Carey Olsen’s property team works seamlessly with the firm’s corporate, finance, disputes, and private wealth teams on property acquisitions, disposals, and joint ventures. A key port of call for major developers, lenders, investors, landlords, and purchasers, the team is led by Richard Sykes , who represents leading developers, lenders, and investors on high-profile transactions. Richard Munden brings notable expertise in real estate finance and structuring, while Harriet Mills supports substantial deals, advising prominent clients on complex and market-leading transactions.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Accolades
Client satisfaction
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
'Because of Richard Sykes' experience in-house, Richard brings a level of expertise on complex and novel transactions that is rare in private practice in this market, and coupled with the "start-up" nature of the firm's real estate practice, allows him to be flexible, creative, responsive, and effective.’
‘Richard Sykes has been a good hire. He is very experienced, knowledgeable, and is good to work with. He is well respected on the island as a safe pair of hands.’
‘Carey Olsen has been an excellent partner for navigating sophisticated real estate finance structures, particularly where cross-border or fund-related elements are involved. Their Cayman team delivers the right mix of local insight and offshore expertise, which is incredibly useful when structuring high-value deals that span multiple jurisdictions. I have found them to be highly responsive and commercially minded.'
'Their ability to advise on large-scale hospitality and residential developments with clarity and precision has helped us move faster and with greater confidence. They offer real value in situations where legal complexity meets investor expectations. What I appreciate most is their seamless coordination across offices and disciplines — it allows us to execute confidently, knowing that regulatory, tax, and operational risks have been thoroughly considered.’
‘Richard Sykes is a standout advisor, especially on deals involving real estate finance and hospitality assets. He brings deep technical knowledge and an ability to anticipate both legal and commercial risks before they materialise. His responsiveness and calm demeanour have been key in navigating high-value, time-sensitive matters.'
'The Carey Olsen individuals I’ve dealt with are proactive, thoughtful, and always professional. They’re strong communicators, which really matters when you're managing multiple moving parts across jurisdictions.’
Key clients
- Pageant Beach Hotel Ltd.
- 269 West Bay Road Ltd.
- NCB Group
- Cayman National Bank
- Butterfield Bank
- Cayman Islands Government
- Calma Holdings
- Scotiabank & Trust (Cayman) Ltd.
Work highlights
Advising 269 West Bay Road Ltd, the developer of the new Hyatt Centric hotel and residences on their site acquisition, planning, operating agreements, licensing, financing, strata considerations, and sales.
Advising Pageant Beach Hotel Ltd., the developer of the Grand Hyatt Hotel and Residences on structuring, hotel agreements, sales, easements, and project financing.
Advised NCB Group on a number of new developments in Cayman, including The Waves, Sundance, Aura, and Bayside.
Lawyers
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Leading associates
Leading associates with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.
Practice head
Richard Sykes
Other key lawyers
Richard Munden; Harriet Mills; Brittany Parsaligan