Caribbean - Bahamas
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Dispute resolution

Lennox Paton

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Lennox Paton’s domestic and international client base, which includes financial institutions, multinational corporates, private individuals and government entities, instruct the firm on complex and high-stakes litigation. The firm has recently been representing the joint provisional liquidators of FTX Digital in various cases arising from the collapse of the FTX crypto exchange; Sophia Rolle-Kapousouzoglou is leading the case, while practice head Brian Simms KC was recently appointed as provisional liquidator of FTX Digital Assets. Other key names in the group include Marco Turnquest, who appears regularly before the Supreme Court; newly appointed Kings Counsel Christopher Jenkins KC, who focuses on property litigation; and family specialist Metta MacMillan-Hughes KC. Chizelle Cargill is also a key name to note, along with active associate Valdere Murphy.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Key clients

  • FTX Digital Markets Ltd
  • Hot Pancakes Limited
  • CS&P SA
  • Baron’s Court Holdings Ltd.
  • Clico Bahamas Ltd
  • Bettas Ltd
  • AML Foods Ltd
  • Sky Bahamas Limited
  • Sandals Resorts International Ltd
  • UBS Bahamas Ltd

Work highlights

  • Acting as joint provisional liquidators of FTX Digital Markets Ltd.
  • Acting on behalf of Hot Pancakes Limited and CS&P SA, a Cyprus and Panamanian company respectively, in legal proceedings concerning a dispute over $30m in frozen funds held in an account at Ansbacher Bank, a Bahamian bank.
  • Acting for Bettas Limited in a multi-million dollar breach of banking mandate claim against HSBC.

Lawyers

Leading associates
Rising stars with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.
Valdere Murphy
Valdere Murphy
Lennox Paton
Valdere J. Murphy is an Associate in the firm’s Litigation Group. Since joining the Firm in 2018, he regularly appears as lead and junior counsel before the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal. Valdere has a keen interest in insolvency and restructuring, asset tracing, injunctive relief, corporate and contractual disputes, admiralty and trust litigation. He has experience in representing both individual and institutional clients at all stages of litigation, including interlocutory applications (such as injunctive relief), at trial and on appeal. Valdere has also gained noteworthy experience in cross-border insolvency and restructuring matters since joining the Firm. Valdere is currently the Chair of the Young Lawyers Group of Multilaw for the Caribbean/Offshore Region. Examples of recent work Currently assisting lead counsel with advising and acting on behalf of the Joint Provisional Liquidators of FTX Digital Markets Ltd. (‘In Provisional Liquidation’). Acting on behalf of Hot Pancakes Ltd and CS& P SA, a Cypriot and Panamanian company respectively in legal proceedings concerning a dispute over among other things, $30M in frozen funds held in a local bank account. Assisted lead counsel in relation to a just and equitable winding up Petition involving Bahamian Mutual Funds and Delaware Feeder Funds on behalf of minority shareholders. Assisted lead counsel in successfully defending an action against the enforcement of a foreign judgement in excess of $5 million. Advising and acting on behalf of an international regulatory body in relation to the enforcement of foreign judgements in The Bahamas.
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Marco Turnquest
Marco Turnquest
Lennox Paton
For the last 18 years, Marco has specialised in representing clients in high-value trust, banking, company and insolvency disputes. During this time he has established a successful track record and a outstanding reputation as a litigator. Many of his cases involve a multi-jurisdictional element and his  clients include many major international trusts and banks companies.
Brian Simms KC
Brian Simms KC
Lennox Paton
Brian Simms KC is the Senior Partner of the firm and the head of its Litigation and Insolvency and Restructuring Groups.  Brian is one of the Bahamas’ leading advocates and he has vast experience in the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal in addition to having appeared a number of times in the Privy Council. He was made a Queen’s Counsel in 2009 and is instructed in the most substantial Bahamian and international offshore cases. The legal directories continually rank Brian as a tier one litigator and praise him for the quality of his work and expertise in commercial litigation, trust disputes, insolvency and fraud cases.  Brian has been described by clients as “A top offshore Silk” and “The best litigation lawyer in the Bahamas”.
Sophia Rolle-Kapousouzoglou
Sophia Rolle-Kapousouzoglou
Lennox Paton
Sophia is a partner in our commercial litigation department. She appears regularly as lead counsel before the Bahamian Supreme Court and Court of Appeal. Sophia continues to receive growing recognition for her reputation in the field of insolvency litigation. Chambers Global comment ‘Sophia continues to enhance her already impressive disputes reputation. Sources describe her as “excellent,” “practical,” and “meticulous.” She is well versed in handling disputes relating to securities fraud, asset tracing and insolvency’. She impresses sources with her industrious approach to the work she takes on, with The Legal 500 Caribbean noting “Sophia Rolle-Kapousouzoglou does an excellent job; she is highly recommended for being extremely professional, efficient and experienced. Working with Sophia is like working with some of the top firms in London.” Sophia represents clients in multi-jurisdictional matters and has acted in several prominent cross-border insolvency cases. She is also experienced in shareholder and company disputes and trust litigation. Her overall practice areas include advising clients with respect to contractual disputes, property disputes, fraud and asset tracing, Norwich Pharmacal applications, applications for injunctions and other interlocutory relief. Sophia has been recognised by Chambers Global 2023, The Legal 500 Caribbean 2023, Who’s Who Legal: Asset Recovery 2020, Who’s Who Legal: Litigation 2020, Global Restructuring Review’s ’40 Under 40’ and was featured in GRR’s ‘Women in Restructuring’ list in 2019. She is regularly called on to speak at various international conferences, including INSOL, ABA, ABI, and the AIJA, and has contributed to numerous publications with respect to Bahamian law.
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
Chizelle Cargill
Chizelle Cargill
Lennox Paton
Chizelle is a Partner in the Litigation Group. Her practice focuses on commercial and general litigation claims, including contracts, banking, insolvency, fraud, personal injury, professional negligence, employment and family law. Chizelle has appeared as junior counsel in the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal in The Bahamas. She has also appeared as junior counsel before the Judicial Committee of Her Majesty’s Privy Council in the decision of Junkanoo Estates Bahamas Ltd et al v UBS (Bahamas) Ltd (In Voluntary Liquidation [2017] UKPC 8. In this landmark case, Chizelle helped to obtain a ruling that clarified the long-standing confusion over the concurrent jurisdictions between the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal, when applying for leave to appeal to the Court of Appeal in The Bahamas.  

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Brian Simms KC

Other key lawyers

Sophia Rolle-Kapousouzoglou, Marco Turnquest, Christopher Jenkins KC, Metta MacMillan-Hughes KC, Chizelle Cargill, Valdere Murphy

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