Christopher J. McKenzie Honoured with Global Step
Veteran legal practitioner Christopher J. McKenzie has received the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) at a ceremony in London. The international honour recognises his pioneering role in developing the British Virgin Islands' trust and estate framework, including his instrumental work on the landmark VISTA legislation.
Veteran legal practitioner Christopher J. McKenzie has been honoured on the world stage, receiving the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) during a ceremony held on September 17 in London. STEP is the premier global professional body for the trusts and estates sector, connecting more than 23,000 members across 96 countries.
Its Lifetime Achievement Award is strictly reserved for individuals who have demonstrated exceptional, sustained contributions and leadership in the international wealth management and legal fields. McKenzie has played a foundational role in establishing the British Virgin Islands as a premier global offshore jurisdiction.
Upon arriving in the Territory in 1996, he became the BVI's first specialist trust and estate practitioner, helping to guide the jurisdiction's financial services industry from its early modern development. He later served as the founding chair of the BVI Branch of STEP, subsequently taking on senior regional and international positions where he championed the Territory's financial services sector globally.
His legislative contributions have fundamentally shaped the BVI financial services landscape. Most notably, McKenzie was instrumental in drafting the landmark Virgin Islands Special Trusts Act (VISTA). The innovative legislation became a cornerstone of the Territory's offshore trust framework, earning worldwide acclaim and attracting substantial international business to the BVI.
Beyond his legislative drafting, McKenzie's career spans decades of high-level advisory work, policy development, and the active mentorship of legal and financial practitioners across the Caribbean and beyond. McKenzie has also been a driving force behind local financial services education.
He helped establish specialised STEP and financial services training programmes at the H. That initiative laid the groundwork for what is now the Robert Mathavious Financial Services Institute, which continues to provide essential training and professional development for Virgin Islanders entering the sector.
In 2013, McKenzie joined leading BVI law firm O’Neal Webster as a partner and head of its Trusts and Estates Department, currently operating from the firm’s London office. In addition to his professional achievements, he has remained dedicated to community initiatives in the Virgin Islands, supporting charitable causes and assisting residents affected by natural disasters throughout his years of association with the Territory.
Members of the BVI legal, financial services, and wider community have extended warm congratulations to McKenzie, celebrating the global recognition as a testament to his lasting legacy and the Territory's continued stature in international financial affairs.
Primary source: VINO