Huw Moses

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Leaders in Law endorses Huw Moses as our exclusively recommended Intellectual Property Law expert in the Cayman Islands. If you wish to get in touch with Huw, please use the contact information provided above.

Huw Moses is the Managing Partner of HSM IP. He advises on all aspects of Intellectual Property protection, enforcement and dispute resolution specialising in the Caribbean. Huw is a member of various Cayman Islands Government Committees on IP reform. From 1984 until 1993 Huw was a solicitor in the UK practicing with Lovells (now Hogan Lovells). In 1993 he moved to the Cayman Islands where he joined a local firm which in due course became part of one of the largest offshore law firms in the world. In 2003 Huw became the Managing Partner of the Cayman office until he left to form the HSM Group in 2012. The firm’s memberships include INTA, CITMA, AIPLA and IPCA. Huw has attended the annual INTA meeting every year for over 15 years along with several other members of HSM IP. Huw has also played a key role in setting up the Intellectual Property Caribbean Association (IPCA).

Huw was appointed and is an active member of the Intellectual Property Steering Committee (IPSC) in the Cayman Islands.

Areas of Expertise

  • Intellectual Property Law
  • Litigation
  • Insolvency and Restructuring
  • Employment Law

Education

  • University of Birmingham

Bar Admissions

  • (1984) England and Wales (not practicing)
  • (1993) Cayman Islands
  • (2005) British Virgin Islands

Firm Description:

The HSM Group is comprised of HSM Chambers, HSM Corporate Services Ltd. and HSM IP Ltd. As a full-service law firm in the Cayman Islands, we specialise in Immigration, Employment, Corporate and Commercial, Family, Property, Intellectual Property, Litigation, Restructuring, Insolvency, Private Client and Debt Solutions.

HSM IP Ltd. provides worldwide intellectual property services, but specialises in the Caribbean. Based in the Cayman Islands our experienced team of attorneys and paralegals deliver first class service to a broad client base which includes major Fortune Global 500 brand owners, international law firms and other specialist IP practices.

Our interactive database enables us to proactively manage each client’s portfolio efficiently and cost-effectively in an environmentally friendly and substantially paperless workplace. It also enables us to fulfil our clients’ specific reporting and invoicing requirements, including multi-currency invoicing and e-billing.

The growth of our firm has enabled us to establish a specialist Caribbean IP department whose members regularly contribute to leading IP publications.

We have substantial experience in taking action to address the infringement of trade marks and patents and in the conduct of passing-off actions. We are also able to offer investigative services to identify the source of, and distributors of, infringing goods, working closely with police and customs officials as necessary.

We have over 50 country guides for patents and trade marks across the Caribbean, which can be viewed on our website. Click here to download our regularly updated client guides for further information.

Expertise

HSM Chambers acts on a wide-range of matters both transactional and contentious and non-contentious litigation. We regularly advise and act for the Attorney General of the Cayman Islands and our attorneys currently are appointed members of or chair various Cayman Islands’ Tribunals and are appointed as Law Reform Commissioners and Grand Court Taxing Officers. In addition our attorneys are regularly appointed by the court to take depositions for use in foreign proceedings. As a result of our broad reach, we are able to apply an immense range of technical experience and local knowledge to our client matters that is unsurpassed in this jurisdiction.

HSM IP with its team of attorneys and experienced paralegals have unrivalled experience in protecting their client’s IP rights and managing IP assets.

 

Mark Goodman

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Leaders in Law endorses Mark Goodman as our exclusively recommended Insolvency Law expert in Cayman Islands. If you wish to get in touch with Mark please use the contact information provided above.

Mark is a partner in our Litigation, Insolvency & Restructuring Group where he specialises in insolvency, restructuring and investment fund litigation. Mark advises and appears in the Cayman Islands Courts on behalf of provisional and official liquidators, creditors, shareholders, directors, managers and other professional service providers in relation to a broad range of pre and post liquidation disputes. He has acted in litigation involving widely varying commercial contexts and structures, but his practice principally involves distressed and failed investment funds.

