The Legal 500

Cains is a leading Isle of Man law firm offering the full range of commercial, corporate and private client legal services to a strong domestic and international client base.

The firm: Cains has been in existence on the Isle of Man for over 100 years and commands a prominent position in the provision of global offshore legal services. In November 2007, Cains became the ‘Offshore Firm of the Year’ at the British Legal Awards and also ‘Offshore Firm of the Year’ at The Lawyer Awards in June 2008. Cains was also honoured with the Queens Award for Enterprise in the International Trade category in April 2009.

Cains aims to provide a high-quality and cost-effective service to all clients, both domestic and international. Cains’ lawyers work hard to understand the clients’ business to produce innovative legal solutions which meet the clients’ needs and objectives. The practice prides itself on its reputation, based on integrity and professionalism.

The practice has good links with the Isle of Man government in both a consultative and advisory capacity and has contributed significantly to the development of the Isle of Man’s financial services industry.

The practice’s clients around the world include substantial banking and financial institutions, major multinationals and other public and private companies from a wide cross-section of industry and commerce. Cains also acts as Isle of Man counsel to international law firms, state bodies and supranational bodies. Additionally, the practice offers assistance to private clients seeking expert estate planning advice.

Cains’ qualified staff include English, Singaporean, South African and Russian as well as Manx advocates and notaries. Cains invests heavily in its staff and systems to ensure that its clients’ needs are met as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible.

Cains established a permanent London presence in 2005 and opened an office in Singapore in July 2008.

Types of work undertaken: Cains offers specialist contentious and non-contentious legal services to its international and domestic clients, advising on Isle of Man and English law and practice and frequently co-ordinating the provision of advice and the management of multi-jurisdictional transactions.

The practice handles a comprehensive range of financial, corporate, commercial and property transactions. Specialists within the firm provide services in relation to: aviation finance and leasing; shipping; space; pension and employee benefits; banking and capital markets; regulatory matters; mutual funds; corporate finance; company structures; e-commerce and telecommunications; securitisations; private client; trusts; estate planning; insolvency; insurance; employment; commercial leasing; planning and other matters.

Cains’ dedicated commercial litigation department specialises in cross-border tracing of assets, fraud recovery and injunctions. Cains’ litigators have extensive experience of co-ordinating multi-jurisdictional litigation and deal with all aspects of litigation and dispute resolution for both corporate and high-net-worth individual clients.

*Cains is the trading name of Cains Advocates Limited, an incorporated legal practice on the Isle of Man with registered number 102780C.

Breakdown of work %
Corporate 80
Litigation 15
Property 5

Number of directors 6
Number of other fee-earners 23