Keisha M. Durham

Experience

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  University of the West Indies: Cavehill

  Jan 1999 - Jan 2000

  Public Relations Officer of the Trinidad & Tobago Students' Association

  Disseminated information to student body on behalf of the association; Acted as liaison between students and association ensuring that their views, interests and concerns were relayed and adequately addressed; Represented association to general administration as well as external stakeholders

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  Hugh Wooding Law School

  Jan 2001 - Jan 2002

  Vice President of Student Representative Council

  Represented Student's interests and acted as the voice of the student body to the Principal, Senior Tutor and Administration; Acted as Liason between student body and Management/ Administration negotiating respective positions and interests; Developed and attended to an enriching student life which accentuated as well as strengthened organisational & learning environment; Presented Study body paper to Council of Legal Education, Jamaica in respect of making effective curriculum changes so as to improve and strengthen legal training. Show less

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  Harney Westwood & Riegels

  Nov 2002 - Feb 2013

  Senior Associate Lawyer

  As a Senior Associate I handled a number of cases and lead on particular matters advocating on behalf of clients in the Commercial Court of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (Virgin Islands); as well as acted as Junior Counsel to leading Queen's Counsel from London who are admitted to practice in the BVI. These cases ranged from: (i) Cross Border Commercial Litigation/ Shareholder disputes particularly in the context of joint ventures; (ii) Insolvency proceedings; (iii) Restructuring proceedings involving Plans/Schemes of Arrangement; (iv) Judicial review proceedings in relation to Regulatory matters; (v) Contractual/licence disputes in Telecommunications matters. As a Senior Associate I also provided a range of support by way of team building, guidance and training to other Associates. Show less

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  The University of the West Indies

  Sept 2004 - Dec 2009

  Associate Tutor

  Lectured in the areas of Law & Legal Systems; Constitutional & Administrative Law; and Trusts Law

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  British Virgin Islands Bar Association

  May 2008 - May 2013

  As a Past President of the British Virgin Islands Bar Association ("BVI Bar Association") I had the privilege of being the youngest person to fill this esteemed leadership role in the Legal Profession. I served in collaboration with a very distinguished group of Lawyers who held other Leadership positions as the Council of the BVI Bar Association. While membership in the Bar Association is voluntary, it is the only group which represents the collective interests of Lawyers & ensures that the Ethics, Standards & Values of the Legal Profession are upheld and integrated in the practice of Law.During my tenure as President, I lead the Council of the BVI Bar Association & provided oversight in developing and carrying out the mission, aims and objectives of the BVI Bar Association as set out in its Constitution. This involved planning & hosting training conferences; establishing & co-ordinating various committees; holding & attending various meetings and other activities. In addition, there were two initiatives which I focused on and which were successful due to the support of other Lawyers and my collaborative effort alongside them.* Firstly, I built upon the efforts of previous Presidents and lead a focused, as well as highly involved initiative advocating for and eventually resulting in the implementation of a Legal Profession Act which would: (a) ensure that the Ethics, standards and high quality of practice of the legal profession in the British Virgin Islands are maintained and improved upon; as well as (b) provide clarity & guidelines to other important areas of practice such as the requirements for admission and the regulation of the Legal Profession.* Secondly, I carried out outreach, education and training activities in a manner that benefited not only the Legal Profession but also the Virgin Islands Community. This included a radio talk show featuring topics of interest for the community & training seminars featuring experienced Legal Practitioners. Show less As First Vice President of the British Virgin Islands Bar Association ("BVI Bar Association") I assisted and worked directly under the then President of the BVIBA - Mrs. Tana'ania Small Davis, ensuring that the mission and work of the Bar Association was advanced, as detailed in the twelve (12) point aims and objectives under the Constitution of the BVI Bar Association.During my tenure as First Vice President, I worked along with the President and other members of the Council of the Association to support and protect the character, status and interests of the legal profession of the British Virgin Islands; as well as provide guidance and advice on questions and issues which arose in this regard.I also worked closely with the President and supported her specific mandate in line with the mission of the BVI Bar Association throughout her two term tenure. This included acting as President of the BVI Bar during her leave of absence to accept a temporary appointment as a Judge of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court.In addition, throughout my service as First Vice President of the BVIBA I focused on the following activities:(i) collaborating with the members of the Council of the BVI Bar Association to facilitate and foster good relations and strong working relationships with the Judiciary, the Public, and the Government; as well as between the members of the BVIBA: lawyers practising the laws of the British Virgin Islands. (ii) providing direct support to the President in handling the complex, highly confidential and sensitive work of the Council of the BVI Bar Association particularly as this related to its oversight and self regulatory role in respect of the BVI Bar Association. This included the investigation of allegations of misconduct and breach of the ethical standards of the legal profession.(iii) leading the first outreach & educational initiative of the BVI Bar Association within the Virgin Islands: a radio talk show program - "Law Matters" Show less