Mark regularly publishes articles and speaks at seminars and conferences on issues relevant to insolvency, restructuring and investment fund litigation. He is also the current Chair of the Recovery & Insolvency Specialist Association (Cayman) Ltd. Board.

Expertise

Professional Associations

  • Law Society of England & Wales
  • Cayman Islands Law Society
  • INSOL
  • American Bankruptcy Institute
  • Chairman, Recovery & Insolvency Specialist Association (Cayman) Ltd. (RISA)
  • International Insolvency Institute

Firm Description:

Our clients rely on our knowledge, expertise and ability to create the best possible outcome for any given scenario. This skill comes from years of dedication and a relentless commitment to putting our clients first, every time.

Campbells is a leading full service offshore law firm established in 1970.  From our offices in the Cayman Islands, the British Virgin Islands and Hong Kong we provide comprehensive corporate and litigation advice and services to clients worldwide in relation to Cayman Islands and British Virgin Islands law. We are regularly trusted to advise some of the most prominent names in finance, investment and insurance and we are frequently involved in the largest and most complex transactions, disputes and insolvencies in both jurisdictions.

Our legal team is internationally recognised for its expertise by leading directories and trade publications and we are also proud to be actively involved in the development of legislation, sitting on critical government legislative committees. Campbells is a member of the international legal networks Meritas and World Law Group.

 

Neil McLarnon

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Leaders in Law endorses Neil McLarnon as our exclusively recommended Commercial Litigation Law expert in the Cayman Islands. If you wish to get in touch with Neil, please use the contact information provided above.

Neil McLarnon joins us having spent 12 years practising as a Barrister in London’s leading offshore commercial chancery Chambers. Before that Neil spent 2 years in the London litigation department of Weil, Gotshal & Manges. Neil has specialised in complex international commercial litigation and arbitration involving disputes up to the value of US$50 billion.

As sole Counsel, Neil McLarnon has represented clients at every level of the English civil law court structure, from tribunals and county courts, through the High Court, the Court of Appeal to the UK Supreme Court. He has represented clients in ICC, LCIA, DIAC and ad hocarbitrations. He also regularly appeared before the Dubai International Financial Centre Court. As Junior Counsel, he has worked alongside Senior Counsel for hearings and trials taking place before the High Court and the Courts of the Bahamas, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Guernsey and Jersey.

Areas of Expertise

  • Arbitration
  • Banking and Finance
  • Civil Fraud
  • Commercial Litigation Law
  • Company Law
  • Directors’ Duties
  • Funds Law
  • Injunctions
  • Insolvency Law
  • Partnership Law
  • Private International Law
  • Trusts and Estates Law.

Admitted

  • England and Wales 2004 (Lincoln’s Inn) (currently non-practising)
  • Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (BVI) 2006, Dubai International Financial Centre ,Registered Legal Practitioner (2012-2016)
  • Cayman Islands (Full admission) 2016

Education

  • Jurisprudence, New College, University of Oxford Bar Vocational Course (BPP)
  • Hardwicke Scholar (Lincoln’s Inn), Sir Thomas More Scholar (Lincoln’s Inn), Cholmeley Scholar (Lincoln’s Inn)

Firm Description:

Travers Thorp Alberga is a boutique Cayman Islands and British Virgin Islands law firm comprised only of the most experienced lawyers from both jurisdictions and modelled for the post financial crisis environment. We specialize in highly technical structuring involving complex securities and regulatory issues. Our partners provide incisive and highly effective advice to a higher standard on all types of offshore entities including hedge funds, private equity, corporate and partnership vehicles, asset and structured finances, cryptocurrencies and ICO’s, capital markets, general corporate and commercial matters, and private client. We advise from our offices in Grand Cayman, the British Virgin Islands, Hong Kong and Australia. The firm also has a highly experienced four-partner litigation team specializing in all forms of complex cross border dispute resolution and insolvency.

In March 2020, the firm expanded by establishing a matrimonial department to provide full service advice in relation to family law including divorce, financial provision, child custody and cross border asset tracing.

