Geoffrey Cox QC
Chairman

Geoffrey was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 1982 and was made Queen’s Counsel in 2003. He is founding partner of the firm and has over 25 years’ experience of the Mauritius jurisdiction, having conducted many of its leading cases before the Privy Council.  He is the only British Queen’s Counsel to be registered as a foreign lawyer in Mauritius. He specializes in dispute resolution, commercial and financial law and, as a foreign lawyer, possesses an unrivalled insight into the complexities of international disputes involving Mauritius.

In England, he has appeared in many high-profile cases receiving national and international publicity from trial to appeal before the Court of Appeal of England and Wales, the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, and the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. He has a busy international commercial practice, advising and appearing frequently in overseas jurisdictions including Mauritius, Dubai, and the Cayman Islands.

He is currently leading in major commercial actions before the DIFC Courts and in international commercial and investor-state arbitrations with seats in London, Singapore and Dubai.

Until he took silk, he was Standing Counsel to the Government of the Republic of Mauritius, advising regularly on legislation and representing the government in a wide range of private-law actions as well as constitutional and public-law disputes.

Philip Tsalikis
Managing Director

Philip is a practising barrister and the Managing Director at Thomas More International. Before becoming a lawyer, Philip had a very successful career in management, running multi-million pound businesses. Philip has appeared in many significant cases in the UK, both in criminal and civil matters, but he is now based permanently in Mauritius.

Philip first came to Mauritius in 2011 and has an understanding of the complexities and idiosyncrasies of Mauritius and its legal system. He has trained in a Mauritian Law firm previously and worked in-house for an offshore group of companies in Mauritius.

Philip is able to deal with all manner of commercial work and will ensure the right individual or team, whether in Mauritius or elsewhere, will provide the highest standard of service for each client.

Jonathon Davidson
Director

Jonathon is a business and dispute resolution lawyer renowned across the Middle East, Indian Ocean and East African seaboard. Jonathon has been practicing for 18 years and has acted in all manner of disputes for institutions, developers, investors and public companies, as well as for private companies and individuals.

Jonathon also acts as confidential advisor to a number of ultra high net worth individuals (UHNWs), government and quasi-government organizations and has been active in Mauritius since 2009. Jonathon now splits his time between Mauritius and Dubai, where he is Managing Partner at the renowned niche commercial law firm of Davidson & Co (www.davidson-legal.com).

Jonathon is an award winning lawyer and published contributing author, having acted for many years for a range of clients in the conduct of mediations, arbitrations, local litigation, as well as in the High Court of England and Wales (Admiralty, Queens Bench and Chancery Division). In addition to managing the firm, Jonathon is also works closely with the British and Mauritian governments to promote bilateral regulation, trade and commerce. Jonathon is an also experienced arbitrator and mediator.

Hiren Jankee
Attorney

Hiren is a well-known solicitor in the Republic of Mauritius, having practised at a high level for thirty years. During his career, Hiren has appeared before all the courts and tribunals of Mauritius in relation to all matters of law. He is well versed in all aspects of law and works regularly in alliance with several leading management companies in connection to corporate and commercial law both in the local context and in the global-business context. As legal adviser to a leading banking institution, the Mauritius Post and Cooperative Bank Ltd, Hiren has worked on many cases before the Commercial Division of the Supreme Court of Mauritius. Alongside Krish Auchoybur, Hiren acted for the bank in Apavou Group of Hotels (In Receivership) v The Mauritius Post and Cooperative Bank Ltd (2014), the largest insolvency case in the history of Mauritius, with a value of over MUR4bn (about US$127m), in which a challenge to the bank’s appointment of a receiver-manager under a charge instrument was successfully resisted. Hiren also acts as legal adviser to several companies and parastatal bodies, including the Mauritius Housing Company Ltd, the Central Electricity Board, the Central Water Authority, the District Council of Riviere du Rempart, Mauritius Telecom, and the State Insurance Company of Mauritius. Internationally, Hiren has been involved as instructing solicitor and in other capacities before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in several notable cases, such as―

• Vithaldas v The Queen (1986),
• Heeramun v The Queen (1988),
• Kunnath v The State (1992),
• Raphael Fishing Co Ltd v State of Mauritius (2006),
• Jugnauth v Ringadoo (2007),
• Director General, Mauritius Revenue Authority v Central Water Authority (2012), and
• Meeah v Essouf Amanoullah (1993).

