Higgs & Johnson

higgsjohnson.com

Tara Archer-Glasgow

Tara supervises the Asset Recovery Unit and chairs the Intellectual Property group. She is a highly experienced Dispute Resolution lawyer with more than 21 years of legal experience in all aspects of commercial litigation, with a particular focus on banking and compliance, employment, company law and admiralty law. She regularly appears as counsel or co-counsel in many important cases in all of the courts of The Bahamas and has appeared before the Privy Council in England. Tara provides legal advice to individuals, major financial service providers and global corporations regarding multi-jurisdictional litigation, shareholder disputes, fraud, asset-tracing and internal operations. She has assisted clients in the tracing and recovery of millions of dollars, and represents clients in franchise and intellectual property disputes.

Karen's areas of practice include Admiralty Law, Family Law, and Commercial and Civil Litigation, where she has a particular focus on Industrial Relations & Employment law. She also has vast experience in Conveyancing and Real Property Law and other regulatory matters, including applications to The Bahamas Investments Board and other governmental entities. Karen has also assisted in the conduct of international financing transactions.

Sterling H. Cooke serves as the Managing Partner at Higgs & Johnson overseeing all aspects of the firm’s daily operations. He previously held the position of Co-Managing Partner from 2021 – 2024. Sterling is the former chair of the Real Estate & Development Practice Group and has extensive experience and expertise in all aspects of real estate law, having practiced for over 30 years. His primary practice includes representing local and international real estate investors and lenders in connection with mortgage loan and construction financing and loan acquisitions, complex transactions involving the purchase, sale, refinancing, leasing and subleasing of residential homes, multi-family buildings, retail complexes, office and warehouse buildings and other commercial properties for individuals and commercial entities, and advising on a wide range or real estate issues including title commitments and title insurance, adverse possession, issues affecting title, easement and access issues, and commercial and residential foreclosures. His professional practice also includes, Commercial Law, Probate and Estate Administration, Maritime Law and International Financing transactions involving Bahamian registered ships and companies.

Tara Cooper Burnside KC

Tara is a partner in the firm’s Litigation, Financial Services Law & Regulation, and Insolvency & Restructuring practice groups. She has detailed knowledge of the Bahamian insolvency regime and has worked on a number of cross-border insolvencies and restructurings including the compulsory liquidation of Moore Park Funding and the $100 million insolvency of the Realto Group. She is regularly retained to advise insolvency practitioners, and is a Fellow of INSOL International. Tara also specialises in commercial disputes, including shareholder disputes and contentious and non-contentious employment matters, involving both individual and collective rights. She has appeared on petitions for just and equitable winding up and relief from unfair prejudice and oppression. She has experience acting for and against directors facing allegations of breach of fiduciary duty.

Corporate and commercial law, banking law, securities, gaming law, real estate law; secured and unsecured financing, merchant shipping (registration and financing).

Philip Dunkley KC

Former Senior Partner; specialises in complex commercial and chancery litigation (appearing in the BCCI, Grupo Torras cases and the Oracle Fund liquidation), commercial and shipping transactions; civil litigation; admiralty law and shipping; and private wealth management.

Rhyan Elliott is a Senior Associate in the firm’s Litigation Practice Group. Rhyan has practiced extensively in various areas of Civil and Commercial Litigation and Arbitration, with a particular focus on matters with a cross-border element, in banking, financial services regulation, insurance, employment, personal injuries, fatal accidents, professional negligence, and property law. He has also gained wide experience acting on behalf of parties in divorce and complex matrimonial finance proceedings. Rhyan has experience representing both individual and institutional clients, including Investment Managers, Liquidators and Receivers at all stages of litigation, including interlocutory applications, at trial and on appeal. He has acted for many individual claimants and several insurance companies and re-insurers in quantifying, negotiating and defending numerous complex personal injuries, malpractice and fatal accidents claims.

Zarina Fitzgerald

Chair of the Commercial Transactions group having acted in all aspects of commercial transactions, including large scale structured finance transactions, initial public offerings and private placements of offshore securities, mergers and acquisitions, and the registration and securitisation involving vessels and in real estate transactions.

Vivienne Gouthro

Partner and chair of the Maritime & Shipping practice group, Vivienne is a corporate and commercial lawyer with experience in chambers in England, Spain, Gibraltar and The Bahamas. Specialising in ship and international finance, Vivienne acts primarily as local counsel for major international financial institutions in the European and Asian markets, providing legal advice on complex international finance matters and all aspects of international maritime transactions and commercial acquisitions and sales. She also guides ship owners through the registration of pleasure yachts and large commercial vessels on the Bahamian Register of Ships.In addition to her maritime practice, Vivienne has extensive experience in commercial law, real estate and development, private client and wealth management and intellectual property law. She counsels diverse corporate and private clients in the sale and purchase of real estate and related financing, as well as on matters relating to wills, probate and administration of estates, intellectual property and immigration law. Her practice also extends to provide a full range of corporate services to clients, including the incorporation and licensing of local companies and obtaining of all governmental and regulatory approvals. She acts for major domestic banks, hotels and local institutions, and has assisted in the purchase and financing of large developments on the Island of Grand Bahama.

