trust, and the variation of the terms of the trust.

    • Ausco Oil Limited & Others v C.A.E.S. Limited & Mr Daniel Kanu

      Acted for the Defendants in successfully challenging, and obtaining an order to set aside, a freezing injunction relating to the transfer of a private jet.

    • David James Coulter Cunningham v Lawrence Charles Alexander Ellis, Douglas Ronald Graham, Giles Francis John Penn & Bank of Scotland Plc

      Acted for Bank of Scotland Plc in successfully obtaining an order dismissing the claim on grounds of forum non-conveniens.

    • JSC Mezhdunarodniy Promyshlenniy Bank & State Corporation “Deposit Insurance Agency” v Sergei Viktorovich Pugachev

      Acting for the Claimants in assisting with the registration and enforcement of Russian and English judgments and orders, in the Isle of Man, in excess of US$1billion.

    • Bitel LLC v Kyrgyz Mobil Tel Limited and Others

      Acted for various defendants in connection with a dispute surrounding the largest mobile telecommunications company in Kyrgyzstan.

    • KSFIOM v LightHouse Living Limited and Elle Macpherson

      Acted for the Liquidators of Kaupthing Singer & Friedlander (Isle of Man) Limited.

    • InterRetire Limited v HSBC Securities Services (Isle of Man) Limited

      Acted for the defendant in relation to the defence of a claim relating to the management of a retirement benefit trust.

    • V. Schmidt v Rosewood Trust Limited

      Acted for V. Schmidt in respect of a successful appeal to Privy Council on the nature and rights of beneficiaries to trust information.

    • Arquebus Limited (in liquidation) v W Rafter and Others; Petition of Oracle Fund Limited (in liquidation)

      Represented an Isle of Man trust company and directors in their defence to multi-million dollar claims brought against them arising out of the liquidation of a substantial investment fund.

    • Desai and Others v Isle of Man Financial Supervision Commission

      Represented the Financial Supervision Commission in appeal proceedings before the Isle of Man Financial Services Tribunal.

    • Godfrey v Aston International Limited and others

      Acted for defendants in successfully opposing an application for trust documents, relating to trusts associated with Yukos Oil.

    • FPA Limited (in liquidation)

      Acted as a court appointed representative advocate, to present argument to the court on the treatment of certain assets in the context of the liquidation.

    • Financial Supervision Commission v Molyneux Roche Corporation Limited

      Represented the Financial Supervision Commission in respect of the first appointment of managers to a company under the Financial Services Act 2008.

    • Mascarenas and Merchant Barncorp of Credit and Commerce Limited v Financial Services Authority (UK) and Azzopardi

      Acted for the English Financial Services Authority in Interpleader proceedings in relation to the ownership of an Isle of Man company.

    • Petition of Isle of Man Financial Supervision Commission Re World Bank

      Acted for the Isle of Man FSC, at the request of the World Bank, in relation to the successful winding-up of seven companies suspected of involvement in collusive bid practices.

    • Petition of Scottish Life Re Devlin

      Acted for a bank in enforcing its security and obtaining an order for a remedial constructive trust, set against a background of irregular pension transfers from the UK.

    • Re Hatroushi

      Acted for a UK Trustee in Bankruptcy in relation to recovery of assets in the Isle of Man.

    • Petition of Raad Re Sturgeon

      Acted for the Petitioner in obtaining an order arresting assets in the Isle of Man but without an undertaking in damages being ordered.

    • Raad v Sturgeon

      Acted for successful Plaintiff in recovering substantial damages for negligent provision of services/payments made by mistake.

    • Asia Trust Limited and Another v Butterfield Investments Ltd and Another

      Represented the trustees of an Isle of Man trust in relation to legal proceedings attacking the existence of the trust.

    • K.D. Resources and Others v Boothman

      Acted for the beneficial owner of various companies in proceedings alleging negligence and breach of duty by a former director of the companies; the case involved two Staff of Government Appeals concerning issues of illegality and strike out. Robert successfully defended both the Appeals.

    • Gardiner v Bidvest (IOM) Limited

      Successfully defended proceedings claiming breach of an alleged commercial contract.

    • Petition of Emma Schmidt

      Acted for V. Schmidt, administrator of a substantial estate, in opposing the claim by E. Schmidt to a share in the estate.

    • Petition of Secilpar SL

      Acted for the Petitioner in precedent setting Norwich Pharmacal type proceedings.

    • Petition of Hindle Limited and Others

      Acted for the Petitioners in respect of an application to court for directions regarding an Isle of Man trust and Isle of Man companies, in the context of a claim against the Trust / company assets.

    • Petition of Cayman National Bank and Trust Company (Isle of Man) Limited v Weavering Capital

      Acted for trustees in a contested application to the Isle of Man High Court for directions as to whether the Isle of Man trustees should involve themselves in English legal proceedings.

Relevant news and articles