Financial empires collapse, fortunes vanish, and headlines echo with the fallout of fraud, failure, and mismanagement. Behind the scenes, families lose savings, investors scramble for answers, and global trust hangs by a thread. These are not just numbers on spreadsheets, they’re stories of ambition gone wrong, of promises broken. And while the collapse makes noise, the cleanup demands something rarer: calm precision, legal firepower, and the ability to untangle chaos into justice. This is the quiet urgency of insolvency and asset recovery, where the mission is not only to restore balance, but to reclaim what was thought lost.
Toni Shukla, Director in Kroll’s Restructuring practice, British Virgin Islands, steps into that silence—not with spectacle, but with skill. A trusted name in cross-border insolvency and asset recovery, she brings more than two decades of experience to the table, guiding high-stakes cases with precision and perspective.
A Journey Through Every Stage of Insolvency
Toni didn’t begin her career behind spreadsheets or courtroom benches. She started where it mattered most, on the front lines, speaking directly with creditors. As she explained the roles of liquidators and trustees and laid out how asset recovery would unfold, Toni built a foundation rooted in people, not just process. These early interactions sparked her curiosity about the inner workings of insolvency, leading her into more technical casework, deeper responsibilities, and professional qualifications.
But even as her expertise expanded, Toni never let go of empathy. “Whether someone loses $100 or $100 million,” she reflects, “the stress is real.” That perspective shaped her entire approach. Today, Toni blends rigorous technical insight with a deeply intuitive grasp of stakeholder concerns—because she’s worked through every stage of the insolvency journey and witnessed the impact it can have firsthand .
Lessons Across Borders and Boardrooms
From global firms to offshore powerhouses, Toni’s career has spanned environments that each added layers to her professional lens. Her early days at one of the world’s leading firms offered robust technical training and the support she needed to thrive. But it was her transition offshore that introduced her to a new scale—where the work was global, the stakes were high, and the outcomes shaped international headlines.
Despite changing geographies and client profiles, Toni noticed a common thread. Whether she’s dealing with an individual who lost their life savings or a fund managing a multimillion-dollar shortfall, the need remains the same: clarity, confidence, and results. Toni meets each client with equal respect, recognizing that while their circumstances may differ, their urgency and emotional weight do not.
Cross-Border Strategy with Local Foresight
In cross-border insolvency, there’s no universal roadmap—something Toni knows all too well. Navigating such matters requires instinct, agility, and legal depth. Different jurisdictions bring different challenges: laws vary, court systems move at their own pace, and cultural attitudes around enforcement often require a nuanced touch.
Toni’s strength lies in walking into unfamiliar jurisdictions and quickly gaining traction. Though she may not be licensed in every territory, her decades of experience give her the ability to read between the legal lines. She can scan the landscape, draw on precedent, and build an actionable strategy with both speed and precision.
“Over 20 years in this field means you don’t panic—you pivot,” she says. It’s that calm under pressure, paired with sharp insight, that allows Toni to lead with impact—even in unfamiliar legal territory. Her work isn’t just about law; it’s about understanding how people, systems, and strategy intersect across borders.
No Such Thing as Typical
For Toni, the concept of a “typical” day simply doesn’t exist. She balances global insolvency cases, local client commitments, a toddler, stepchildren, a husband—and even a cat—often before most people have had their second cup of coffee.
Her mornings might begin with preparing for high-stakes client calls, diving into asset tracing strategies, or working alongside counsel across time zones. While her expertise is firmly rooted in the technical, Toni leads with a strong sense of empathy. She avoids asking staff to work after hours unless absolutely essential, and if something simple needs to be done, she’ll do it herself—whether it’s pulling company searches or handling the groundwork.
To Toni, leadership isn’t about status, it’s about service. She’s hands-on, supportive, and committed to creating space for others to thrive, especially working parents. Having carved her career path without privilege or shortcuts, she brings that grounded perspective into every engagement.
Delivering Depth in Global Insolvency
When handling high-profile cases, like those connected to the collapse of FTX or the 1MDB scandal, guesswork and manual spreadsheets fall short. According to Toni, what’s needed is a fusion of intelligence, speed, and tech that can keep up with the fluid nature of global litigation.
That’s where Kroll stands out. With robust platforms that integrate analytics and real-time collaboration tools, Toni is equipped to lead with strategic precision. The technology doesn’t just process data—it enhances insight, allowing her to focus on critical decisions: where to search, what to prioritize, and how to sequence legal action across borders.