Alexandra Hall is a Partner and Chair of the firm’s Government & Regulatory Affairs practice group and Deputy-chair of the firm’s Tax practice group. She is also a member in the firm’s Commercial Law and Private Client and Wealth Management practice groups. She has experience in local tax law, corporate and commercial law, legal issues relating to resort development and operations and gaming law and regulation. She has assisted in various aspects of commercial transactions including securing governmental and regulatory approvals for a variety of businesses. Alexandra regularly advises clients on day-to-day legal issues including licensing and compliance matters as well as other general corporate matters associated with the establishment and operation of a business in The Bahamas. In 2014 Alexandra presented to various stakeholder groups throughout The Bahamas on the introduction of Value Added Tax.

Audley specialises in various areas of Civil and Commercial Litigation, with a particular focus on employment law, admiralty law, insurance law, intellectual property litigation, and personal injury litigation. Audley has significant experience as Counsel in The Supreme Court of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.

Andre W. Hill is a Senior Associate in the firm’s Commercial Transactions Practice Group and Deputy Chair of the Government & Regulatory Affairs and Maritime & Aviation practice groups. His practice centers on Finance, Banking and Commercial Law.

Oscar Johnson, Jr., K.C.

Oscar N. Johnson, Jr., K.C. is the Senior Partner of Higgs & Johnson. He has held the positions of Managing Partner and Global Managing Director (2012 to June 2020) and Co-Managing Partner of the Firm (2020 – 2024). He is the former chair of the Litigation practice group and practises a full range of Corporate and Commercial law, specialising in Commercial and Civil Litigation, Admiralty Law, Insurance Law and Employment Law.

Sandra Lightbourn

Sandra is a Partner in the firm’s Real Estate & Development practice group. Sandra specialises in Real Estate Development and Conveyancing, representing clients in the purchase, sale, transfer, financing and mortgage of properties in The Bahamas, reviewing and preparing declarations of condominiums, institutional financing and security, advising and obtaining regulatory government approvals. Her practice extends to include Probate & Estate Administration, Immigration and Trademarks.

$Ja\'Ann Major$

Ja’Ann Major is a Partner and Deputy Chair of the Firm’s Real Estate & Development Practice Group. Ja’Ann has experience in a broad range of real estate and development matters, including residential and commercial property acquisitions and sales by Bahamians and non-Bahamians, preparation of financing and loan documentation, domestic mortgages, title insurance, title investigations, and related opinion work. She advises personnel at local lending institutions on the enforceability of mortgage security and acts on behalf of such lending institutions in the power of sale matters, advising on real property tax matters and other regulatory matters including applications to the Bahamas Investments Board and other governmental entities. She also assists clients with subdivisions, resorts, hotels, and mixed-use developments. Ja’Ann counsels clients daily on legal issues relating to real estate in The Bahamas and relevant regulatory procedures and approvals.

Renai B. Martin is a Senior Associate in the Real Estate and Development, Government & Regulatory Affairs and Tax practice groups. Renai has experience in representing vendors and purchasers in residential and commercial property acquisitions and sales, domestic mortgages and private leases. Her practice also includes advising on tax matters and obtaining regulatory approvals. She regularly assists with all aspects of resort development with varied condominium, residential and amenity components, including acquisition, financing, regulatory approvals and master planning.

Stephen has significant experience in the representation of local and international property developers and cruise ship companies with private island developments & ports. He specialises in:- foreign direct investment; the sale and acquisition of hotels, marinas and resort developments (mixed use projects) and all aspects of project/development finance. He has been involved in all aspects of the master planning of a number of resorts and mixed use developments as well as all legal services related to Bahamas Government negotiations, advice on investment regulations and applications, including Heads of Agreements and Hotel Encouragement Act Concessions. Stephen also services high net worth clients with all matters related to real estate investments and advice in regard to structuring for estate planning purposes and tax efficiency. Stephen is also the Nassau head of the firm’s Abaco office and has been involved with a number of Abaco’s resorts and developments.

Lori C. Nelson is a member of the Firm’s Real Property & Development Practice Group, specialising in the area of Real Estate Development, specifically concerning foreign direct investment and the sale and acquisition of hotels, marinas, and resort and mixed-use developments and the purchase, sale, and financing of residential and commercial property in The Bahamas. She advises clients on and facilitates the procurement of regulatory approvals from the relevant governmental bodies.

Portia Nicholson

Portia is a Corporate and Commercial lawyer with over 31 years’ experience. She has acted as lead counsel to, or been involved in, many domestic and cross border commercial transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, high value structured finance transactions, initial public offerings and private placements of securities, as well as commercial real estate developments.

Christel Sands-Feaste

Experience in corporate and commercial law, asset financing, resort development and operations, gaming law and regulation and international trust and company administration. Acted in all aspects of commercial transactions including securing governmental and regulatory approvals, mergers and acquisitions, asset financing, private placements of offshore securities, investment fund structuring and creation and estate planning.

Leroy is a Partner in the firm’s Litigation practice group in The Bahamas. He is a seasoned litigator and accredited mediator with an active practice strategically focused on complex trust and estate advice and litigation, and commercial law. In his trust and estate practice, Leroy advises fiduciaries and private clients in all aspects of Bahamas trust law, with particular emphasis on the drafting and administration of Bahamian trusts. His commercial practice involves a broad spectrum of substantive areas, including contentious and non-contentious commercial matters (claims for breach of contract, directors’ and shareholders’ disputes and asset-tracing and recovery matters), telecommunications law and maritime law. He also regularly represents local and international companies and insurers in relation to a range of personal injury, defamation and other tort-based claims.