Cayman Islands > Commercial disputes > Commercial disputes
Commercial disputes
Appleby is praised by clients as 'the go-to firm for high-value complex litigation'. Recent highlights include representing the liquidators of Bear Stearns in a dispute between investor shareholders who lost $1.5bn with the collapse of the investment bank. While Andrew Bolton, global head of the firm's litigation and insolvency practice group, is viewed as 'a powerful litigator'; Jeremy Walton, who specialises in international commercial litigation, is regarded as 'a superb commercial lawyer'. Walton has been involved in a number of leading Cayman insolvency and restructuring cases, including Absolute Capital Management and Basis Yield Alpha Fund. Other highlights include representing the majority shareholders of Fortuna Development, in a long-running shareholders' dispute. Well-regarded for his contentious skills, Carlos de Serpa Pimentel, head of the trusts local practice group, boasts solid experience in trust litigation matters for both the Cayman Islands and BVI.
Highly admired for its 'outstanding' contentious capability, Maples and Calder owes much to the leading reputation of its 'star partners' Colin Mckie, Mac Imrie and head of practice Aristos Galatopoulos, who is praised 'I know that there is going to be someone sensible who knows what they're doing.' The firm notably working alongside Linklaters LLP on a high profile dispute relating to a unit trust investment structure.
Walkers has also been heavily involved in fund restructurings as a result of world market conditions. The firm acted for Polestar in respect of the restructuring of approximately £250m of senior and subordinated debt. Other highlights include acting in connection with the parallel schemes of arrangement in the UK and Cayman to restructure Countrywide. Guy Locke is 'exceptional'; Sandie Corbett has been regarded as 'an excellent advocate'; and Diarmad Murray is 'technically very strong'.
One of the best local firms in litigation, Campbells receives client praise for providing 'superb support on litigation matters'. The firm's leading litigators Shaun McCann and Ross McDonough receive high praise from clients. While MacCann is viewed as 'an one of the jurisdiction's top litigators', McDonough receives praise for his 'quality advice' and 'full dedication to every matter at hand'. Guy Manning is also praised for being 'sensible and competent'. Clients include insurance companies and international banks.
Mourant du Feu & Jeune's eight lawyer team is spearheaded by the 'highly skilled and extremely knowledgeable' Hector Robinson. Spanning banking and trust litigation, complex fraud, insolvency and restructuring, asset recovery, and anti-money laundering, some of the firm's most notable clients include JPMorgan, Bank of America and Deloitte. The firm represented directors of Cayman Bear Stearns in connection with the winding up of Bear Stearns' Cayman funds. Of counsel Kenneth Farrow is highly recommended.
Ogier's fast growing dispute resolution team, now fielding seven fee-earners, team has doubled in size since last year. The team spans commercial disputes, trust disputes, corporate disputes, insolvency, investment funds dispute, foreign judgements and property disputes. Lead partner Christopher Russell is 'hugely respected' and 'excellent to work with'. The firm continues to act for the Brunei Government in proceedings for the recovery of assets held by Prince Jefri Bolkiah in the Cayman Islands. Other clients include Citigroup, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Bear Stearns.
Ritch & Conolly's 'fine' litigation practice boasts seven fee-earners and is co-led by the 'well-respected' David E Ritch and by the 'extremely professional' Cherry Bridges. Recent highlights include acting for Krys & Associates, in the winding up of separate hedge funds, worth $550m in assets. Alex Horsbrugh-Porter is also praised for being 'very skilful'.
At Turner & Roulstone, managing partner Alan Turner is the firm's most prominent expert on insolvency and restructuring issues. The firm has advised a number of international clients on a broad range of issues, from the enforcement of foreign judgments, to tracing claims, banking litigation, claims in conversion, injunctions, contractual disputes, shareholder disputes, professional negligence claims and judicial review proceedings.
Charles Adams, Ritchie & Duckworth boasts strong experience in personal injury and professional negligence claims in the legal, medical and accountancy fields, as well as in building construction disputes before the courts and arbitral bodies. Graham Ritchie QC, the firm's chief litigator, focuses on general commercial, trusts litigation and insolvency.
Conyers Dill & Pearman's 'highly experienced and very commercial' Nigel Meeson QC leads a team of five lawyers and focuses on employment, immigration, judicial review, trust litigation. Highlights include representing KPMG as liquidators to the Bear Stearns funds.
Solomon Harris's head of dispute resolution Laura Hatfield is praised for being 'commercial and pragmatic'. The firm recently assisted the joint voluntary liquidators of Bear Stearns High-Grade Structured Credit Strategies (Overseas) Fund and Bear Stearns High-Grade Structured Credit Strategies Enhanced Leverage (Overseas) Fund on Cayman legal aspects of claims against former directors, administrators and auditors of those funds. Other highlights include advising the US receiver of US companies and the joint official liquidators of Cayman companies involved in the "cash for titles" ponzi scheme, on various contentious issues. The firm's strong client portfolio boasts names such as KPMG, Kinetic Partners and Grant Thornton.
Litigation highlights at Stuarts, Walker Hersant Attorneys-At-Law include representing Pierre Falcone and various corporate entities, in relation to the protection of assets that had been the subject of applications for restraint by the Confederation of Switzerland and the Republic of France. The firm spans enforceability of judgments and arbitral awards, asset tracing, banking and contractual disputes, fraud and breach of fiduciary duty claims and insurance and professional indemnity claims. Senior associate Anthony Akiwumi is recommended.
Higgs Johnson Truman Bodden & Co's sound litigation team includes the 'well respected' Philip S Boni, who concentrates on commercial disputes, trusts, banking and confidentiality matters and family law.