Harneys enhances team in British Virgin Islands

Harneys, a prominent offshore law firm, has significantly enhanced its Transactional team in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) with two notable senior hires. La Toya James joined the firm's Regulatory & Tax practice in April 2026, where she leads its Tax team in the BVI. La Toya comes to Harneys following her tenure as director at a major BVI regulatory body, bringing extensive experience in financial services and taxation.

La Toya specialises in advising clients on a range of financial services, regulatory, and tax matters. Her focus areas include Economic Substance, the Common Reporting Standards, the Crypto Asset Reporting Framework, and Exchange of Information Upon Request related to tax compliance. Her previous role involved 13 years as the Director of the International Tax Authority in the BVI, where she played a significant role in the jurisdiction's legislative framework. She was instrumental in drafting both primary and secondary legislation along with guidance notes to facilitate adherence to international tax standards.

In May 2026, Alexandra Holden joined the Banking & Finance team as counsel. Formerly a partner at Kirkland & Ellis in London, she has a wealth of expertise in general banking and finance law. Her experience spans advising borrowers, sponsors, and lenders across various financings and sectors, covering areas like corporate lending, debt restructuring, and project finance. Alex has also specialised in advising clients on complex transactions in digital infrastructure and real estate, further enhancing the firm's offering in this growing market.

Commenting on the appointments, George Weston, the firm's Global Head of Corporate and Head of BVI Transactional, expressed enthusiasm for the new hires, stating, "We are delighted to welcome La Toya and Alex to the team. These hires represent a significant investment in the depth and breadth of our transactional offering in the BVI. La Toya brings unrivalled knowledge of the jurisdiction's tax and regulatory landscape, having spent over a decade at the forefront of shaping its legislative framework, and Alex's experience advising on complex banking and finance transactions is an invaluable addition to our capabilities. Together, these appointments underscore our commitment to providing clients with market-leading expertise across the full spectrum of transactional work in the BVI."

The Harneys Transactional team is well-equipped to provide integrated advice on complex offshore and cross-border transactions. The firm boasts a comprehensive suite of services spanning Banking & Finance, Corporate, Funds & Asset Management, and Regulatory & Tax practices. It supports clients across key jurisdictions on a wide range of transactional work, from debt finance and mergers & acquisitions (M&A) to corporate advisory matters, fund formation, restructuring, and compliance with regulatory and tax issues. The addition of La Toya and Alex signifies Harneys' ongoing commitment to enhancing its capabilities in the BVI’s competitive legal landscape.