Mikhail Charles joins HTJ Tax

Mikhail Charles joins HTJ Tax (a member of Moores Rowland Asia Pacific) from the Caribbean as Interim Counsel (Compliance).

Building on a significant existing professional relationship with HTJ Tax, and its founder (renowned tax expert and author Derren Joseph) and coupled with HTJ’s increasingly diverse clientele, it is a natural fit for him and HTJ for him to work on specific projects because of the service and value add it provides to clients, a useful parallel to his own practice.

From the Caribbean (Baptiste & Co. Law Firm Inc : https://baptistecolawfirm.com/ ) he maintains a primarily advisory practice internationally and regionally, he is also an experienced litigator across the Caribbean Region with a broad cross-border commercial disputes practice, including commercial, insolvency and regulatory litigation and from time to time serious and financial crime.

He is intimately involved with the representation of companies and high–net worth individuals globally, in matters relating to trusts, cross– border insolvency, international judgment enforcement and asset recovery.

He has litigated to a successful conclusion several reported cases.

He has substantial international comparative legal experience and consultancy experience having worked for the Commonwealth Secretariat (headquartered out of London on specific aspects of regulatory and legal reform across many parts of the world.

This has included delivery of anti-corruption and related forfeiture training) and the Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority (as in-house Counsel and sole support lawyer).

He has also lectured at a regional university on matters of corporate and insolvency law.

With HTJ Tax, he will be focused on strengthening the offerings available – many of the HNW clientele hold their wealth through Caribbean corporate structures and often hold Caribbean citizenships as a tax mitigation strategy, there is a need to coalesce the delivery of fast, effective and commercially driven solutions for their tax needs.

Some select engagements he has undertaken include:

Expert evidence on Nevis law issues of civil conspiracy and unlawful means conspiracy, in the context of a US 1782 application (discovery to assist foreign / non-U.S. proceeding).
Antonio Gellizeau v The State SVGHCRAP2013 / 0058: determining the width of the anti-money laundering offence in defended proceedings concerning substantial funds in cash found in the hull of a yacht; considering the weight of circumstantial evidence in money laundering matters and the probative value of financial experts who are qualified by experience.
Digital Wings Limited v Diliana Roussev SVGHCM2016 / 0214: Ongoing matter re construing the proper law applicable to a company’s director and shareholder register of a foreign domiciled company.
Martin Trott (RHSW BVI Limted) SVGHCM 2017 / 0190: Ongoing matter re recognition of a foreign liquidator in defended insolvency proceedings.
Counsel defending proceedings regrading the share issuance of a Vincentian offshore company
Counsel representing the efforts of 10 depositors in the liquidation of the largest offshore bank in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Written advice on the fiduciary duties arising from investment management agreements in the derivative trading industry (Vincentian, BVI and Caymanian company structures).
Advice on inbound and outbound tax information requests for Saint Lucia, the BVI and Saint Kitts and Nevis.

Credentials:

B (Hons) – University of Wales (2011)

Bar Professional Training Course (PG. Dip Professional Legal Practice) – City University Law School, London (2012)

LL.M Corporate and Insolvency Law – Nottingham Law School (2017)

Advanced Certificate in Trust Disputes – Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) (2019)

Certificate in International Investment Law and Dispute Resolution – British Institute of International and Comparative Law (BIICL) (2020)

Chartered Director (C.Dir) – Caribbean Corporate Governance Training Institute (CGTI) (2021)

Select Publications and Presentations:

Masterclass on Corporate Insolvency Law (UWI Mona Law, 2020) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqMXytXwKj4
Mikhail Charles: Co-authour, “Creative solutions for a liquidator faced with effect asset structuring” (Organisation of Commonwealth Caribbean Bar Associations Journal, Vol.1 (No. 2) July – December 2019)
Mikhail Charles – Co-Author, “Court Appointed Receivers in the Eastern Caribbean – a useful enforcement look” (Organisation of Commonwealth Caribbean Bar Associations Journal, Vol.1 (No. 2) July – December 2019)
Cybersecurity in the OECS – Your Duties as a Practitioner (June 2018 – Presentation to the Saint Lucia Bar Association for their CPD)
Evaluator of the Seychellois Anti-Corruption Commission (Legislation and associated Infrastructure, 2017)
The Civil and Criminal Asset Recovery Framework (Presentation to Senior Nigerian Judges and Prosecutors) (May, 2017 – Lagos, Nigeria) http://thecommonwealth.org/media/news/commonwealth-assists-nigerian-judiciary-tackling-corruption
Judicial Bench Book on Violence Against Women in Commonwealth East Africa, Contributor on Chapter re Directions in Court of Superior Record (Commonwealth Secretariat Publication 2017) ISBN: 978-1-84929-161-3
Common Law Legal Systems Model Legislative Provisions on Money Laundering, Terrorism Financing, Preventative measures and Proceeds of Crime, Contributor (Commonwealth Secretariat, UNODC, IMF, 2016) ISBN: 978-1-84929-150-7
Changing the Law: A Practical Guide to Law Reform (Contributor, Commonwealth Secretariat, 2017) ISBN: 978-1-84929-174-3
Commonwealth Legislative Drafting Manual (Roger Rose, Commonwealth Secretariat (Contributor) 2017) ISBN: 978-1-84929-169-9
Contributor, Brooke’s Notary (Chapter on Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, 14th Edition, Sweet & Maxwell ISBN 9780414028388)