Hiren was previously the Chairman of the SBI (Mauritius) Ltd (a joint venture between State Bank of Mauritius and State Bank of India). Hiren also acted as the Chairman of the Horse Racing Board and until December 2015 was the Chairman of the Gambling Regulatory Authority.

Philip Noble

Philip is a commercial barrister with significant experience of a range of areas, particularly construction, professional negligence, and commercial fraud. He has a particular interest in implied trusts, and the tortious and equitable duties of professionals in the context of property and construction disputes.

Called in 1978 by the Inner Temple, Philip has built up extensive knowledge of all types of commercial dispute often appears as a leading junior in High Court and the Court of Appeal of England and Wales. Philip provides advisory, negotiation, and advocacy services in matters both contentious and non-contentious.

Philip’s recent cases include a substantial claim in the High Court against a negligent property surveyor for compensation for loss of potential income on rental properties, and a claim to architects’ fees in excess of £500,000. Philip also advises and represents individuals in relation to private-client matters involving trusts and estates.

Ben Beaumont

Ben is a barrister and qualified chartered surveyor with extensive experience as an arbitrator, sitting both alone and as member of a three-person panel. He has heard disputes ranging in value from the minute to the colossal, recently sitting in case worth over US$50m.

Ben’s legal and technical experience covers the following principal areas:

• Substructure works;
• Airports;
• Roads;
• Bridges;
• Port extensions;
• Flood protection works;
• Slope works; and
• Building services.

Ben is a TECBAR arbitrator, adjudicator, and dispute-board member, and has acted as mediator on numerous occasions. He was invited to join the FIDIC President’s list of adjudicators in 2012.

His expertise covers a wealth of international jurisdictions, and Ben is an authority on arbitration and dispute resolution in the far east, with a particular interest in China.

As arbitrator, Ben has sat in almost 200 disputes, of which many were construction references under institutional or ad hoc procedures. Over half of these cases were international, under UNCITRAL, CIETAC, and other procedural frameworks. Ben also drafted rules for the administration of secular affairs of the Ismaili Group of His Highness the Aga Khan.

As mediator, Ben has been involved in a number of international engineering disputes, all of which have settled to the parties’ satisfaction in the course of the mediation.

As adjudicator, Ben sits in domestic and international disputes either as member of a Dispute Adjudication Board or under the Housing Grants Construction and Regeneration Act 1996. Ben has also advised dispute boards and drafted contractual provisions and procedural rules for use in adjudication proceedings.

Ben has acted as party representative in negotiating ad hoc construction joint-venture agreements and a variety of construction-related disputes.

Ben is chairman of the Arbitration Club and the Management Committee of the Dispute Board Federation, and is outgoing Chairman of the Adjudication Society.

Manus Egan

Manus is a highly experienced practitioner providing practical and effective advisory and advocacy services to a broad range of clients, from individuals and employees and small and medium-sized businesses to FTSE-listed companies and public bodies.

Manus provides expert representation in respect of all forms of contractual and commercial disputes, with particular emphasis on the law of agency and disputes involving consumers.

Manus regularly advises and represents businesses and individuals in financial services disputes both in litigation and through the Financial Ombudsman Service. He is co-author of EC Financial Services Regulation (Wiley).

Edward Risso-Gill

Edward has, over the last 7 years, appeared regularly in Mauritian appeals to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. He has extensive experience in dealing with the Napoleonic and other related Codes and jurisprudence. For example he appeared in Gujadhur & Ors v Gujadhur & Anor (Mauritius) [2007] UKPC 54, the leading case on the powers of the Juge des référés under Article 806 of the Mauritian Code of Civil Procedure. Having argued the case before the Board at the leave stage, he was later led by Geoffrey Cox QC.

Edward’s commercial and financial law experience includes company law, partnership and shareholder disputes, commercial bills of exchange, financial services and cross border customs duties. He also has significant experience in property related disputes.

