Walkers > Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands > Firm Profile

Walkers > The Legal 500 Rankings

Cayman Islands > Banking, finance and capital markets Tier 1

Walkers‘ finance and corporate practice fields a market-leading team of finance lawyers, which routinely advises leading financial institutions on all types of finance transactions, including cross-border syndicated, acquisition and project finance work and derivatives mandates. In the capital market and structured finance space, James Burch stands out as a key player, and regularly handles CLOs, securitisations and secured note programme structures alongside Philip Paschalides, whose expertise ranges from debt capital market issuances to catastrophe bonds and insurance-linked securities. Rob Jackson regularly handles cross-border project finance transactions, hedge funds and private equity financings. Joanne Ziegler‘s expertise spans structured finance and securitisation transactions, CLOs, aircraft ABS transactions and CSX listings, while Sarah Humpleby‘s knowledge of the aviation and asset finance industry allows her to navigate complex transactions. Fund finance transaction specialist Justin Hart and subscription finance expert Hugh Anderson are also highly recommended. Newly promoted partner Olga Sologub and David Collins‘ expertise in bilateral and syndicated lending add to the team.

Cayman Islands > Corporate and commercial Tier 1

Walkers fields a cross-practice team of experienced practitioners, who are regularly sought out by clients for capabilities in de-SPAC and M&A transactions. Rob Jackson regularly advises on share acquisitions and disposals, joint ventures and shareholder arrangements, IPOs and corporate restructurings, while global managing partner Ingrid Pierce also leads the investment funds group. Both Caroline Williams and Melissa Lim are noted for their expertise in M&A and joint ventures, with Lim also focusing on fintech transactions including blockchain projects and digital assets. Hugh Anderson specialises in M&A and IPOs, an area in which Justin Hart is also active. Andrew Barker regularly advises leading investment managers and private equity sponsors on fund structuring issues, joint ventures, acquisitions and disposals. Commercial transaction expert Jason Allison is also recommended.

Cayman Islands > Dispute resolution Tier 1

Fielding the largest insolvency and dispute resolution practice in the Cayman Islands and with offices in 10 jurisdictions, Walkers stands out in the market for the ‘consistent and impeccable quality of the teams in each location’, which routinely represents clients in complex dispute resolution including asset recovery, restructuring and insolvency matters. Spearheaded by cross-border restructuring expert Neil Lupton and specialist in corporate recovery Matthew Goucke, the team regularly handles high-profile restructurings, trust litigation and multi-jurisdictional liquidations. International commercial disputes and arbitrations specialist Nick Dunne regularly handles high-value cross-border cases before the Grand Court and the Cayman Islands Court of Appeal, while Shelley White is a ‘highly persuasive advocate’ who specialises in complex multi-jurisdictional disputes. Rupert Bell’s capabilities are concentrated on high-profile and cross-border insolvency cases, as well as fraud and asset tracing matters, while Barnaby Gowrie is a key player in international contentious restructuring work. Peter Kendall is recommended for cross-border insolvency mandates, while Fiona MacAdam focuses on debt restructuring matters. Siobhan Sheridan is the key name at associate level.

Cayman Islands > Investment funds Tier 1

Standing out as an adviser of choice for many of the world’s most renowned investment funds, Walkers‘ expertise stretches from fund formation and capitalisation work, to assistance with financing and downstream transactions. A key differentiator is the firm’s risk and regulatory practice, which acts as an extension of the funds team. Caroline Williams is the senior relationship partner for a number of the group’s large and institutional private equity clients, while Melissa Lim is a leading name for relevant work at the intersection of finance and technology. Both Andrew Barker and Bicrom Das have wide practices, with the former bringing significant SPAC expertise to the group. Managing partner Ingrid Pierce and James Melen round out the roster of key senior contacts. In terms of more junior partners, Christine Ballantyne-Drewe and Matt Bernardo are highly recommended. Tim Buckley retired in mid-2023.

Cayman Islands > Regulatory and compliance Tier 1

Walkers maintains a thriving regulatory and compliance practice, which is a go-to choice for a number of non-regulated and regulated financial institutions across the banking, insurance, investment fund and investment management spaces. Practice head Lucy Frew has a lengthy track record in assisting banks, insurers, and fintech and virtual asset companies with financial regulatory matters and investigations, while Ian Mason, who joined from Gowling WLG in early 2023, provides advice on contentious regulatory and compliance issues, financial crime proceedings, anti-money laundering matters and fintech and crypto-assets. Regarded as ‘knowledgeable, responsive and personable’, Andrew Howarth is a seasoned expert in regulatory compliance, counter-terrorist financing and international sanctions, while Tony De Quintal, who is part of the financial regulatory group, is also recommended. Investigations and financial crime expert Juliana Tang is another key name, and both Charlie Griffiths and Efe Avan-Nomayo are noted for their expertise in virtual assets.

