Firm Profile > Ogier > Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
Ogier Offices
89 NEXUS WAY
CAMANA BAY
GRAND CAYMAN KY1-9007
Cayman Islands
Ogier > The Legal 500 Rankings
Trusts/private client Tier 1
Global dispute resolution head Rachael Reynolds and trusts specialist Anthony Partridge jointly lead Ogier’s private wealth practice, which handles a broad range of contentious and non-contentious instructions. Partridge regularly advises on wealth structuring matters for institutional trustees and high-net-worth individuals, with particular expertise in cross-border succession and probate work. Elsewhere, Reynolds, with the assistance of Jennifer Fox, specialises in acting for executors, trustees, settlors, protectors, enforcers and beneficiaries in high-value international trust and estate disputes. Managing associate Fraser Allister has particular expertise in the formation of foundation companies for use as traditional wealth planning vehicles, particularly in the cryptocurrency and fintech arenas.
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Testimonials
‘Extremely responsive and knowledgeable. Given international nature of practice the flexibility and creativity they bring to the table is very helpful.’
‘Extremely personable and exude the confidence that they have the knowledge and ability to get the job done. Responsiveness and ability to earn the quick respect of the client is a great attribute.’
‘Excellent reputation in the Caymans. First choice for litigation in the region.’
‘Rachael Reynolds – fantastic reputation, hugely knowledgeable, very approachable, good tactician.’
‘Cohesion between contentious and non-contentious practitioners with a real understanding of trusts.’
‘Rachael Reynolds has exceptional knowledge of trust law and how it interconnects with other fields of law, ensuring that not only is she on top of the trust details but is able to put them into a context that can often offer a competitive advantage.’
‘In recent years, under the leadership of Rachel Reynolds, Ogier has developed into the leading litigation firm in the Cayman Islands. It has an enviable reputation for meticulous, high quality work. It is unsurprising that it has been involved in most of the leading cases in the private client arena.’
‘Rachael Reynolds – the doyenne of the offshore private client world – simply the best in this hugely competitive area.’
‘Excellent world class trusts and private client team who are at the forefront of many of the leading cases.’
‘Rachael Reynolds – one of the best trust lawyers working in the offshore world. Very clever and knowledgeable but also shrewd and commercial. She will find a practical solution for her client. Jennifer Fox – a pleasure to work with and a rising star new to partner level. She will go far.’
Key clients
Genesis Trust Company (Lands and Sanchez matters)
HSBC
Guardian of the Settlor and primary beneficiary of the Stingray Trust
Banking, finance and capital markets Tier 2
At Ogier, the group is particularly strong on fund finance matters, evidenced by its CAYLUX offering, a cross-jurisdictional fund finance collaboration between the firm’s Cayman and Luxembourg fund finance teams. The practice continues to attract new clients, which include major lenders in the fund finance market and US law firms with a lender-side practice. The department also has a strong debt capital markets practice and frequently assists with debt listings on the Cayman Islands Stock Exchange. A key area of focus for global practice head Angus Davison and Mark Santangeli is structured finance work, which includes advising on CLOs, securitisations, warehouse lending structures, risk retention structures, structured products, derivative arrangements and a variety of other bespoke structures.Practice head(s):
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Testimonials
‘Ogier stands out as clearly one of the leading firms in the market. A strong group of partners and senior associate including James Heinicke and Tommy Tuohy continues to grow with particular knowledge in Corporate Matters, Financial, Banking and Capital Markets Law. Ogier has an unrivalled presence in Cayman Islands thanks to its expertise handling the most demanding and complex transactions and providing expert, efficient and cost effective services in the region, and its exceptional lawyers, with a level of sophistication and expertise that you do not normally see at big firms’.
‘Deeply experienced corporate-finance specialist James Heinicke is one of the partners at Ogier and is very responsive to our requests, did very good work and had a clear understanding of the Cayman law issues.’
‘Tommy Tuohy is noted as an excellent professional with great knowledge of corporate issues and outstanding creativity to solve matters related to corporate groups.’
‘Ogier has an impressive collaborative approach, their responsiveness and approachability set them apart from their competitors.’