Edward is currently instructed before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in a Mauritian judicial review appeal which concerns the interface between public and private law in relation to the termination of leases. Previous Mauritian cases include appearing for the Government of Mauritius, together with Geoffrey Cox QC, in a leading Mauritian property case concerning the proper construction of a ‘bail permanent’ (permanent lease) granted by the colonial government in 1901 (Raphael Fishing Company v State of Mauritius & Anor [2008] UKPC 43).

Edward also has appeared for the Government of Mauritius before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in a number of public law cases, including a judicial review of a decision of the Mauritian Health Ministry.
He is currently instructed by a Commonwealth government in a dispute involving public and planning law and the right to compensation for expropriation of property under the Constitution, as a result of the designation of land as a World Heritage Site.

William Frain-Bell

William Frain-Bell is a barrister and has practised law in the UK since 1998. He has unparalleled experience in corporate and commercial law on a global basis. His practice includes both non-contentious and contentious matters. He currently advises a number of global business on regulatory and shareholder issues and general commercial matters. Current clients include a leading maritime security provider, a European pharmaceutical distribution company and a pan-African telecoms provider and trouble-shooter. William also has experience in both up and down stream oil and gas contracts and has acted as ad hoc legal counsel to a start-up oil producer with operations in the North Sea and Brazil. William has also advised both start- ups and established corporates in relation to fund raising via both private equity and unregulated bond issues. He has a wide network of established contacts in the private equity markets across Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

William also offers an effective and cost efficient turn-key service for companies seeking to reach out to opportunities in emerging markets and in particular provides political/economic risk advice and analysis to companies looking to set up in sub-Saharan Africa. William is also used to providing high speed advice to commercial and operational directors in the field and is accustomed to travelling at short notice, so as to provide effective hands on assistance, whether it be unblocking deadlocks in commercial negotiations or crisis management.

William is a Chartered Arbitrator and Accredited CEDR Mediator and is a panel arbitrator with the Mauritius International Arbitration Centre (LCIA/MIAC). He has considerable experience in dispute resolution in general and in international arbitrations under the rules of the LCIA, DIAC, ICC and ICSID. He has been involved in several investor-state disputes under the ICSID rules, including a power supply dispute to a sovereign state in South East Asia. He has particular experience in the Middle East and has been instructed as counsel in the majority of the leading cases before the Dubai World Tribunal and some of the largest DIAC real estate related arbitrations since the collapse of the Dubai property market. William is a registered practitioner in the Dubai International Financial Centre Courts and is experienced in the interpretation of the UAE Civil Code.

Versatile and with proven client facing skills, William is accustomed to dealing with clients from different countries and cultures. He has acted for clients from the UAE, GCC, Russia, Africa, Europe, the USA and India and his wide experience of the global village makes him an invaluable component in any scenario.

Amiot Vollenweider

Amiot is a barrister of 14 years’ call and an experienced advocate. He was awarded the Lionel Blundell award by the Honourable Society of Gray’s Inn and is an Anglo-Swiss dual national. His practice includes all areas of commercial and civil litigation, private-client work, and he has a keen interest in international commercial arbitration. He appears regularly in the county courts and the High Court and will undertake work such as Judicial Review and cases in the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. He has conducted appeals of length and complexity in the Court of Appeal, appeared in numerous applications under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, as a leading junior, led junior, and alone. He has also acted in cases involving serious allegations of commercial fraud.

High-net-worth individuals regularly instruct Amiot in family cases involving international property portfolios and companies. He is often instructed by companies to intervene in financial-remedy cases where the husband is a director/shareholder of the company. He has appeared in applications under the Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act 1996, applications under Schedule 1 of the Children Act 1989, international children cases, and child abduction.

Amiot’s notable cases including the following:

• J v J – ongoing case: appearing for the husband in a multi-million pound family case involving several companies and international assets.
• NCA v A – ongoing case: Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 application brought by the National Crime Agency against a businessman with substantial property interests and companies, and made after his successful acquittal.
• Kosar v Bank of Scotland PLC trading as Halifax [2011] All ER (D) 08 (May), Divisional Court – successful case on behalf of the appellant involving DLA Piper, who acted for the bank, concerning alleged harassment by the bank of a debtor and vicarious liability.

