Maples Group > Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands > Firm Profile
Maples Group Offices

PO BOX 309
UGLAND HOUSE, SOUTH CHURCH STREET,GEORGE TOWN
GRAND CAYMAN KY1-1104
Cayman Islands
Maples Group > The Legal 500 Rankings
Cayman Islands > Banking, finance and capital markets Tier 1
Fielding one of the largest teams in the Cayman Islands, Maples Group routinely advises on a considerable volume of big-ticket matters for a myriad of market-leading banks and asset managers. The team is jointly chaired by global finance head Scott Macdonald, who is an expert in CLOs and other structured finance transactions, and Cayman finance lead Tina Meigh, an ‘extremely dedicated and responsive‘ practitioner who also spearheads the firm’s fund finance desk. Repackaging specialist Wanda Ebanks regularly works with European and Latin American export credit agencies on the establishment of various SPVs, most notably in the aviation and shipping sectors. Asset finance co-chair Jonathon Meloy is especially noted for his capabilities in aviation portfolio securitisations and commercial aircraft leasing arrangements, an area in which debt capital markets specialist Anthony Philp is also a key name to note. Amanda Lazier anchors the team’s CSX-listing practice, while James Reeve‘s expertise is concentrated on CLO transactions, risk retention structures and catastrophe bonds. Shari Howell is also recommended for her wide-ranging asset finance acumen.Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Maples is the best on knowledge of current market practices and on customer responsiveness.’
‘Tina Meigh is extremely dedicated and responsive – even though she is now head of the finance team. She is always thinking about passing along new developments and suggestions.’
‘The Maples Banking & Finance team is well known for its sophistication, deep understanding of the market, and general high reputation with companies and financial institution clients.’
‘Tina Meigh has an excellent reputation with company and financial institution clients. She is responsive, always well informed, and equipped with a solid and deep understanding of the marketplace and its trends. For many years, Tina has provided consistent and reliable advice to financial institutions with respect to the enforceability of netting and collateral in prime brokerage, derivatives, and securities contract transactions in the context of the insolvency of Cayman Islands counter-parties.’
Key clients
Ares Management
Avolon
Bain Capital
Blackstone
Goldman Sachs
Goshawk Aviation
KKR
Octagon
Prudential
Symphony / Nuveen
Work highlights
- Advised American Airlines and its indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary Advantage Loyalty IP Ltd., the airline’s loyalty programme, on the Cayman Islands legal aspects of its $10bn financing plan.
- Advised Avolon on its order of zero emissions electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft from Vertical Aerospace Ltd.
- Assisted Stonepeak with its inaugural aircraft loan securitisation transaction, SALT 2021-1, providing Cayman and Irish legal advice to Stonepeak on the transaction, following its role advising on the investment platform set up and acquisition of the loan portfolio.
Cayman Islands > Corporate and commercial Tier 1
Fielding one of the largest teams in the jurisdiction, Maples Group‘s sizeable practice advises on a wide array of big-ticket deals for a host of TMT, energy, healthcare, and investment management companies. Practice chair Matthew Gardner is a highly experienced practitioner whose wide-ranging corporate capabilities encompass public and private M&A, joint ventures, and restructurings. Dual-qualified (Cayman and BVI) Kieran Walsh co-heads the firm’s Latin America practice group, where he advises on multi-billion-dollar inbound and outbound transactions, particularly in the banking sector. Suzanne Correy, who is another key member of the Latam group, is noted for her capabilities in high-value cross-border M&A and de-SPAC transactions, most recently in the renewable energy space. Michael Johns is especially noted for his SPAC expertise, while Daniel Lee‘s corporate capabilities are keenly concentrated on public takeovers and private equity transactions. Shari Seymour and Sophia Scott, noted for their respective focus on investment fund and Latam matters, also come recommended.Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Suzanne Correy; Daniel Lee; Kieran Walsh; Michael Johns; Shari Seymour; Sophia Scott; Finn O’Hagerty
Testimonials
‘Maples is very commercial, thoughtful in helping us comply with the rules and regs while still achieving the commercial goals. Suzanne Correy and Finn O’Hagerty are very responsive and are great at getting ahead of new developments in the Cayman Islands and helping us address any impact to our business.’
‘Suzanne Correy and Finn O’Hegarty and their team have been terrific partners – very responsive and resourceful.’