Key clients
Silicon Valley Bank
Deutsche Bank AG
Angelo Gordon & Co LP
EMR Capital Advisors Pty Ltd
HSBC Bank plc
Dispute resolution Tier 2
Jointly led by trusts disputes head Rachael Reynolds and restructuring and insolvency group leader Marc Kish, the team at Ogier handles a variety of disputes and claims in Cayman. Kish specialises in international insolvency, restructuring and financial services disputes, including large-scale fraud and asset tracing claims, while Reynolds is renowned for handling high-value international trust and estate disputes. The group is also seeing an increase in fair-value disputes as well as insolvent trusts work. Jennifer Fox is also a key name to note in the team, which has seen notable expansion as well as a spate of promotions: trusts expert Deborah Barker-Roye was promoted to counsel, Gemma Lardner was promoted to managing associate, and William Jones was promoted to partner. In the firm's London office, Cayman specialists Jeremy Snead and counsel Anna Snead joined from Appleby in mid-2020.Practice head(s):
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Testimonials
‘Marc Kish and Will Jones – both first rate litigators.’
‘Rachael Reynolds is a powerhouse in the Cayman litigation world. I want her on my side! She leads a very competent team.’
‘Excellent reputation in the Cayman Islands. First choice for litigation in the region.’
‘Rachael Reynolds – fantastic reputation, hugely knowledgeable, very approachable, good tactician.’
‘From our perspective, it is the ‘go to’ team for trust disputes in Cayman – having sufficient bench-strength to manage high value, complex matters, but first-rate personable client service.’
‘Rachael Reynolds possesses in abundance the qualities required by a truly stand-out litigator: intellect, charm and grit.’
‘Jennifer Fox is also making a name for herself as someone to be relied upon for the sophisticated handling of complex disputes.’
‘Ogier’s dispute resolution team is headed up by sophisticated, able and committed senior lawyers, the team has strength in depth at all levels and they are involved in most of the important cases taking place in the Cayman jurisdiction.’
‘I would like to call out Marc Kish. He is at the top of his game. He brings a sense of calm assurance to the team, he is completely committed to finding the best result for the client, is an excellent team leader and he has excellent judgment. He is also a delight to work with.’
Key clients
The conflict director, litigation committee and Investors Committee of Neoma Private Equity Fund IV (Abraaaj)
Tianrui (International) Holding Company Limited (China Shanshui)
The Kuwait Ports Authority (Port Fund)
Raiffeisen Bank International
Essar Global Fund Limited and Essar Capital Limited
G3 Exploration Limited
Bitmain Technologies Holding Company
Sandra Holdings
HSBC
Family Mart Co. Ltd (FMCH)
St Johns Trust Company
Dissenting creditor group of Ehi Car Services
OL Group (Assured Fund)
Gol Linhas Aereas S.A.
CIBC
Investment funds Tier 2
Supported by lawyers in its corporate, banking and finance, and private wealth departments, the investment funds team at Ogier advises on the full spectrum of fund structures including hedge, private equity, real estate, infrastructure, energy, credit, debt, venture capital and cryptocurrency funds. Headed up globally by James Bergstrom, the group is a key name in the Cayman registered funds market, regularly acting for clients in North America. The team also has a strong Latin America practice, led by Giorgio Subiotto, as well as a large number of Asian and European clients alongside an increasing prominence in regulatory issues. A notable growth area for the firm is its private equity and crypto funds practice, which is headed by Nick Rogers, who advises a raft of hedge funds, sponsors and investors on private equity matters. Regulatory expert Joanne Huckle, hedge fund and private equity specialist Justin Savage, managing associate Tim Cone, and counsels Emma Sutherland and Barry McEwan are further names to note, and regulatory counsel Dave Sherwin joined from Maples Group in 2020.
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Testimonials
‘A knowledgeable, approachable and responsive team. All of the team members that I have come across are enthusiastic, quick and go to the extra mile to be helpful.’
‘Jo Huckle is particularly impressive in terms of her understanding of funds law in Cayman and the regulatory environment in general.’
‘Justin Savage provides a high-quality work product to tight timetables.’
‘Barry McEwan works tirelessly to meet client expectations.’