Ben Walker-Nolan

Ben has had extensive experience as an advocate before the High Court and Court of Appeal in England and Wales. He also has experience with the court system in Mauritius, having been briefed to undertake appellate work before the Privy Council.

He has recently advised and represented clients in respect of a variety of issues including:

• Tax disputes, including those concerning the movement of goods between jurisdictions, the personal liability of high net worth individuals, disputes arising under the UK’s Construction Industry Scheme and in relation to the use of umbrella companies to avoid tax
• The passing off of unregistered trademarks
• The fraudulent sale of property, both by private sale and at auction
• Disputes in commercial leases
• Misrepresentation and misstatement in respect of contracts of sale
• Disputes in respect of defaults under commercial loan agreements including those resulting in the appointment of Receivers
• Disputes concerning breach of contract and professional negligence in construction projects
• The supply of faulty goods and equipment to developers
• The relevant regulatory requirements and procedures in respect of money laundering legislation
• Licence requirements in relation to the import and export of controlled goods
• Licence requirements in respect of the supply of pharmaceutical products

Ben has experience of acting in commercially sensitive matters and for clients with a high-profile. He acts both as junior counsel on his own and as junior counsel instructed together with leading counsel. He has frequently worked as junior counsel to Geoffrey Cox QC MP.

Puneet Rai

Puneet Rai is an experienced trial advocate who regularly appears before the High Court of England and Wales.

She has a wide-ranging practice in civil litigation: Puneet advises and appears in cases involving general contractual disputes, injunctions, partnerships, misrepresentation and fraud claims, civil restraint orders, breaches of directors’ duties, and minority-shareholder remedies. She has recently advised and represented clients in respect of a number of cases touching upon issues including the regulatory requirements and procedures in respect of money-laundering legislation, misrepresentation and misstatement in respect of contracts of sale, disputes in commercial leases, the supply of faulty goods and equipment, and the fraudulent sale of property.

She also has experience with the court system in Mauritius, having been briefed to work on appellate work before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.

Puneet acts both as junior counsel in her own right and also as junior counsel instructed together with leading counsel. Puneet speaks French, German, Hindi, and Punjabi.

Faisal Saifee

Faisal Saifee is a versatile and experienced commercial litigator with expertise in banking & finance, company and insolvency matters. He has extensive experience in private international law issues and has been involved in litigation concerning jurisdictions such as New York, Norway, France, Germany and several East African countries. He regularly appears for clients in the High Court in London and is experienced in commercial arbitration, including the LCIA.

Faisal has gained considerable experience in complex and high-value trials. His litigation experience also includes several appearances before the Privy Council in matters concerning Mauritius, including Boolell v Mauritius [2006] UKPC 46; DPP of Mauritius v Hurnam [2007] UKPC 24; Dhooharika v DPP [2014] UKPC 11.

Faisal regularly advises clients and undertakes both drafting and non-contentious work. This includes drafting shareholders’ agreements, advising on a range of commercial contracts and setting up companies. He has undertaken a considerable volume of advisory work in Mauritius, having developed a close and clear understanding of the legal traditions of Mauritius.

Joe Durkin

Joe was trained and qualified in Ireland and has worked for both leading financial services companies and international law firms. Joe is a commercial lawyer practising between Dubai and Mauritius since 2008. He is qualified to practice in three jurisdictions and acts regularly for banks and companies in a wide range of both contentious and non contentious matters including corporate, energy, private equity, aviation and international transactions. As well as being a member of TMI, Joe is also a partner at renowned niche commercial law firm, Davidson & Co and prior to that was an Associate with the international law firm Maples and Calder.

Joe has advised Indian and Mauritian companies including private enterprises, investment banks and funds on the regulatory environment of setting up new businesses in Ireland. He is author of the Ireland chapter of the Reuters Thompson publication of the World’s Leading Offshore Jurisdictions. He is currently advising several offshore based companies in actions before the London Court of International Arbitration. Joe has also acted as external counsel for a number of international banks.

Joe has a degree in Actuarial and Financial Studies from University College Dublin. He qualified as a solicitor through the Law School of the Incorporated Law Society of Ireland. He is admitted to the roll of solicitors in Ireland (non-practising Irish solicitor) and the Supreme Court of England and Wales. Joe is a member of the London Court of International Arbitration and the International Bar Association.