We advise exclusively in relation to matters of Cayman Islands and British Virgin Islands law and not in relation to the laws of any other jurisdiction. Our structures, however, are designed to conform with legislation, taxation and regulation of all other relevant and applicable jurisdictions.

Our Philosophy

Our business model is different in a way that is relevant to client needs in a changed offshore legal and economic environment:

  • Our clients rely on the constant direct involvement of a highly experienced partner with a proven track record. With an average of at least twenty years relevant experience many of our partners were formerly heads of department at the largest Cayman Islands law firms. Clients receive intuitive and incisive legal advice without internal layering and duplication.
  • With no affiliated fiduciary service company, our legal advice is free of the conflicts of interest that necessarily otherwise arise.
  • Our streamlined operating structure provides our clients with highly competitive and flexible fee arrangements that are compelling, do not rely on hourly rate billing and may be based on the client’s assessment of value added.

History

The firm was originally established in the Cayman Islands in 1978 as a partnership between James McDonald and Darryl Myers. Bryan Ashenheim and Michael Alberga joined the partnership shortly after. On James McDonald’s retirement in 1985, the firm changed its name to Myers & Alberga.

In March 2009, Darryl Myers (who remains a consultant to the firm) and Bryan Ashenheim retired from the partnership and Richard Thorp, Melanie Myers-Khouri joined the firm which was renamed Thorp Alberga.

The firm opened its Hong Kong office in 2009.

In 2012, when Anthony Travers joined as Senior Partner, the firm was renamed Travers Thorp Alberga. The firm has since expanded steadily through mergers and by attracting former heads of department and partners from major offshore law firms.

In 2014, the firm merged with long standing Cayman Islands law firm, Paget-Brown and Company and in 2015, merged with boutique British Virgin Islands law firm Orion-Law thereby acquiring a fully staffed office in Tortola, British Virgin Islands.

 

Jeffrey D. Johnstone

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Leaders in Law endorses Jeffrey D. Johnstone as our exclusively recommended Corporate Law expert in the Cayman Islands. If you wish to get in touch with Jeffrey please use the contact information provided above.

Jeffrey D. Johnstone is a senior attorney with expertise in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, secured lending, private equity and venture capital transactions, securities, and general corporate and commercial law. Jeffrey acts for both publicly listed and private companies in various sectors, high net worth individuals, banking institutions and other participants in the offshore and onshore markets. He is also frequently engaged in transactions involving the captive insurance industry.

Prior to joining Broadhurst LLC, Jeffrey practised at one of Toronto’s premier “Seven Sister” firms. He later co-founded a corporate finance boutique that included Fortune 500 companies in its portfolio of clients.

  • Representative matters include:
  • Represented the lenders in connection with a multijurisdictional $365,000,000 secured lending transaction.
  • Represented the purchaser in connection with the $90,000,000 sale of a controlling interest in a telecommunications company to a NASDAQ-listed company.
  • Represented the purchaser in connection with the $80,000,000 million public-private acquisition of a Cayman Islands television broadcasting and cable group.
  • Represented NASDAQ-listed software development company as the purchaser in $35,000,000 public-private acquisition of an industry-related target.
  • Represented the limited partners to the general partner in the structuring of a $100,000,000 private investment fund focused on “brownfield” assets.
  • Represented a biomedical fund in numerous equity offerings as part of its Series-B and Series-C rounds of investment.
  • Represented emerging technology fund in numerous equity offerings as part of the fund’s Series-A rounds of investment.
  • Represented an issuer in the telecommunications industry in connection with numerous convertible debt offerings as part of the issuer’s Series-A and Series-B rounds of financing.
  • Represented various offshore participants in multiple joint ventures related to the monetization of ICANN regulated gTLD assets.
  • Represented a mining and resource company migrating from its US domicile to the Cayman Islands in connection with the company’s IPO and public listing.
  • Represented an NYSE-listed “Fortune 100” company in numerous all-cash acquisitions of private company targets related to its growth strategy.
  • Represented a heavy machinery manufacturer, tool-and-die manufacturer and other “brick-and-mortar” industry participants in various cross-border enterprise sales and acquisitions.