Key clients
Altimeter Growth Corp
Fidelity National Financial
Francisco Partners
GOL
LCM Asset Management
Katerra
Kohlberg & Company
Morgan Stanley
Noble Corporation
Patria Investments
TPG
Valaris
Vitru Limited
XP Inc
Work highlights
- Advised Altimeter on the Cayman Islands aspects of its $40bn business combination that resulted in taking Grab Holdings public in the US.
- Advised XP in connection with the $9.5bn merger of Itaú Unibanco Holdings’ XPart with XP.
- Advised GlobalFoundries on the Cayman Islands aspects of its $2.6bn IPO.
Cayman Islands > Dispute resolution Tier 1
Lauded for its thorough attention to detail and ‘client focused, imaginative approach‘, Maples Group fields an almost unparalleled offering in big-ticket, cross-border litigation, representing clients in high-profile insolvencies, fair value appraisal proceedings, and investment fund disputes. The sizeable team is jointly led by James Eldridge, a ‘master tactician’ who specialises in insolvency issues and distressed funds work, and Caroline Moran, a seasoned litigator who has most recently handled a number of s.238 cases and cross-border Chapter 11 restructurings. Noted for his capabilities in private equity focused disputes and asset tracing, Luke Stockdale has been engaged on cases concerning the enforcement of foreign judgments and arbitral awards, including appeals to the Privy Council. Promoted to partner in January 2022, Nick Herrod focuses on cross-border insolvency and schemes of arrangement while the ‘first-class’ Adam Huckle, another recently promoted partner, specialises in international trusts disputes and contentious regulatory proceedings.Practice head(s):
James Eldridge; Caroline Moran
Other key lawyers:
Luke Stockdale; Nick Herrod; Adam Huckle; Malachi Sweetman
Testimonials
‘Maples is regarded as being one of the pre-eminent litigation practices and rightly so. It attracts work of the very highest quality and provides outstanding legal services through a large and capable team with lawyers of outstanding quality at all levels of seniority. The team is client focused and imaginative in its approach.’
‘James Eldridge is a master tactician with a nose for what are good and bad points; he is clear sighted when it comes to formulating effective litigation strategies. He is robust, bright and brings a commercial and pragmatic approach to his work.’
‘Adam Huckle is absolutely first class.’
‘The practice is one of the most thorough practices I’ve worked with. They ensure no stone is left unturned, and get to the bottom of all the important issues.’
‘Malachi Sweetman’s intelligence and attention to detail are excellent. His capacity to understand new topics is also excellent, and he’s a pleasure to work with.’
Key clients
58.com
eHi Car Services Limited
Xiaodu Life Technology Limited
China Biologic Product Holdings Inc
FGL Holdings
Bitauto Holdings Limited
Ting Chuan (Cayman Islands) Holding Corp and China CVS (Cayman Islands) Holding Corp
USAVflow
China Biologic Product Holdings Inc
Katerra Inc.
Work highlights
- Retained by China Evergrande Group’s as offshore counsel to advise on the restructuring of the group.
- Advising Katerra Inc. and its subsidiaries in relation to Cayman Islands law matters in connection with the group’s Chapter 11 proceedings and subsequent plan of liquidation.
- Advising 58.com on all aspects of the s.238 fair value appraisal proceeding arising from its recent privatisation and delisting from the NYSE. This is the largest merger dissent case ever to come before the Cayman Islands court, with an initial dissent pool of $1.97bn based on the amount of the merger consideration.
Cayman Islands > Investment funds Tier 1
With the largest practice in the Cayman Islands, Maples Group maintains an accordingly strong market share, advising a myriad of world-leading private equity funds and single-manager hedge funds on a considerable volume of new fund registrations, downstream-spend deals, and capital market transactions. The group is headed up by newly-appointed global head Michael Richardson, a trusted adviser to numerous investment managers and financial institutions on big-ticket establishments and restructurings. Global managing partner Jonathan Green specialises in trust structures and hedge fund formations, while global private equity chair Iain McMurdo focuses on all manner of fund matters and resulting downstream transactions, an area in which Sheryl Dean is also a key port of call for some of the firm’s largest clients. Gwyneth Rees is a seasoned practitioner who serves as the global relationship client for some of the biggest asset managers in the market, advising on a steady stream of high-value fund launches. Christina Gordon, who was promoted to partner in December 2021, is recommended for the breadth of her expertise spanning registered mutual funds, hedge funds and private equity funds. Other key names to note include Jeremy Bomford, Tim Coak, Lee Davis and Stephen Watler. Jon Fowler and Philip Millward have retired.Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Great people across various jurisdictions.’