‘Always available to answer questions, great depth of knowledge, proactive approach to providing information regarding potential changes to local legislation.’
‘Justin Savage, Funds Partner. Justin is always willing to assist with any questions that arise.’
‘The team members are always available. They are kind and clearly do their best to assist us. They do not miss deadlines and are quick. Giorgio Subiotto does stand out.’
‘Ogier’s team is very pleasant to work with because they are pro-active, accurate and fast. They truly are a trusted advisor.’
‘Joanne Huckle is an experienced and skilled professional. She is always on top of things and makes sure that the process deadlines are met. She is very responsive, and also kind and polite.’
‘Very responsive team. I usually receive a response to my emails within an hour or so of sending. If a team member is unavailable, they will make an effort to let me know beforehand. Appreciate the responsiveness and open level of communication.’
Key clients
5D+ Capital Investment Management Company
GAMA Investimentos
Voleon Funds LP
Banco BTG Pactual S.A.
Regulatory and compliance Tier 2
With its ‘regulatory lawyers embedded across various practice areas’, the multi-disciplinary regulatory and compliance team at Ogier is praised as ‘extremely helpful and thoughtful’. Spearheaded by Joanne Huckle, the investment funds regulatory group underpins the firm’s overall regulatory and compliance practice. Recently, Huckle has guided clients through the new private funds law, engaging with legislators and the regulator, as well as industry bodies, through participation in technical committees. Beyond its investment funds specialism, the other core areas of expertise for the firm’s regulatory practitioners include Economic Substance advice, regulatory licence applications to the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority, advice on anti-money laundering and data protection regimes, trusts regulations and beneficial ownership registers. Nick Rogers, James Heinicke, William Jones, Jennifer Fox, managing associate Fraser Allister and senior associate Praajakta Pargaonkar are adept at handling regulatory issues in their respective practice areas. Associate and data protection expert Cornelia Zhu is also a key name to note, and counsel Dave Sherwin joined from Maples Group in 2020 and works closely with the Cayman Islands Government and the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority.
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Testimonials
‘The team is well supported by their legal colleagues and is responsive to all matters.’
‘I have found Ogier to be extremely helpful and thoughtful with our concerns. They are always trying their best to understand our interests and preoccupations and make sure they are aligned with Caymanian legislation. They make sure to adequately explain how local legislation works so that they not only provide an excellent service but also make sure we understand all steps they are carrying out.’
Key clients
Banco C6 S.A.
Voleon Funds LP
Corporate and commercial Tier 3
Notably strong in the digital, blockchain and fintech industries, the multi-disciplinary corporate team at Ogier also acts for clients in the financial services, natural resources, energy, infrastructure, pharmaceuticals and manufacturing sectors. Handling an array of transactional and regulatory matters, the department is led by Bradley Kruger, who has a significant downstream M&A practice, handling private equity and cross-border public company transactions. Previously the firm’s global corporate and commercial head, Angus Davison is active in restructurings, mergers and reverse takeovers, while global funds finance practice head James Heinicke specialises in corporate reorganisations. Also active are Mark Santangeli and managing associate James Lydeard.
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Testimonials
‘Efficient, responsive and with excellent legal knowledge.’
Key clients
Centerbridge Partners LP
Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce
Transocean Ltd.
EMR Capital Advisors Pty Ltd
Borr Drilling Limited
Dream Global Real Estate Investment Trust
Starz Mortgage Capital Ltd
ARYA Sciences Acquisition Corp.
Yunhong International
Real estate Tier 3
Ultra-high-net-worth and high-net-worth individuals regularly instruct Ogier to handle some of the region’s most complex property transactions. Led by James Bergstrom and senior associate Cline Glidden, the group's transactions run the gamut of large infrastructure projects and residential matters involving the purchase and sale of high-value properties as well as smaller condominiums and homes. In addition to dealing with real estate licences and permits, the team also advises clients on property investments linked to Permanent Residency.Practice head(s):
Testimonials
‘The firm has a good variety of attorneys that practice in various fields that are able to meet my needs in other matters other than our main requirements….and in fact has given us guidance in every circumstance that I needed representation with.’