Education; Professional Achievements and Community Activities Jeffrey holds his B.A. (Victoria College at the University of Toronto, 1994), M.A. (University of Guelph, 1996) and LL.B (University of Windsor, 1999). Jeffrey was called as a Barrister and Solicitor in Ontario,
Canada in 2001 and as an Attorney-at-Law in the Cayman Islands in 2011. Jeffrey is a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada (non-practising) and the Cayman Islands Law Society. Outside of the office, Jeffrey enjoys traditional and sport rock climbing, alpine skiing and adventure travel.

Firm Description:

Broadhurst LLC is a boutique offshore law firm specialising in Cayman Islands litigation and corporate law, advising both local and international clients. Our areas of expertise include: litigation & dispute resolution; corporate & commercial; insolvency & restructuring; trusts; compliance & regulatory; private client; personal injury; family & children; insurance; and conveyancing. As a client focused law firm, we work closely with our clients to identify and resolve their legal issues with practical and creative solutions.

We are frequently engaged in local and international disputes and transactions by multinational institutions, high-net-worth individuals, creditors, debtors, directors, officers, shareholders, liquidators, receivers and other professionals. We frequently handle Cayman litigation and transactions on behalf of non-Cayman law firms and in-house counsel. As a client first law firm, we apply our extensive knowledge and experience to vigorously represent the interests of our clients while at the same time providing them with the highest standard of professionalism through our exceptional responsiveness, service, and approachability.

 

Cherry Bridges

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Leaders in Law endorses Cherry Bridges as our exclusively recommended Banking expert in the Cayman Islands. If you wish to get in touch with Cherry please use the contact information provided above.

Cherry Bridges is a Barrister-at-Law and Attorney-at-Law and the Partner in charge of the Litigation Department at Ritch & Conolly. Cherry was educated in England but has lived in Malaysia, Sarawak, Hong Kong and the Cayman Islands.

Upon completion of her Law Degree and Bar Finals, she was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 1982 and completed her pupillage at 1 Essex Court, Temple, London and at Temple Chambers, Hong Kong.

She was called to the Bar of Hong Kong in 1983 and worked as a Barrister-at-Law in private practice at Temple Chambers, Hong Kong from 1983 to 1986 before she relocated to the Cayman Islands and was admitted as an attorney-at-law in the Cayman Islands in 1987.

She has 34 years experience acting in a wide range of civil commercial litigation with particular expertise in litigation relating to trusts, insurance, commercial disputes, tracing actions, enforcement of judgments, companies and liquidations of banks, hedge funds and private companies.

She has acted in numerous and significant cross border matters for clients from all over the world, including the United States of America, Canada, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Uruguay, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Russia, Norway, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Notable or significant cases in which Cherry has acted are:

Companies/liquidations acting for liquidators, creditors and directors:

  • SphinX, Palm Beach Offshore funds, Lancelot Investors’ Fund, Bancredit (Cayman) Limited, Trade & Commerce Bank, BCCI,
  • Eurobank Corporation, Prospect Properties, In the matter of H of H, Carrian (Hong Kong)
  • Trusts and tracing actions acting for beneficiaries, Trustees and Plaintiffs
  • Reksten, Re C Trusts, The Circle Trust

Insurance Arbitrations acting for the Insured:

  • Courtyard Marriott
  • Villas Pappagallo

Practice Areas:

  • Civil Litigation
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Insolvency
  • Property
  • Asset Tracing
  • Conflict of Laws
  • Trust Litigation
  • Arbitration
  • Banking
  • Company
  • Regulatory and Financial Services
  • Mediation

Memberships

  • Cayman Islands Law Society
  • INSOL
  • American Bankruptcy Institute
  • Honourable Society of Gray’s Inn, England

Firm Description:

Ritch & Conolly was established in 1983 and undertakes a wide range of legal services for domestic and international clients.

The firm has a respected international commercial litigation practice with extensive experience in cross-border litigation in trusts, corporate disputes, insolvency and asset recovery, enforcement of foreign judgments and conflicts of law.