Nicholas Maggs

Nich is an experienced advocate who is regularly instructed in litigation in the County Courts, the High Court of England and Wales, and the Court of Appeal (Civil Division). He holds a first-class degree in History from the University of Nottingham, was awarded his Graduate Diploma in Law with distinction, and his performance on the Bar Vocational Course was graded Outstanding. He was awarded a major scholarship by the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple.

Nich advises and represents clients in a broad range of commercial disputes. Nich is often instructed at an early stage to draft pleadings and advise on the merits of his client’s case, or to consider and conduct negotiation and settlement. His experience includes a variety of breaches of contract claims involving substantial sums, including misrepresentation (fraudulent and non-fraudulent), bailment, and goods-and-services issues.

Nich’s experience in cases of fraud is extensive, including breach of trust, breach of fiduciary duty, fraudulent trading, and other corporate fraud. He has acted in a number of civil recovery matters, advising individuals and companies on restraint, forfeiture, and injunctive proceedings. He also has substantial experience of financial-conduct regulation.

Nich has particular experience in construction cases, representing both claimants and defendants in cases involving issues including architectural disputes, part-performance, debt, agency, and negligence.

Nich also has a professional-negligence practice, in particular relating to the professional negligence of solicitors. Recently, he was involved in a substantial claim arising out of the collapse of a claim for sums owed by companies hired for a celebrity wedding.

Nich’s recent cases include the following:

• An architectural dispute concerning a large-scale construction project in Qatar;
• A substantial financial dispute relating to building works on a chain of restaurants;
• A £500,000 claim for misrepresentation relating to an investment scheme;
• A case involving serious allegations of negligence and fraud relating to solicitors; and
• Further high-value construction disputes.

Andy Lyons

Andy was trained and qualified in Scotland where he worked closely with TMI member, William Frain-Bell. He was involved in a number of high profile litigation cases in the High Court and Supreme Court in Scotland and was involved in many cases which shaped the law within that Jurisdiction. Since joining TMI, Andy has worked with all the members of the TMI team, dealing with a variety of matters ranging from Commercial and Contractual Litigation to Corporate and Commercial Services.

Andy works particularly closely with Joe Durkin, dealing with litigation matters before the London Court of International Arbitration. Andy’s commercial experience and high value litigation background puts him in an ideal position to ensure that clients’ disputes are dealt with efficiently and succinctly which leads to early resolution.

Krishnakantsingh Auchoybur

Krish is a barrister practising before the Courts of Mauritius. He graduated with an LLB (Honours) from the University of Mauritius, where he gained experience in all aspects of Mauritian law and the intricacies of the hybrid and mixed Mauritian legal system.

Krish was the only candidate in 2010 to pass the Bar Examinations, organised at national level, under the aegis of the Supreme Court. He was called to the Bar of Mauritius in 2012 and is a member of the Mauritius Bar Association.

In 2012 Krish became the youngest person to be appointed as standing counsel to a commercial bank in Mauritius, when he was appointed to advise the Mauritius Post and Cooperative Bank. Since then, he has regularly appeared for the bank before the Commercial and Bankruptcy Divisions of the Supreme Court in relation to banking, commercial, and insolvency disputes including holding briefs in claims and asset-recovery proceedings, insolvency proceedings, and the execution and enforcement of security instruments. He also advises the Bank on a regular basis on all aspects of banking law.

In 2014 Krish represented the bank in Apavou Group of Hotels (In Receivership) v The Mauritius Post and Cooperative Bank Ltd (2014), together with Hiren Jankee, and successfully resisted a challenge to the bank’s appointment of a receiver-manager under a charge instrument. This case is currently the largest insolvency dispute in the history of Mauritius, worth over MUR4bn (about US$127m).

Krish also acts as counsel to various high-profile companies including the Credit Guarantee Insurance Company Ltd (an Insurance Company and subsidiary of the Mauritius Commercial Bank, the largest Commercial Bank in the country), and DHL (Mauritius) Ltd (a multinational company based in Mauritius).

Krish regularly lectures at the Faculty of Law and Management of the University of Mauritius in the fields of banking law, commercial law, and insolvency law.