Maples Group > Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands > Firm Profile

Maples Group
PO BOX 309
UGLAND HOUSE, SOUTH CHURCH STREET,GEORGE TOWN
GRAND CAYMAN KY1-1104
Cayman Islands

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):

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):

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:

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):

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
Maples Group‘s London office is led by managing partner Heidi de Vries, who handles Cayman and BVI work relating to the structuring, formation and maintenance of hedge funds and private equity funds. Clients also single out ‘expert partnerHarjit Kaur, who specialises in the establishment and maintenance of Cayman-based alternative investment funds; Jonathan Caulton, who leads the London finance practice and is admitted to practise in Cayman; Matthew Gilbert, who heads up the London-based BVI team and real estate finance group; and corporate team head Jack Marriott, who focuses on BVI-related work.
In Maples Group‘s Singapore office, regional managing partner Michael Gagie also acts as the firm’s global head of its BVI practice; he is also a key contact for banking and structured finance work, acting for both lenders and borrowers. Matt Roberts splits his time between the Singapore and Hong Kong offices and is Asia head of the corporate practice, specialising in M&A, private equity issues, governance work and capital markets mandates. Also in the Hong Kong office are fund partner Ann Ng and John Trehey, who leads the dispute resolution, insolvency and restructuring practice across Asia; both are admitted to practise in the BVI.
From the Maples Group office in Dubai, joint managing partners Manuela Belmontes and Philip Ireland are the key contacts for Caribbean-related work. Belmontes is active in the corporate and finance spaces, particularly focusing on international capital markets and financing mandates relating to Cayman. Ireland is a go-to name for Cayman investment funds work, specialising in collective investment schemes.

Practice head(s):

Heidi de Vries; Michael Gagie; Manuela Belmontes; Philip Ireland

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.

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.

DepartmentNameEmailTelephone
Funds & Investment Management Michael Richardson
Corporate Kieran Walsh
Corporate Matthew Gardner
Finance Scott Macdonald
Litigation Aristos Galatopoulos
PhotoNamePositionProfile
Sherice Arman photo Sherice ArmanSherice is a partner and head of Shipping of Maples and Calder’s…
Julian Ashworth photo Julian AshworthJulian is a partner of Maples and Calder’s Funds & Investment Management…
Maxine Bodden photo Maxine BoddenMaxine is of counsel in Maples and Calder’s Trusts & Private Client…
Jeremy Bomford photo Jeremy BomfordJeremy is a partner of Maples and Calder’s Funds & Investment Management…
Christopher Capewell photo Christopher CapewellChristopher is head of the Maples and Calder Regulatory & Financial Services…
Tim Coak photo Tim CoakTim is a partner of Maples and Calder’s Funds & Investment Management…
Suzanne Correy photo Suzanne CorreySuzanne is a partner of Maples and Calder’s Corporate and Latin American…
Jo Cunningham photo Jo CunninghamJo is a partner of Maples and Calder’s Funds & Investment Management…
Lee Davis photo Lee DavisLee is a partner of Maples and Calder’s Funds & Investment Management…
Tim Dawson photo Tim DawsonTim is a partner of Maples and Calder’s Regulatory & Financial Services team…
Sheryl Dean photo Sheryl DeanSheryl is a partner of Maples and Calder’s Funds & Investment Management…
Philip Dickinson photo Philip DickinsonPhilip is a partner of Maples and Calder’s Funds & Investment Management…
Grant Dixon photo Grant DixonGrant is a partner of Maples and Calder’s Funds & Investment Management…
John Dykstra photo John DykstraJohn is a partner of Maples and Calder’s Finance team in the…
Wanda Ebanks photo Wanda EbanksWanda is a partner of Maples and Calder’s Finance team in the…
James Eldridge photo James EldridgeJames is a partner of Maples and Calder’s Dispute Resolution & Insolvency…
Simon Firth photo Simon FirthSimon is a partner of Maples and Calder’s Corporate team in the…
Jon Fowler photoMr Jon FowlerJon is global head of Maples and Calder’s Funds & Investment Management…
Tim Frawley photo Tim FrawleyTim is a partner of Maples and Calder’s Funds & Investment Management…
Aristos Galatopoulos photo Aristos GalatopoulosAristos is global head of the Maples and Calder’s Dispute & Resolution…
Matthew Gardner photo Matthew GardnerMatthew is Managing Partner of Maples and Calder, in the Maples Group’s…
Jonathan Green photo Jonathan GreenJonathan is the Global Managing Partner of Maples and Calder, the Maples…
Nick Herrod photo Nick HerrodNick is of counsel at Maples and Calder’s Dispute Resolution & Insolvency…
Shari Howell photo Shari HowellShari is a partner of Maples and Calder’s Finance team in the…
Adam Huckle photo Adam HuckleAdam is an associate of Maples and Calder’s Financial Services Regulation and…
Mac Imrie photo Mac ImrieMac is a consultant on Maples and Calder’s Dispute Resolution & Insolvency…
Michael Johns photo Michael JohnsMichael is partner of Maples and Calder’s Corporate team in the Maples…
Andrew Keast photo Andrew KeastAndrew is a partner of Maples and Calder’s Fund & Investment Management…
Amanda Lazier photo Amanda LazierAmanda is a partner of Maples and Calder’s Finance team in the…
Daniel Lee photo Daniel LeeDan is a partner of Maples and Calder’s Corporate team in the…
Scott Macdonald photo Scott MacdonaldScott is global head of Maples and Calder’s Finance team and is…
Iain McMurdo photo Iain McMurdoIain is a partner of Maples and Calder’s Funds & Investment Management…
Tina Meigh photo Tina MeighTina is head of Maples and Calder’s Finance team in the Maples…
Jonathon Meloy photo Jonathon MeloyJonathon is co-head of the Asset Finance practice in the Cayman Islands…
Caroline Moran photo Caroline MoranCaroline is a partner of Maples and Calder’s Dispute Resolution & Insolvency…
Finn O'Hegarty photo Finn O'HegartyFinn is a partner of Maples and Calder’s Corporate team and the…
Anthony Philp photo Anthony PhilpAnthony is a partner of Maples and Calder’s Finance team in the…
Gwyneth Rees photo Gwyneth ReesGwyneth is a partner of Maples and Calder’s Funds & Investment Management…
James Reeve photo James ReeveJames is a partner of Maples and Calder’s Finance team in the…
Michael Richardson photo Michael RichardsonMichael is head of Maples and Calder’s Funds & Investment Management team…
Patrick Rosenfeld photo Patrick RosenfeldPatrick is a partner of Maples and Calder’s Funds & Investment Management…
Shari Seymour photo Shari SeymourShari is a partner of Maples and Calder’s Corporate team in the…
Lukas Shroeter photo Lukas ShroeterLukas is an associate of Maples and Calder’s Dispute Resolution & Insolvency…
Paul Smith photo Paul SmithPaul is an associate of Maples and Calder’s Dispute Resolution & Insolvency…
Luke Stockdale photo Luke StockdaleLuke is a partner of Maples and Calder’s Dispute Resolution & Insolvency team…
Malachi Sweetman photo Malachi SweetmanMalachi is an associate of Maples and Calder’s Dispute Resolution & Insolvency…
Abraham Thoppil photo Abraham ThoppilAbraham is a partner of Maples and Calder’s Funds & Investment Management…
Kieran Walsh photo Kieran WalshKieran is a partner of Maples and Calder’s Corporate team in the…
Stephen Watler photo Stephen WatlerStephen is a partner of Maples and Calder’s Funds & Investment Management…
Number of Global partners : 127
Number of other Global fee-earners : 226
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 Partner