‘Gwyneth Rees is a true, trusted partner for us.’
‘Their breadth of practice and knowledge are unmatched. There just isn’t anything that we have ever proposed to do in Cayman that Maples hasn’t done before.’
‘Gwyneth Rees is very responsive, client oriented, extremely knowledgeable, and very diligent. She is wonderful to work with!’
‘Andrew Keast is very professional, responsive, and always pleasant to work with.’
‘They have a high level of expertise in advising on the set up offshore fund structures. Additionally, they are able to provide a service to assist investment managers operating Cayman fund vehicles with meeting local regulatory requirements.’
‘I think the depth of team and deep experience is a major factor that sets Maples apart from others in the field.’
Key clients
Bain Capital
The Blackstone Group
KKR
Man Group
Fortress
BlackRock
Advent International
Neuberger Berman
CVC Capital Partners
TPG Capital
Work highlights
- Advised Blackstone on Blackstone Growth (BXG) Funds, the largest first-time growth equity vehicle in history.
- Advised Clayton Dubilier & Rice on its successful bid to acquire Morrisons.
- Advised Ares Management on its recent IPO.
Cayman Islands > Regulatory and compliance Tier 1
A stellar lineup of market-leading banks, investment funds, trusts and virtual asset companies turn to Maples Group‘s regulatory and financial services team for its capabilities in a host of contentious and non-contentious matters, ranging from FATCA and CRS advice to anti-money laundering work. Practice chair Christopher Capewell‘s recent engagements include a number of CIMA inspections, AML compliance reviews, and beneficial ownership regime reviews. Tim Dawson‘s broad practice encompasses licensing, prudential and conduct of business requirements, while Patrick Head focuses on regulatory requirements facing investment funds, family offices, and high-net-worth individuals. The ‘clever and conscientious’ Adam Huckle specialises in enforcements and appeals.Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Adam Huckle is a highly commercial, savvy, and strong litigator. He stands out in his field.’
‘Adam Huckle is clever, conscientious, and a great drafter. He knows which points will persuade the court and is quick to focus on those.’
‘Strong knowledge about financial regulations of the Cayman Islands and very efficient deliverables for the client.’
‘Tim Dawson has strong knowledge about the Cayman laws and regulations and know exactly what we, as his client, need as deliverables.’
Cayman Islands > Insurance/reinsurance Tier 3
Maples Group‘s cross-disciplinary insurance practice is sought out by a number of public and private sector clients for assistance with the full range of transactional and general advisory matters. Tim Frawley regularly handles a diverse array of work, including new company formations, regulatory reviews, and insurance-linked securities. Abraham Thoppil is noted for his expertise in insurtech and insurance legislation, while John Dykstra is well regarded on account of his active catastrophe bond transaction practice.Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Key clients
United Insurance Company,
Signature Insurance Company
United SPC
Cayman First Insurance Company Limited
Oxbridge Reinsurance Limited
Knighthead Annuity & Life Assurance Company
Nassau Re (Cayman) Ltd.
Island Heritage Insurance Company, Ltd.
Brac Insurance Associates Ltd.
Magni Re Ltd.
Cayman Islands Government
Work highlights
- Advised BlackRock in connection with the $300m senior term loan made to Root Inc. by Blackrock, its affiliates and co-investors.
- Providing ongoing legal advice to Oxbridge.
- Providing ongoing legal advice to Knighthead.
Cayman Islands > Trusts/private client Tier 3
Foreign-based expertise > Leading firms
Maples Group‘s ‘good depth of knowledge and solution-focused pragmatic advice‘ extends across the UK, Asia Pacific and the Middle East with practitioners in London, Singapore, Hong Kong and Dubai contributing the firm’s Caribbean expertise. The team acts for a broad range of global clients on corporate, banking, finance and fund work involving Cayman and BVI law. For more information on specific regions, please click on the tabs below- UK
- Asia Pacific
- Middle East
Practice head(s):
Heidi de Vries; Michael Gagie; Manuela Belmontes; Philip Ireland
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Good depth of knowledge and solution-focused pragmatic advice.’
‘Excellent service across Cayman fund-related legal issues.’