Other areas of our litigation practice include banking, commercial fraud, anti-money laundering, contract, negligence, construction, administrative and public law, shipping, property, employment and arbitration.

We also undertake extensive non-contentious work including company, insurance, banking, real estate development and structuring, conveyancing, wills and estates, licensing, immigration and trademarks.

The firm has established links with other law firms and institutions worldwide. The Senior Partner, Mr. David Ritch, is highly regarded in the region, having served on numerous Government statutory boards over the years as Chairman and is currently a director of CIBC First Caribbean International Bank and the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Caribbean Utilities Company, Ltd., the sole provider of electricity on Grand Cayman.

Company formation and administrative services are provided by the firm’s affiliated corporate administration company, Foreshore Corporate Services Ltd., which may be contacted at the law firm’s address or by e-mail at ebyrnes@rc.com.ky.

 

Caroline Barton

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Leaders in Law endorses Caroline Barton as our exclusively recommended Finance Law expert in the Cayman Islands. If you wish to get in touch with Caroline, please use the contact information provided above.

Caroline is a partner within the Corporate department in Cayman and Group Head of Banking & Asset Finance, as well as Transport & Logistics.

Her practice areas include private equity, asset finance, corporate finance, bond offerings and structured finance. She is extensively involved in aircraft and vessel financing, subscription financing and CLOs. Caroline also has deep experience in capital markets, corporate restructuring and mergers and acquisitions, especially working on the buyer side of transactions.

Caroline was recently recognised by Who’s Who Legal in 2016 with respect to Aircraft Finance, and acknowledged as a ´Rising Star´ in IFLR1000´s 2015 capital markets law rankings.

She is a member of the Cayman Islands Law Society, the Law Society of England and Wales, the Cayman Islands Labour Tribunal and the Caymanian Bar Association, and a notary public registered in the Cayman Islands.

Recent highlights include advising

  • China Merchants Bank Co., Ltd. in connection with just under US$1 billion loan facility to Perfect World Co., Ltd. to finance its high profile management buy-out and privatisation.
  • China Merchants Bank Co., Ltd. in connection with its US$100m loan facility to Delta Health to finance the construction of its first world class cardiovascular hospital in Shanghai. Delta Health is majority owned and controlled by Fidelity Growth Partners Asia and its affiliates.
  • Seller in relation to it sale to DHT Holdings of all of its outstanding capital in Samco Shipholding Pte. Ltd. for an initial estimated purchase price of $317 million in cash. Included in the purchase were Samco´s 10 Cayman subsidiaries which hold ownership to its oil tankers.
  • A leading financial institution as lender in a uniquely structured security package in the subscription credit market whereby investors were issued shares at par value on closing coupled with a remaining obligation to fund their outstanding commitment with respect to those shares when called to do so by the Cayman company. The company in turn then granted the lender a security interest over its right to enforce the shareholders’ obligations to fund their remaining commitments.
  • Höegh LNG Holdings Ltd. and its subsidiaries in connection with the formation of Höegh LNG Partners LP, a Marshall Islands limited partnership (MLP) and the MLP´s initial public offering of 11,040,000 common units representing limited partner interests in the MLP at USD 20.00 per unit. The MLP was formed to own, operate and acquire floating storage and regasification units, liquefied natural gas carriers and other LNG infrastructure assets under long-term charters.
  • Closed 13 CLOs so far in 2015 for, amongst others, Citibank, Wells Fargo, Deutsche Bank and Credit Suisse.

Education

  • University of Bristol (England)
  • Nottingham Trent University (England)

Firm Description:

We are a full service law firm providing comprehensive, expert advice and services across corporate, dispute resolution, property, regulatory and private client and trusts practice areas. We work with our clients to achieve practical solutions whether from a single location or across multiple jurisdictions.

Through Appleby Global Services, Appleby provides a range of administration, reporting and fiduciary services focused on corporate structures. Our dedicated teams of experienced professionals work closely with our legal specialists to provide our clients with an integrated legal and corporate administration offering.