  • President

    Nov 2010 - May 2013

  • Radio Talk Show Host - Law Matters

    Nov 2010 - May 2012

  • First Vice President

    May 2008 - Nov 2010
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  The Commonwealth Foundation

  Nov 2009 - Nov 2009

  Participant/ Representative of Financial crisis & Economic Development Group: Commonwealth Forum

  I attended the Commonwealth People's Forum 2009 which was organised by the Commonwealth Foundation with the theme "partnering for a more equitable and sustainable future". This was held a few days prior to the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting ("CHOGM") in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad. Critical issues were discussed on a wide range of issues amongst hundreds of participants from across the Commonwealth.I was privileged to be not only a Participant but also a Representative of the Financial Crisis and Economic Development Group Show less

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  TI Corp

  May 2011 - Jan 2015

  Director

  In addition to being a Director of this company, I occupied the roles of Vice Chairman and Chairman of the Board of Directors from 2013-2015. I also provided Corporate/ Business Consulting and Legal advisory services to the CEO and owner in order to structure this organisation effectively. In fulfilling these roles I applied my knowledge and expertise as well as made effective use of my network to add value while engaging in a range of activities including the following:(i) providing oversight, advice, and recommendations to the Board, management and employees on operations conducted by related companies (both for profit and non-profit entities) which formed part of the owner's business activities;(ii) conducting data analysis and recommending best practices regarding management of inventory and accounting;(iii) preparing periodic reports and resolutions of the Board to document the business and activities of the company together with the decisions made by the Directors in relation to the same;(iii) recommending and implementing new policies and procedures as well as Board committees to deal with a range of issues and activities related to the company and other companies owned by the CEO and owner. Show less

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  Sage BVI : Sage Corporate Consultants Limited

  Mar 2013 - now

  In this role of Director of Legal Services for Sage BVI, I manage and lead our Legal department through which we offer a range of legal services (legal consultancy, advisory, litigation management and representation) based on our areas of practice which include Litigation & Alternative Dispute Resolution, Corporate Governance, Data Protection, Cybersecurity, Digital Assets, Digitisation of Corporate Data, Digital Transformation, Economic Substance, Regulatory & Compliance (BVI Companies)I also provide support as needed to our Liquidations & Restructuring Department particularly where this involves providing legal support and guidance to Partners appointed as Liquidator in the discharge and fulfillment of their duties, addressing issues involving contingent liabilities, insolvency as well as the distribution of the company's assets and/or discharge of liabilities within the liquidation process. Show less In summary my work and practice as a Partner at Sage BVI involves the following: (i) Independent handling of complex, highly sensitive and confidential cases: specifically commercial litigation disputes involving BVI companies;(ii) co-ordinating and/or managing cross border litigation cases including overseeing external professionals where needed;(iii) providing strategic advice and recommendations to CEOs, Directors, Owners and Senior Management of Companies regarding internal and/or external disputes, conflict resolution & BVI law, procedure and practice; (iv) assisting companies with corporate governance matters, including effectively structuring their Boards & committees, and preparing board committee charters, corporate policies and procedures;(v) advising as well as sitting on the Boards of companies and non profit organisations in order to assist and build the capacity of CEOs, Owners, Directors and Senior Management particularly as this relates to managing their Ethical obligations and fiduciary duties in carrying out their roles and functions;(vi) working alongside Owners, Directors, Senior Management and Employees to resolve potential conflicts of interest, as well as implement corporate policies and procedures in accordance with Ethical standards, Core Values, Best Practice and International Standards;(vii) building on data, research & best practices to determine trends and major issues in the BVI legal and financial services industry in order to provide value added services as well as assist clients & stakeholders in implementing laws, policies and procedures. Show less

  • Director of Legal Services

    Sept 2021 - now

  • Partner - Commercial Litigation | Dispute Resolution | Corporate Governance

    Mar 2013 - now