‘Harjit Kaur is fantastic – her knowledge is unparalleled and her delivery of advice is efficient and succinct. The team is very knowledgeable and they deal with issues smartly and commercially.’
‘Manuela Belmontes is outstanding and put in the time to know our business.’
‘Harjit Kaur is an expert partner.’
Key clients
Aquila Acquisition Corporation
Amber Group
Angelalign Technology Inc.
ARA Asset Management
Baidu, Inc.
Bain Capital
Belite Bio Inc
BOCOM International Blossom Limited
BigBox Tech Ltd
Bridgetown 2 Holdings Ltd
CARSgen Therapeutics Holdings Limited
CICC Hong Kong Finance 2016 MTN Limited
CIFI Holdings (Group) Co. Ltd.
Citigroup First Investment Management Limited
CK Property Finance (MTN) Limited
CMBI
Dingdong (Cayman) Limited
eHi Car Services Limited
Far East Consortium International Limited
Li Auto Inc.
Medlive Technology Co., Ltd.
Missfresh Limited
New Frontier Health Corporation
NH Investment & Securities
NIO Inc.
NWD (MTN) Limited
Powerlong Real Estate Holdings Limited
Sino-Ocean Land Treasure IV Limited
Social Capital Suvretta Holdings Corp. I/II/III/IV
The Hongkong Land Finance (Cayman Islands) Company Limited
Towngas
Tuanbaopin Technology Co., Ltd
Vertex Technology Acquisition Corporation
Weibo Corporation
Weimob Inc.
Xiaomi Corporation
Zhihu Inc.
Maples Group > Firm Profile
The Maples Group is a leading service provider offering clients a comprehensive range of legal services on the laws of the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Ireland, Jersey and Luxembourg, and is an independent provider of fiduciary, fund services, regulatory and compliance, and entity formation and management services. The Maples Group distinguishes itself with a client-focused approach, providing solutions tailored to their specific needs. Its global network of lawyers and industry professionals are strategically located in the Americas, Europe, Asia and the Middle East to ensure that clients gain immediate access to expert advice and bespoke support, within convenient time zones. For more information, please visit: maples.com.
Main Contacts
Department | Name | Telephone | |
---|---|---|---|
Funds & Investment Management | Michael Richardson | ||
Corporate | Kieran Walsh | ||
Corporate | Matthew Gardner | ||
Finance | Scott Macdonald | ||
Litigation | Aristos Galatopoulos |
Lawyer Profiles
Photo | Name | Position | Profile |
---|---|---|---|
![]() | Sherice Arman | Sherice is a partner and head of Shipping of Maples and Calder’s… | View Profile |
![]() | Julian Ashworth | Julian is a partner of Maples and Calder’s Funds & Investment Management… | View Profile |
![]() | Maxine Bodden | Maxine is of counsel in Maples and Calder’s Trusts & Private Client… | View Profile |
![]() | Jeremy Bomford | Jeremy is a partner of Maples and Calder’s Funds & Investment Management… | View Profile |
![]() | Christopher Capewell | Christopher is head of the Maples and Calder Regulatory & Financial Services… | View Profile |
![]() | Tim Coak | Tim is a partner of Maples and Calder’s Funds & Investment Management… | View Profile |
![]() | Suzanne Correy | Suzanne is a partner of Maples and Calder’s Corporate and Latin American… | View Profile |
![]() | Jo Cunningham | Jo is a partner of Maples and Calder’s Funds & Investment Management… | View Profile |
![]() | Lee Davis | Lee is a partner of Maples and Calder’s Funds & Investment Management… | View Profile |
![]() | Tim Dawson | Tim is a partner of Maples and Calder’s Regulatory & Financial Services team… | View Profile |
![]() | Sheryl Dean | Sheryl is a partner of Maples and Calder’s Funds & Investment Management… | View Profile |
![]() | Philip Dickinson | Philip is a partner of Maples and Calder’s Funds & Investment Management… | View Profile |
![]() | Grant Dixon | Grant is a partner of Maples and Calder’s Funds & Investment Management… | View Profile |
![]() | John Dykstra | John is a partner of Maples and Calder’s Finance team in the… | View Profile |
![]() | Wanda Ebanks | Wanda is a partner of Maples and Calder’s Finance team in the… | View Profile |
![]() | James Eldridge | James is a partner of Maples and Calder’s Dispute Resolution & Insolvency… | View Profile |