We are regularly recognised for our professionalism, integrity and excellent client service, and these are the values we pride ourselves on and are at the core of our business.

Our global presence enables us to provide comprehensive, multi-jurisdictional legal advice at the times most beneficial to our clients.

 

J. Ross McDonough

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Leaders in Law endorses J. Ross McDonough as our exclusively recommended Litigation Law expert in the Cayman Islands. If you wish to get in touch with J. Ross, please use the contact information provided above.

Managing Partner and Head of Litigation, Ross frequently acts in complex international insolvencies, restructurings and security enforcements and is regularly retained by local and overseas insolvency professionals, directors, fund administrators, auditors, creditors and investors in connection with all aspects of the restructuring and winding up of companies, investment funds, limited partnerships, SIV’s and structured finance entities.

Sources say: “he knows the law extremely well, is very practical in his suggestions and is very efficient in trials.”
– Chambers and Partners

He has specific experience of coordinating cross-border appointments and obtaining recognition and assistance for insolvency professionals appointed by foreign courts. Having practiced continuously in the Cayman Islands since 1994, Ross is one of the most experienced litigators at the Cayman bar and has acted in more than 40 reported cases and was admitted in the British Virgin Islands in 2008. He is also regularly engaged to give expert evidence on issues of Cayman Islands law in proceedings before foreign courts.

Litigation Law Practice:

Campbells is widely recognised for its litigation strength and has particular expertise in investment funds disputes and all aspects of the liquidations of investment funds. Members of the department appear before the Grand Court, Court of Appeal and Privy Council and have been involved in numerous reported cases. Clients range from large international, financial and trading organisations to liquidators and trustees in bankruptcy of international and local entities, participants in investment and trust structures and Cayman Islands Government Agencies. In particular, we have substantial experience acting for liquidators, creditors and shareholders of distressed companies in cross border liquidations and corporate reorganisations, as well as acting for the local restructuring departments of the major accounting firms.

Our litigators also regularly appear as expert witnesses and speak at local and international conferences, and a number of our lawyers are admitted to practise in the BVI.

Campbells Attorneys at Law:

Campbells have been leading the way for over 43 years, advising both local and international clients on Cayman Islands and British Virgin Islands law. We are regularly trusted to advise some of the most prominent names in finance, investment, insolvency and insurance and are frequently involved in the largest and most complex transactions in both jurisdictions.

Our legal team is internationally recognised for their expertise by leading directories and trade publications and we are also proud to be actively involved in the development of legislation, sitting on critical government legislative committees. Campbells is a member of the international legal network Meritas.

 

Raymond Davern

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Leaders in Law endorses Raymond Davern as our exclusively recommended Trusts & Estates Law expert in Cayman Islands. If you wish to get in touch with Raymond, please use the contact information provided above.

Raymond Davern, Counsel, is Head of the Private Client and Trust practices in both the Cayman Islands and British Virgin Islands offices of Conyers Dill & Pearman. Raymond regularly works with leading onshore legal and accounting firms in the US, UK, Europe, Latin America, MENA region and South East Asia to establish and provide advice in relation to trust and related structures for high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals in succession, estate planning and asset protection contexts.

Raymond also undertakes specialist trust litigation in both jurisdictions at first instance and appellate levels, regularly appearing as an advocate. He also advises on the administration of Cayman and BVI situated estate of foreign domiciled deceased persons in both contentious and non-contentious contexts.

Raymond has over 25 years of experience, and joined Conyers in 2010. In addition to his private client and litigation experience, Raymond has served as a lecturer on the Law of Trusts at King’s College in London, UK.

Firm Description:

Founded in 1928, Conyers Dill & Pearman is an international law firm advising on the laws of Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands and Mauritius. With a global network that includes 140 lawyers spanning eight offices worldwide, Conyers provides responsive, sophisticated, solution-driven legal advice to clients seeking specialised expertise on corporate and commercial, litigation, restructuring and insolvency, and trust and private client matters. Conyers is affiliated with the Codan group of companies, which provide a range of trust, corporate secretarial, accounting and management services.