Cayman Islands > Trusts/private client Tier 1

Fielding a multi-jurisdictional team of expert lawyers, Walkers is a key choice for entrepreneurs, trustees, family offices and businesses seeking advice on trust litigation, relocations, family investment funds and succession planning with respect to digital assets. Cayman and BVI trusts and succession law specialist David Pytches leads the practice together with Monique Bhullar, who is noted for her expertise in complex commercial STAR trusts, securitisation trusts, and employee benefit trusts; Shelley White, who is a specialist in complex multi-jurisdictional disputes; and Philip Paschalides, who notably focuses on cross-border transactions and relocations for ultra-high-net-worth individuals and families. Newly promoted partner Lucy Diggle regularly advises on the restructuring, management and termination of trusts, while cross-border trust litigation expert Daisy Boulter is also recommended.

Cayman Islands > Insurance/reinsurance Tier 2

Walkers‘ insurance practice draws on the expertise of its team to routinely advise on regulatory insurance matters and CIMA remediation compliance reviews. Financial regulatory and risk management specialist and practice co-head Lucy Frew has a longstanding experience in assisting clients with contentious, often cross-border, financial regulatory matters, as well as representing insurers in a wide range of disputes, including class actions. Co-lead Philip Paschalides is noted for his expertise in catastrophe bonds, insurance-linked securities and bespoke structured transactions, while Juliana Tang‘s focus is on regulatory applications and notifications, anti-money laundering issues, insurtech matters and CIMA regulatory inspections. Ian Mason recently joined the team, adding expertise in regulatory issues including insider dealing, anti-money laundering, fintech and crypto–asset mandates.

Hong Kong > Offshore law firms

With a ‘deep bench of technically skilled lawyers’ at its disposal, many of which are ‘well-versed with the business dynamics and culture of PRC clients’, Walkers’ well-established Hong Kong team has the depth and breadth of resources to handle a tremendous volume and range of transactional and disputes work. The ‘extremely commercial, knowledgeable and responsive‘ Andy Randall leads from the front, combining his managing partner duties with a compelling corporate and finance practice that includes capital markets and asset finance expertise. The ‘pragmatic and user-friendly’ Kristen Kwok is also highly skilled at handling finance matters, including as it relates to structured finance and securitisation matters – where she is widely recognised as the go-to Cayman counsel for setting up offshore repackaging programmes for Chinese banks and securities firms. Investment funds work is also a core strength of the office across asset classes and geographies, with James Gaden, Denise Wong and Thomas Granger well-versed in hedge and private equity fund formation matters and pursuant transactional work. The team has maintained a strong deal flow in the space in spite of a retrenchment of US investors away from Chinese funds, picking up a slew of mandates including in relation to Japanese focused funds as investors re-allocate their capital flows. The ‘pragmatic and client friendly’ Tom Pugh is ‘knowledgeable in offshore insolvency work’, and brings well-rounded perspective both in relation to offshore and onshore matters for a range of creditor and debtor-side stakeholders across a range of cross-border insolvency and restructuring matters. Under the guidance of the ‘extremely knowledgeable and very responsive’ Colm Dawson, the firm also maintains a market-leading regulatory offering which spans the banking and investment management sectors, in particular.

British Virgin Islands > Trusts/private client

Walkers BVI‘s team of specialist lawyers is sought out by a host of entrepreneurs, wealthy families, and institutional and individual trustees for its expertise in non-contentious issues and contentious matters before the BVI Courts. Company law and corporate litigation specialist Rosalind Nicholson leads the practice together with David Pytches, who splits its time between Cayman and BVI and leads on multi-billion-dollar trust restructuring matters. Pytches is also noted for his expertise in the fintech sector and has advised on various BVI trusts in the blockchain space. Oliver Clifton regularly appears in proceedings involving fraud and asset tracing issues as well as oligarch-related litigation.

Bermuda > Regulatory and compliance

With a knowledge described as ‘second to none,’ the team at Walkers provides legal advice on regulatory matters both domestically and overseas, regularly assisting multi-national corporations with complex high-value matters across a range of industries, including the fintech, investment funds and insurance sectors. With a highly diverse client base and a particular focus on digital assets businesses, Natalie Neto co-heads the practice alongside specialist financial regulatory and risk management advisory lawyer, Lucy Frew. Other notable contacts at the firm include ‘subject matter expert in this field’ Melanie Fullerton, who regularly advises clients on the evolving regulatory landscape in Bermuda, as well as Nicholas Howard, a senior associate with a focus on both regulatory matters and disputes.

British Virgin Islands > Regulatory and compliance

Spearheaded by fintech regulation expert Lucy Frew from Cayman, Walkers BVI assists a varied client base across the banking, insurance and reinsurance, and investment sectors on a host of financial regulation and risk management issues, as well as contentious and advisory matters. Data protection, cross-border compliance and risk management specialist Sara Hall is based in London and is known for advising on OECD compliance, while senior counsel Iona Wright, who is the primary contact based in the BVI, is praised by clients for her knowledge of financial services regulatory matters, governance work and corporate transaction regulatory support.