Matthew Mason

Senior Counsel
Dispute Resolution / Restructuring & Insolvency

T: +1 (441) 294-0140

E: matthew.mason@aswlaw.com

Matthew has over 16 years' experience of commercial and corporate dispute resolution, with a focus on (re)insurance matters. He is recommended by the major two international independent legal directories, with The Legal 500 rating him for "complex litigation, arbitration and insolvency proceedings" and Chambers & Partners noting he is "knowledgeable, practical and very experienced" and "is quick to understand client needs, very hard-working and responsive."

 

Matthew has been in Bermuda for six years, and in this time he has been instructed on many of Bermuda's most prominent matters:

 

  • PDV Insurance Company Ltd (Venezuela’s national oil and energy (re)insurance captive) - representing the company and progressing (re)insurance claims under complex speciality, treaty and quota share policies, with claims including: major oil spills and incidents with substantial environmental claims, maritime claims, property damage and terrorism. Disputes subject to courts and arbitrations across the globe. Extensive international public law issues arising from US and international sanctions on Venezuela arising from its political crisis. Advised and represented the company liquidators on the liquidation process and throughout a successful scheme of arranagement, whereby a cedent, CITGO Petroleum Corporation, received benefits of a reinsurance policy.

 

  • Markel CATCo companies (insurance linked securities (ILS) investment funds) - acting for MarkelCATCo companies in a successful, and novel, scheme of arranagement, involving a buy-out of ILS participants, with mutual releases and waivers, following losses suffered in the catastrophic risk reinsurance market in 2017 and 2018.

 

  • 777 Re Ltd. (a Bermuda Class E (re)insurer)) - regulatory dispute with the Bermuda Monetary Authority (BMA) (Bermuda's financial and (re)insurance regulator) following a statutory investigation as a result of scrutiny of investment activties, including, most notably, the propsoed acquisition of Everton Football Club - acting for prominent insurers in the United States reinsured through private equity co-funded / trust agreements. Meetings and negotiations with the BMA and the appointed investigator resulted in amicable recapture.

 

  • PB Life & Annuity Co Ltd (a Bermuda Class E (re)insurer)) - acting for the BMA involving complex legal argument before the Bermuda Supreme Court (Commercial Division) on section 36 the Bermuda Insurance Act 1978 as to the definition of "insurance debt."

 

  • Northstar Financial Services (Bermuda) Ltd (a Bermuda Class C (re)insurer, and a segregated accounts company)) - representing Citigroup and Citibank entities' interests, as trustees of long term insurance products, in a court-appointed liquidation by the BMA, prompted by the criminal convictions of Mr Lindberg (the beneficial owner) for federal wire fraud and bribery in the United States.

 

  • 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 Brockman Trust – Bermuda counsel for the Trust, and associated funds, involved in the largest US tax fraud allegation against an individual in our history (US$ 2 billion).

 

Matthew is regularly called upon by ASW's Corporate Department to provide legal advice and assistance on transactional corporate matters (most with a (re)insurance aspect) including: mergers and acquisitions, hostile takeovers and share rights plans, BMA / regulatory filings, potential restructurings 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  corporate law, finance, international trade and insolvency matters. Matthew had conduct of interlocutory, trial, and appellate advocacy before the High Court and the Court of Appeal (including pursuing out of hours / urgent injunctive relief).

 

Matthew is a New York Attorney and Counsellor at Law, and he is a qualified and endorsed Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

Reported Cases
  • In the matter of Argo Group International Holdings Inc. [2024] SC (Bda) 69 Civ (3 December 2024)
  • Titan Petrochemicals Group Limited v. Sino Charm International Limited and Ors [2023] CA (Bda) 5 Civ 2
  • In the matter of PB Life and Annuity Co. Ltd [2023] SC (Bda) 1 Civ. 12 January 2023
  • Titan Petrochemicals Group Limited v. Sino Charm International Limited and Ors [2022] CA (Bda) 13 Civ 9
  • In the matter of Markel CatCo Reinsurance Fund Limited & Ors [2022] SC (Bda) 12 Com (25 February 2022)
  • In the matter of Northstar Financial Services (Bermuda) Ltd [2021] SC (Bda) 68 Com
  • St John’s Trust Company (PVT) Limited v. Watlington and Ors [2021] SC (Bda) 62 Civ
  • Re the B Trust, Medlands (PTC) Ltd v. Attorney General et al [2021] SC (Bda) 41 Com