This digital edge means Toni can act faster, smarter, and more cohesively—bringing real momentum to complex, high-stakes recoveries.
A Force in Global Resolution
What truly sets Kroll apart, Toni notes, is not just the firm’s global reach—it’s the combination of talent, technology, and trust. Kroll consistently leads some of the world’s most complex insolvency cases synonymous with global financial scandal and high-impact litigation.
But it’s not the size of the cases that defines the firm—it’s the depth of execution. Toni and her team are known for their strategic thinking, technical sharpness, and relentless focus on meaningful resolution. Kroll doesn’t just process claims; it solves problems at scale.
For Toni, every engagement is backed by a firm that empowers her to lead decisively. With the right tools, the right people, and the full trust of her organization, she brings not only results—but reassurance. That combination is rare, and it’s exactly why clients continue to return.
Investing in People to Protect a Jurisdiction
According to Toni, one of the most pressing challenges in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) insolvency sector isn’t the complexity of the cases—it’s the retention of talent. With a smaller market and the pressure to promote quickly, sustaining high standards can become difficult. Toni believes this presents a powerful opportunity for seasoned professionals to lead with integrity and set benchmarks that truly matter.
“What the BVI needs,” she emphasizes, “is consistency, mentorship, and a commitment to quality.” Fortunately, the jurisdiction continues to attract significant, high-value cross-border engagements. These cases are not only intellectually stimulating but also position the BVI at the forefront of offshore restructuring. If the talent pipeline can be nurtured and the quality of work maintained, Toni is confident that the BVI will continue to thrive as a global restructuring hub.
Agility in a Shifting Global Landscape
Toni notes that global uncertainty—driven by geopolitical shifts, regulatory changes, and evolving enforcement priorities—is reshaping the way insolvency and litigation support operate, both in the UK and offshore jurisdictions. She’s quick to point out how political narratives increasingly influence which cases are pursued, and which quietly fall away.
In this changing climate, agility is no longer optional—it’s essential. Practitioners must be cross-jurisdictionally fluent, quick-thinking, and technically adept. “Transparency is no longer just a buzzword,” Toni explains. “From documentation to digital evidence, everything is under the spotlight.”
She also sees a deeper shift: a public hunger for impact. High-profile cases like 1MDB are no longer viewed as just legal matters—they’ve become symbols of justice. There’s growing pressure on insolvency professionals to demonstrate that their work contributes to real accountability, not just procedural box-checking. And Toni believes that expectation is only going to intensify.
Breaking Down Barriers in Asset Recovery
When it comes to multi-jurisdictional asset tracing and enforcement, Toni has seen the same recurring hurdles: misaligned legislation, inconsistent cooperation, and time. “Courts move at different speeds. Assets move even faster,” she explains.
Her approach to overcoming these barriers is grounded in experience and strategy. Rather than reacting in panic, Toni breaks each challenge down: identify the exact roadblock, draw on precedent, and assess which jurisdictions offer the best leverage. “Sometimes you don’t get through the front door,” she says, “but you find a back channel that gets the job done.”
For Toni, collaboration with local counsel is essential, but it’s just as important to maintain a sharp focus on the overall objective. Strategic thinking, persistence, and an ability to adapt to shifting ground are what ultimately drive results.
The Real Currency in Cross-Border Cases
For Toni, collaboration and communication aren’t just soft skills—they’re the lifeblood of effective cross-border insolvency work. In global engagements where lawyers, investigators, regulators, and litigation funders are often scattered across five or six time zones, clarity and mutual respect are non-negotiable.
“You can’t win these cases solo,” Toni says. Her approach is built on being someone people want to work with—someone known for clear communication, consistency, and delivery. She actively cultivates a team culture that mirrors this standard: no ego, no drama, just sharp execution and mutual support.
She’s also intentional about protecting her team’s time, backing them up when pressure rises, and creating space for open, real conversations. That same ethos extends to how Toni engages with clients and external partners. Trust, after all, is essential when tracing assets across jurisdictions or pursuing fraud claims that hinge on speed and cohesion.
And when things go wrong, as they inevitably do—Toni knows that it’s not just technical skill, but communication that determines how fast and effectively a team recovers. To her, collaboration isn’t a feel-good bonus. It’s a competitive advantage.