‘Cline Glidden is our primary attorney. He is a pleasure to work with, easy to contact and responds back quickly with our requirements, and has a kind and warm personality. Well diversified in all aspects of law and is able to advise and guide us with all of our needs. He not only works quickly on our cases but produces results at the same lightning speed that I need results in.’
Key clients
Seven Mile Suites
BTP Development Ltd
Meadows Ltd
Ogier > Firm Profile
The firm: Ogier provides legal advice on BVI, Cayman, Guernsey, Jersey and Luxembourg law. The firm’s network of locations also includes Hong Kong, London, Shanghai and Tokyo.
Legal services for the corporate and financial sectors form the core of the business, principally in the areas of banking and finance, corporate, investment funds, dispute resolution, private equity and private wealth. Ogier has strong practices in the areas of employee benefits and incentives, employment law, regulatory, restructuring and insolvency and property.
Ogier’s corporate administration business, Ogier Global, works closely with Ogier’s partner-led legal teams to incorporate and administer a wide variety of vehicles, offering clients integrated legal and corporate administration services.
Banking & Finance:
The firm’s banking and finance team advises on all areas of banking regulation, documentation, security, and the establishment and operation of banking institutions.
Commercial Property:
Ogier’s full-service Cayman Island property law team is well known for executing some of the largest and most complex commercial property transactions. The team provides a responsive, constructive and commercially aware client service for large and small businesses.
The team has acted for local landlords, tenants, developers and financiers as well as institutional investors of international repute.
Corporate:
This team has extensive experience in advising on the establishment of many forms of domestic and cross-border corporate vehicles, investment trusts and partnerships as well as advising on private placements, initial and other public offerings, mergers and acquisitions, reorganisations, joint ventures and disposals.
Dispute Resolution:
The firm’s dispute resolution team advises on technical, strategic and procedural aspects across the spectrum of problems and disputes which arise in the offshore environment and the firm offers Cayman advice across the Asian timezone. This includes advice in relation to trusts, companies, shareholder issues, directors’ duties, investment performance, banking and other financial transactions, as well as fraud and asset tracing claims and all aspects of regulatory advice.
Investment Funds:
Ogier’s investment funds team provides advice on fund formation, structures, regulation, deregistration, termination and ongoing advice to investment funds and managers. Ogier is a recognised listing agent for the Cayman Islands Stock Exchange (CSX).
Private Wealth:
The private wealth team is highly experienced in advising on the establishment and administration of private trusts, purpose trusts and other vehicles typically used by private clients, as well as advising trustees in relation to transactions undertaken by trusts.
Real Estate:
The real estate team provides advice on the establishment and administration of real estate holding structures, including offshore and onshore vehicles used for real estate funds, one-off real estate transactions, joint ventures, property development and financing arrangements.
Regulatory:
Ogier’s multi-disciplinary team helps clients navigate increasingly regulated environments through each stage in the business lifecycle: start up and relocation, operation, expansion and change. Prevention of issues is preferable but where things have gone wrong, Ogier provides effective solutions to clients including banks, major corporates, investment managers, fund administrators, trust companies and private clients.
Restructuring & Insolvency:
The firm’s restructuring and insolvency team has extensive cross-border and international experience advising on contentious and non-contentious offshore restructuring and insolvency matters, often advising in conjunction with onshore counsel and other professional service providers in connection with company structures.
Structured Finance:
The firm’s structured finance team provides specialist offshore legal advice on all aspects of establishing and operating offshore SPVs, and listing agent services in relation to listings of debt on the CSX in the Cayman Islands.
