Polly Wilkins

Spear’s Review

Polly Wilkins works with international HNW and UHNW clients facing high-profile cross-border investigations, complex civil and commercial litigation, forfeiture of their assets and international travel restrictions arising out of Interpol red notices in her role as partner and lead of the international private client group of Kobre & Kim.

The former Schillings and Squire Patton Boggs lawyer has developed a busy practice, often advising clients on multiple fronts to defend their personal and business reputation, as well as their assets and freedoms. ‘Managing these issues is complex enough, but having to deal with those allegations being published repeatedly – whether in the press, on social media, in compliance due diligence reports, or by international bodies and government agencies – quickly ramps the status to “crisis” levels,’ she says.

Adviser Profile

Polly Wilkins has extensive experience representing ultra-high-net-worth individuals and their families on reputation defence and cross-border litigation strategies. Her practice focuses on assisting clients facing allegations of fraud or misconduct, and she develops strategies aimed at mitigating business and reputational risks to their global business interests, spanning Cyprus, Europe, the US, the Middle East, Asia, Australia, Brazil, and offshore financial hubs like the Cayman Islands, British Virgin Islands, and Channel Islands. 

Ms Wilkins is particularly accustomed to coordinating legal strategy and working closely with a range of stakeholders — including public relations firms, investigators, private family offices and transactional wealth advisors — to formulate robust factual narratives that serve to counter the allegations facing her clients. She regularly deploys those narratives to approach financial institutions, stakeholders in her clients’ business ventures and the media to mitigate the risks HNW individuals accused of misconduct face, including bank account closure, due diligence concerns, withdrawal of citizenship and rejection of immigration status. 

Across her practice, Ms Wilkins builds strong relationships with her clients and strives to understand how they think, what they value and what they want to achieve. This approach forms the cornerstone for navigating crises effectively and meeting her clients’ personal needs and commercial realities. 

Ms Wilkins’ work has been recognised by private wealth publications, including Private Client Global Elite, Citywealth and Tatler. In 2023, she was highlighted in the Legal 500’s Reputation Management category, where she was described as ‘an expert in her field and personable to boot’.