David Cooney

David specialises in complicated wealth-planning structures covering multiple jurisdictions in our Private Capital & Trusts practice group.

He primarily focuses on advising trustees and settlors (or their family offices) on private client structures with British Virgin Islands, Cayman or Guernsey connections. He also helps clients with foundation, trust and company structures to hold crypto-currency assets.

David advises trustees, high-net worth individuals and families, family offices and charitable organisations using trust, foundation and private trust company structures to protect assets and for succession planning.

David is a UK Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA), and a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP). He has over 20 years’ experience in private practice in Guernsey, Switzerland, England and the Cayman Islands. David has been on the STEP Council in the UK, Cayman Islands, Switzerland and Guernsey.

Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP)

Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT)

STEP Guernsey Committee Member

Solicitors Regulation Authority

Co-author of Crypto Assets in Trusts and Foundations, Guernsey Chapter, Globe Law (ISBN: 9781787429888)

Before joining Walkers in 2022, David worked for another offshore firm in Guernsey. Before that he was a partner with Charles Russell Speechlys in Zurich, and an offshore firm in the Cayman Islands, where he was head of the Private Client and Trusts Team for the Caribbean region.

David trained and qualified as an English solicitor, and worked for leading regional firms in the UK before moving offshore.