Main Contacts
| Department | Name | Telephone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Banking and Finance | Angus Davison | angus.davison@ogier.com | |
| Banking and Finance | James Heinicke | james.heinicke@ogier.com | |
| Banking and Finance | Mark Santangelli | mark.santangelli@ogier.com | |
| Corporate | James Bergstrom | james.bergstrom@ogier.com | |
| Corporate | Bradley Kruger | bradley.kruger@ogier.com | |
| Dispute Resolution | Rachael Reynolds | rachael.reynolds@ogier.com | |
| Dispute Resolution | William Jones | william.jones@ogier.com | |
| Investment Funds | Giorgio Subiotto | giorgio.subiotto@ogier.com | |
| Investment Funds | Joanne Huckle | joanne.huckle@ogier.com | |
| Investment Funds | Justin Savage | justin.savage@ogier.com | |
| Investment Funds | Nick Rogers | nick.rogers@ogier.com | |
| Private Wealth | Giorgio Subiotto | giorgio.subiotto@ogier.com | |
| Private Wealth | Rachael Reynolds | rachael.reynolds@ogier.com | |
| Property | James Bergstrom | james.bergstrom@ogier.com | |
| Local Legal Services | James Bergstrom | james.bergstrom@ogier.com | |
| Regulatory | Bradley Kruger | bradley.kruger@ogier.com | |
| Regulatory | James Heinicke | james.heinicke@ogier.com | |
| Restructuring and Corporate Recovery | Marc Kish | marc.kish@ogier.com | |
| Restructuring and Corporate Recovery | Rachael Reynolds | rachael.reynolds@ogier.com | |
| Structured Finance | Angus Davison | angus.davison@ogier.com | |
| Structured Finance | James Heinicke | james.heinicke@ogier.com | |
| Listings | James Bergstrom | james.bergstrom@ogier.com | |
| Listings | Angus Davison | angus.davison@ogier.com |
Lawyer Profiles
| Photo | Name | Position | Profile |
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Fraser Allister | Managing Associate | View Profile |
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James Bergstrom | James is the pricipal architect of Ogier’s Cayman funds practice and has… | View Profile |
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Tim Cone | Partner, Cayman Islands | View Profile |
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Angus Davison | Angus has a particular focus on providing regulatory and other advice to… | View Profile |
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Jennifer Fox | Jennifer has practised offshore since 2008 and specialises in complex and high… | View Profile |
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Cline Glidden | Senior Associate | View Profile |
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James Heinicke | James is a partner in our banking and finance team in the… | View Profile |
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Joanne Huckle | Joanne advises open-ended and closed-ended mutual funds and private equity funds, top… | View Profile |
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William Jones | Will advises on all aspects of commercial litigation, specialising in contractual disputes,… | View Profile |
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Marc Kish | Marc head Ogier’s Insolvency team in the Caribbean and Asia, and specialises… | View Profile |
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Bradley Kruger | Bradley Kruger is a partner in Ogier’s Cayman team, and heads the… | View Profile |
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Gemma Lardner | Managing Associate | View Profile |
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James Lydeard | Managing Associate | View Profile |
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Shaun Maloney | Senior Associate | View Profile |
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Barry McEwan | Counsel | View Profile |
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Anthony Partridge | Anthony specialises in all aspects of non-contentious private trust matters, wealth structuring… | View Profile |
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Ulrich Payne | Ulrich is a partner in the Cayman office’s dispute resolution team. His… | View Profile |
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Jody Powery-Gilbert | Jody specialises in Corporate and Commercial and Investments Funds. Clients value Jody’s… | View Profile |
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Rachael Reynolds | Rachael leads Ogier’s Cayman Dispute Resolution team. She has particular expertise in… | View Profile |
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Nick Rogers | Nick has been practising Cayman law since 2001 and specialises in investment… | View Profile |
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Mark Santangeli | Mark specialises in all types of finance and has particular expertise in… | View Profile |
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Justin Savage | Justin is a partner in Ogier’s Investment Funds team and is based… | View Profile |
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Dave Sherwin | Counsel, Cayman Islands | View Profile |
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Giorgio Subiotto | Giorgio is Head of Ogier’s Global Latin American practice, Head of Global… | View Profile |
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Emma Sutherland | Partner | View Profile |
Staff Figures
Number of resident partners : 15 Number of resident fee-earners : 52 Total number of partners : 70 Total number of fee-earners : 300Legal Developments
New opportunities for blockchain use in the insurance industry
18th February 2020In a recent interview with Captive International, partner Bradley Kruger, explored the benefits Cayman offers as a jurisdiction for blockchain use in the insurance industry. His comments are included in the following article.
