Cox Hallett Wilkinson
Cox Hallett Wilkinson is a top tier commercial firm headquartered in Hamilton. It has an international presence through its membership in Meritas. Ernest Morrison is managing director of the firm.
Focusses / specialisms
Financial and corporate law is where the firm excels. It is a leading firm in its market for financing, restructuring, capital markets and M&A.
Wakefield Quin
Headquartered in Hamilton, Wakefield Quin is a notable Bermudan firm. Nicholas Hoskins serves as managing director.
Focusses / specialisms
The firm is proficient in financial and corporate work. It serves both local and international clients in financing, M&A and restructuring matters. It is experienced in advising investment funds.
Appleby
Founded in Bermuda in 1898,
Appleby now boasts 10 offices across the globe. Its original Bermuda office is located in Hamilton.
Focusses / specialisms
The firm provides a range of financial and corporate legal services with specialised expertise in insurance, banking, technology and funds.
In finance, the firm advises prominent banks and financial institutions on syndicated loan facilities and asset financing.
In the investment funds space, the firm provides exhaustive representation on all types of fund structuring.
In M&A, the firm advises on a variety of cross-border transactions.
Key clients
Among the firm’s clients are Brookfield Asset Management, Marvell Technology Group and Floatel International.
ASW Law
Located in Hamilton, ASW Law is a highly regarded firm specialising in corporate and commercial law.
Focusses / specialisms
The firm is noted for its strength in the financial and corporate practice areas with particular emphasis on the financial services and insurance/reinsurance sectors. The firm is also active in the capital markets space on both the debt and equity side.
In capital markets, the firm attends to IPOs and bond issuances, while the finance team centralises corporate financings.
In the M&A practice, the firm represents clients in acquisitions, tender offers and mergers.
In addition to advising on Bermuda law, the firm is also able to represent clients in relation to English statutes.
Key clients
Key clients include Aon, Apollo Global Management,
Covéa, Markel Corporation, Telstra Corporation and Willis Towers Watson.
BeesMont Law
BeesMont Law is a boutique firm in Hamilton, Bermuda. It is part of BeesMont Group which also has a consultancy and management company.
Focusses / specialisms
The firm advises on corporate and commercial law including investment funds, structured finance, secured lending, aircraft financing, M&A and other corporate advisory work.
Key clients
Key clients include Circle, CrossTower and Clarien Investments.
Client feedback: 31st edition (2020/2021)
Financial services regulatory
“Strong knowledge of current and pending legislation in crypto and financial services more broadly.”
“Excellent counsel in how to effectively work with the regulatory authorities.”
Carey Olsen
Full-service offshore law firm
Carey Olsen
was founded in 1898. Its Bermuda office opened in Hamilton in 2017. It also has locations in BVI, Cayman Islands, Channel Islands, Cape Town, Hong Kong, London and Singapore.
In 2021 the firm expanded to an improved office space in the Rosebank Centre.
In financial and corporate
law, the firm advises clients in acquisition financing, general corporate financing, private equity and strategic acquisitions.
In addition to Bermuda law, the firm can also practice under BVI, Cayman Islands, Guernsey and Jersey law.
Key clients include Allied Irish Banks, Bank of Ireland, Bridgepoint,
MagicLab, Helix Underwriting Partners, Watford Holdings, BNP Paribas and National Australia Bank.
Research period review: 32nd edition (2022/2023)
Over the research period, the firm was active in financial and corporate.
The firm participated in M&A transactions as well as numerous confidential matters. Mostly on the buyer side, the firm advised on large acquisitions in the insurance sector.
Deal highlights: 32nd edition (2022/2023)
Arthur J. Gallagher $3.2 billion acquisition of Willis Towers Watson
Avianca Holdings $1 billion restructuring
Coralisle Group $90 million acquisition of Massy United
Conyers Dill & Pearman
International law firm Conyers Dill & Pearman was founded in Bermuda in 1928 as the country’s first offshore law firm. Since then, it has expanded to offices in the British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Hong Kong, London and Singapore. The firm’s Bermuda office is in Hamilton.
Focusses / specialisms
The firm is highly regarded for its financial and corporate practice which advises on high value deals.
The firm acts for private equity and strategic companies in all matters in the financial and corporate practice including acquisitions – both buy and sell side, mergers, share offerings, private equity investments, restructurings, bond issuances, securitizations, corporate financing, IPOs and fund formations.
In addition to Bermuda law, the firm is also able to advise on BVI and Cayman Islands law.
Key clients
Key clients include Aircastle, Dream Global REIT, Invesco, Watford Holdings, Avolon Holdings, Castlelake and Sensata Technologies.
Client feedback: 32nd edition (2022/2023)
Restructuring
“Thoughtful, responsive highly competent advice on corporate restructuring with multiple competing creditor and investor issues.”
“Excellent comprehensive realistic view of the big picture and of what is achievable.”
MJM
MJM is a Hamilton, Bermuda-based law firm that provides commercial and regulatory legal advice to domestic and international clients.
Focusses / specialisms
Known for its expertise in shipping finance, the firm is active across a diversity of practices including capital markets, finance, M&A and restructuring.
The firm’s capital markets involvement encompasses both debt and equity-side transactions, though it emphasises IPOs.
The finance team, representing both lenders and borrowers, is noted for its secured lending specialisation and is also active in the acquisition, real estate and project finance spaces.
The firm offers the full range of M&A services, focusing, however, on joint ventures.
Key clients
Key clients include Avance Gas Holding, Borr Drilling, Clarien Bank, Himalaya Shipping, HSBC, North Atlantic Drilling and Northern Ocean.
Client feedback: 32nd
edition (2022/2023)
Capital markets: equity
“Very proactive, flexible and knowledgeable.”
“The MJM team is available and professional, always providing sound and efficient advice on complex matters. We have been working with this team for several years and know that we can expect top-quality legal advice and sharp eyes for detail.”
Walkers
Founded in 1964, Walkers
is an international firm with locations in Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, England, Guernsey, Hong Kong, Ireland, Jersey, Singapore and United Arab Emirates.
Focusses / specialisms
The firm advises on a broad range of practice areas including banking and finance, capital markets, M&A and investment funds.
In the finance space, the firm represents both lenders and borrowers on a wide range of deal types including maritime and aviation asset financing, acquisition financing, bilateral loans, collateral arrangements, secured lending and syndicated loans.
The firm’s capital markets practice is active on the equity side, as well as in the derivatives and structured finance and securitisation spheres. The team advises on CLOs, IPOs, ISDAs and secondary share offerings.
In M&A, the firm offers the full range of M&A services.
In investment funds, the firm advises in connection with the launch of crypto, master-feeder, open-end and closed-end, stand-alone and tokenised funds.
Key clients
Key clients include Alpha Innovations, Blackstone, BC Partners, Carlyle, Cerberus, Onex Corporation, Thoma Bravo and Warburg Pincus.
Client feedback: 32nd edition (2022/2023)
Banking and finance
“Excellent service, in-depth expertise and excellent value for money.”
Investment funds: hedge funds
“Knowledgeable and responsive.”
.gif)
