Matthew Mason

Practice Areas

Matthew has over 15 years’ experience of interlocutory, trial, and appellate advocacy and litigation, before both courts and arbitration tribunals. He is recommended by The Legal 500 for complex litigation, arbitration, and insolvency proceedings. Matthew has been in Bermuda for nearly 5 years, and in this short time he has acted, and advocated, on some of Bermuda’s most prominent contentious matters.

Matthew is a qualified and endorsed Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

Expert in these Jurisdictions

Called to the Bars of Bermuda, England & Wales, New York and the British Virgin Islands.

Work Highlights

- The liquidation of PDV Insurance Company Ltd – Venezuela’s national oil and energy (re)insurance captive - advising the company liquidators, and representing them in the Bermuda Supreme Court, in respect of the ongoing liquidation. (Re)insurance claims advice extending to major oil spills and incidents, maritime claims and international disputes subject to courts and arbitrations across the globe. This matter has involved extensive international public law issues arising from US and international sanctions. The liquidators are currently promoting a scheme of arrangement in which reinsurance receivables would be transferred to a subsidiary cedant.

- In the matter of PB Life & Annuity Co Ltd - acting for the Bermuda Monetary Authority (Bermuda's financial and (re)insurance regulator), in the liquidation of a long-term (re)insurer, involving complex advocacy/legal argument on section 36 the Bermuda Insurance Act 1978 as to the definition of "insurance debt" before the Bermuda Supreme Court (with all other parties represented by King's Counsel).

- In the matter of Titan Petrochemicals Group Ltd – lead advocate on behalf of a creditor of the company before the Bermuda Court of Appeal, concerning the liquidation of a part Chinese state-owned oil, shipbuilding and commodities trading conglomerate.

- The Robert Brockman Trust litigation – Bermuda counsel of record, part of a large international legal team, advising a trust company, and associated funds, involved in the largest US tax fraud allegation against an individual in our history (US$ 2 billion). Representation of the trust, and funds, before the Bermuda Supreme Court. Advise on related insolvency proceedings.

- The liquidation of Northstar Financial Services (Bermuda) Ltd – advising and representing a creditor (one of the largest American multinational investment banks) in the liquidation of an international Bermuda-based long-term reinsurer and financial services company, prompted by a federal wire fraud and bribery criminal conviction in the US. Representation of the creditor before the Bermuda Supreme Court.

- In addition to pursing and defending company disputes by shareholders, directors and companies, Matthew is regularly called upon to provide litigation advice and assistance on pre-eminent international corporate transactional matters (many with a (re)insurance aspect), including mergers and acquisitions, hostile takeovers and share rights plans, funds, joint ventures, and finance transactions.

- Prior to Bermuda, Matthew worked for a year in the British Virgin Islands ("BVI"), where he advised on insurance policies related to the infamous Madoff investment scandal (the largest known Ponzi scheme in history, worth about US$ 64.8 million). He also assisted on a complex US$ 1 billion dispute concerning Russian energy (oil, gas and nuclear) and international commodities entities, with public international law issues extending to US and international sanctions, and an appeal to the UK Privy Council. He had conduct of advocacy in the BVI Commercial Court, and the Court of Appeal, for the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court.

- Before moving offshore, Matthew practised as an independent Barrister in London, England, for 10 years, with a primary focus on contentious (re)insurance matters, but extending to international trade, corporate law, and insolvency matters. Matthew had conduct of interlocutory, trial, and appellate advocacy before the High Court, and Court of Appeal (including pursuing out of hours / urgent injunctive relief).

Clients

The Bermuda Monetary Authority, Deloitte, PwC, Markel Global Reinsurance Company, Lloyds of London syndicates, Brookfield Reinsurance, Argo Group, The Argus Group