Structuring family office investments using Jersey private funds
18th February 2020Group partner Emily Haithwaite and partner Josephine Howe discuss Jersey private funds and what structures may be most appropriate for family office structures. Their article first appeared in HFM Jersey 2019 Special Report.
Key emerging themes underpinning real estate and the need for high standards of governance
18th February 2020A change in consumer habits and investor appetite for more ethical returns is driving a distinct evolution (or is it revolution?) in the real estate industry.
Exempt bodies: Substance regulations may still apply
4th October 2019The Income Tax (Substance Requirements)(Implementation) Regulations, 2018 as amended (the Substance Regulations) came into force on 1 January 2019 and have recently been further updated by The Income Tax (Substance Requirements)(Implementation)(Amendment) Regulations, 2019 (the Amendment Regulations), with effect from 1 August 2019. The Amendment Regulations have extended the scope of the Substance Regulations to include all tax exempt bodies that have been granted an exemption under paragraphs (3) and (5) of Schedule 1 of the Income Tax (Exempt Bodies) (Guernsey) Ordinance, 1989 (as amended) (the Exempt Bodies Ordinance). In addition, the Amendment Regulations clarify the scope of the Substance Regulations in relation to IP Assets and High Risk IP Companies – the balance of this note focuses on the change in status of tax exempt bodies.
Enhanced Information for Cayman Entities
4th October 2019The Cayman Islands Government has passed a number of amendment laws to strengthen Cayman's anti-money laundering and counter-financing of terrorism regime. The laws, published on 8 August 2019, are intended to help address certain recommended actions in Cayman's legislative framework identified by the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force in its evaluation report published in March 2019.
New Cayman Data Protection Law – A guide for Cayman funds
4th October 2019The Cayman Islands Data Protection Law, 2017 (DP Law) is currently scheduled to come into effect on 30 September 2019. Once commenced, it will enact a framework of rights and duties to regulate the processing of individuals' personal data broadly based on the same internationally recognised privacy principles that form the basis for other data protection laws globally. The DP Law will regulate the processing of all personal data in the Cayman Islands and will affect any entity established in the Cayman Islands, including investment funds, that processes personal data regardless of whether such processing takes place within the Cayman Islands and regardless of whether the personal data relates to Cayman individuals. For our full briefing see Cayman Islands Data Protection Law: An Ogier Client Guide.
Luxembourg Government submits bill to Parliament implementing the EU Anti-Tax Avoidance Directive 2
4th October 2019On 8 August 2019, the Luxembourg Government submitted a draft law to the Parliament (the Draft Law) to implement the Council Directive (EU) 2017/952 of 29 May 2017 (ATAD 2 or the Directive) into Luxembourg domestic law.
Enhanced Information for Cayman Entities
4th October 2019The Cayman Islands Government has passed a number of amendment laws to strengthen Cayman's anti-money laundering and counter-financing of terrorism regime. The laws, published on 8 August 2019, are intended to help address certain recommended actions in Cayman's legislative framework identified by the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force in its evaluation report published in March 2019.
Register of beneficial owners deadline approaching – are you ready?
4th October 2019As of 1 March 2019, the Luxembourg law of 13 January 2019 (the Law) creating a register of beneficial owners (Registre des bénéficiaires effectifs or "RBE") is in force.
Jersey substance proposals – the Banking and Finance perspective
4th October 2019EU finance ministers have formally approved Jersey's economic substance legislation by removing the jurisdiction from the "grey list" on 12 March 2019 and the Privy Council granted formal approval to the Taxation (Companies - Economic Substance) (Jersey) Law 2019 (the Law) on 13 March 2019. The Law takes effect from 1 January 2019.
Ogier advises on $889 million acquisition of AIM traded payment services company by way of scheme of
16th August 2019Ogier has advised Canadian payments technology company Nuvei Corporation on the US$889 million acquisition of AIM traded SafeCharge International Group Limited by means of a Court-sanctioned Guernsey scheme of arrangement.
Ogier advises on £140 million sale of Lakeside North Harbour office campus
16th August 2019Ogier has advised longstanding client Northwood Investors LLP on its £140 million sale of Lakeside North Harbour office campus to Portsmouth City Council.