![]() | Simon Firth | Simon is a partner of Maples and Calder’s Corporate team in the… | View Profile |
![]() | Mr Jon Fowler | Jon is global head of Maples and Calder’s Funds & Investment Management… | View Profile |
![]() | Tim Frawley | Tim is a partner of Maples and Calder’s Funds & Investment Management… | View Profile |
![]() | Aristos Galatopoulos | Aristos is global head of the Maples and Calder’s Dispute & Resolution… | View Profile |
![]() | Matthew Gardner | Matthew is Managing Partner of Maples and Calder, in the Maples Group’s… | View Profile |
![]() | Jonathan Green | Jonathan is the Global Managing Partner of Maples and Calder, the Maples… | View Profile |
![]() | Nick Herrod | Nick is of counsel at Maples and Calder’s Dispute Resolution & Insolvency… | View Profile |
![]() | Shari Howell | Shari is a partner of Maples and Calder’s Finance team in the… | View Profile |
![]() | Adam Huckle | Adam is an associate of Maples and Calder’s Financial Services Regulation and… | View Profile |
![]() | Mac Imrie | Mac is a consultant on Maples and Calder’s Dispute Resolution & Insolvency… | View Profile |
![]() | Michael Johns | Michael is partner of Maples and Calder’s Corporate team in the Maples… | View Profile |
![]() | Andrew Keast | Andrew is a partner of Maples and Calder’s Fund & Investment Management… | View Profile |
![]() | Amanda Lazier | Amanda is a partner of Maples and Calder’s Finance team in the… | View Profile |
![]() | Daniel Lee | Dan is a partner of Maples and Calder’s Corporate team in the… | View Profile |
![]() | Scott Macdonald | Scott is global head of Maples and Calder’s Finance team and is… | View Profile |
![]() | Iain McMurdo | Iain is a partner of Maples and Calder’s Funds & Investment Management… | View Profile |
![]() | Tina Meigh | Tina is head of Maples and Calder’s Finance team in the Maples… | View Profile |
![]() | Jonathon Meloy | Jonathon is co-head of the Asset Finance practice in the Cayman Islands… | View Profile |
![]() | Caroline Moran | Caroline is a partner of Maples and Calder’s Dispute Resolution & Insolvency… | View Profile |
![]() | Finn O'Hegarty | Finn is a partner of Maples and Calder’s Corporate team and the… | View Profile |
![]() | Anthony Philp | Anthony is a partner of Maples and Calder’s Finance team in the… | View Profile |
![]() | Gwyneth Rees | Gwyneth is a partner of Maples and Calder’s Funds & Investment Management… | View Profile |
![]() | James Reeve | James is a partner of Maples and Calder’s Finance team in the… | View Profile |
![]() | Michael Richardson | Michael is head of Maples and Calder’s Funds & Investment Management team… | View Profile |
![]() | Patrick Rosenfeld | Patrick is a partner of Maples and Calder’s Funds & Investment Management… | View Profile |
![]() | Shari Seymour | Shari is a partner of Maples and Calder’s Corporate team in the… | View Profile |
![]() | Lukas Shroeter | Lukas is an associate of Maples and Calder’s Dispute Resolution & Insolvency… | View Profile |
![]() | Paul Smith | Paul is an associate of Maples and Calder’s Dispute Resolution & Insolvency… | View Profile |
![]() | Luke Stockdale | Luke is a partner of Maples and Calder’s Dispute Resolution & Insolvency team… | View Profile |
![]() | Malachi Sweetman | Malachi is an associate of Maples and Calder’s Dispute Resolution & Insolvency… | View Profile |
![]() | Abraham Thoppil | Abraham is a partner of Maples and Calder’s Funds & Investment Management… | View Profile |
![]() | Kieran Walsh | Kieran is a partner of Maples and Calder’s Corporate team in the… | View Profile |
![]() | Stephen Watler | Stephen is a partner of Maples and Calder’s Funds & Investment Management… | View Profile |
Staff Figures
Number of Global partners : 127 Number of other Global fee-earners : 226Other
Other offices : Cayman Islands Other offices : Dubai Other offices : Dublin Other offices : Hong Kong Other offices : Jersey Other offices : London Other offices : Luxembourg Other offices : Singapore Contacts : Jonathan Green, Global Managing PartnerLegal Briefings
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- Foreign-based expertise > Leading firms