Catherine Pham > Mourant > Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands > Lawyer Profile

The ‘business-minded and practical‘ corporate and commercial team at Mourant continues to be a regular fixture in the market’s cross-border M&A and other corporate transactions, and has capability across private equity, SPACs, corporate restructurings, joint ventures, and TISE/CSX listings. Head of the firm’s corporate and finance group in Cayman, Catherine Pham excels in structuring and restructuring, and is also the key contact in the Canadian practice and fintech group. Clients view Neal Lomax as ‘indispensable‘ and he is a stellar choice in investment fund M&A. Ramesh Maharaj specialises in private equity, corporate finance transactions, and non-contentious restructurings; and Hayden Isbister assists with secondary market transactions, corporate governance issues and M&A. Andrew Grant and Finn Howie are both younger partners with key contributions to make in the practice area.

Across primarily private equity, hedge, credit and distressed funds, the team at Mourant is held in high regard, fielding a number of experienced practitioners in the Cayman Islands. The department is sought after by leading asset managers and fund promoters, as well as startups, while on the investor side, clients include top financial institutions, sovereign wealth funds, family offices and pension funds. ‘Very knowledgeable‘ and ‘practical in her approach‘, Catherine Pham heads the team, and Cayman office managing partner Hayden Isbister is a further experienced name to note, as well as Neal Lomax; all three being well versed in acting for the largest investment fund managers and sponsors. The more junior partners to note are Chris Nixon and Rhiannon Williams who both excel in fund formation, management and restructuring.

Admired for its ‘excellent understanding of their area of expertise‘, the regulatory and compliance law team at Mourant is a robust choice for the range of financial regulation matters, assisting investment funds and fund managers, fund administrators and banking businesses both within and outside the Cayman Islands. Two lawyers jointly coordinate the practice: the ‘pragmatic and supportive‘ Sara Galletly, who is widely well regarded in the market, particularly for regulatory developments impacting fund, finance and corporate structures and regulated entities; and Catherine Pham, an investment funds specialist and leader of the wider corporate law practice. Litigation partner Hector Robinson KC is a contact to note in the contentious matters in this area, while Alastair Lagrange is the more junior lawyer to note.

Mourant fields a ‘prompt and knowledgeable‘ finance group that has capability across the gamut of matters seen in the Cayman Islands. Major asset managers and investment banks are among those instructing the practice and matters handled include fund financings, matters in leveraged finance, CLOs, securitisations and warehousings. Alexandra Woodcock frequently advises leading finance institutions and private fund sponsors on structuring and executing financial transactions and restructurings. She co-leads the finance group with Catherine Pham, a senior transactional lawyer. Ramesh Maharaj is a noted advisor on private equity matters, restructurings and corporate finance transactions, while for joint venture arrangements and SPACs, Hayden Isbister is a key name. Senior partner Neal Lomax remains the contact at the firm for a number of international banks, and more junior partner Finn Howie specialises in fund finance, leverage finance, structured finance transactions and distressed debt restructuring. Andrew Grant is another younger example of the firm’s strength in depth, and counsel Marianne Wilson is frequently involved.