Bermuda - Jurisdiction IFLR1000 Review

Wakefield Quin

Firm overview

Wakefield Quin is a leading Bermuda law firm. Our core service boasting around twenty lawyers. Since the merger of two long-standing Bermuda firms on January 1, 2001, Wakefield Quin has worked to develop a successful legacy of advising both local and international clients in the areas of banking and finance, corporate and commercial, property, restructuring and insolvency, funds and investment services, trusts, private client and litigation.

Our legal professionals are dedicated to providing our clients with timely, sophisticated and solution-driven legal advice. We distinguish ourselves not only by the quality of our work but by our approach to clients. We are entrepreneurial and innovative. We take time to understand our clients’ needs and the high service standards that our clients require.

Our group is strengthened with a licensed corporate services provider business offering secretarial, registered office, and director services; a regulated trust manager including private client services; and a licensed fund administration company, providing fund and private equity accounting, registered transfer agent, and management/investor services.

Cox Hallett Wilkinson

Firm overview

Cox Hallett Wilkinson Limited (“CHW”) is one of Bermuda’s leading commercial law firms and provides an extensive range of legal services to a diverse local and international clientele, focusing primarily on corporate and commercial, litigation and dispute resolution, private client, estate planning, real estate and intellectual property related matters in a practical, cost effective and timely manner. Our business approach is to provide a high standard of professional advice delivered by a core team of attorneys and to develop close working and, in many cases, long-standing relationships with our clients and overseas counsel around the globe.

Its affiliated company, Coson Corporate Services Limited (“Coson”), a licensed corporate service provider regulated by the Bermuda Monetary Authority, provides corporate administration services to a variety of local and exempted companies, including those in the insurance, reinsurance, mutual funds, investment holdings, international trade, shipping and aviation industries. Coson also offers a full range of administrative services to local and exempted partnerships and LLCs established in Bermuda.

CHW is also affiliated with State House Trust Company Limited, a licensed trust company regulated by the Bermuda Monetary Authority, providing trustee and related private client services.

Meritas

CHW is a member of the Meritas international law firm network, a global alliance of more than 183 independent law firms spanning over 86 countries. Meritas members provide high quality legal services worldwide and work together to provide clients with a local legal partner with in depth international resources. All Meritas members must consistently meet quality standards and a stringent code of ethics and are required to participate in ongoing recertification and client satisfaction evaluations.

IFLR1000 Reviews

Financial and corporate

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 boasts 10 offices across the globe. Its original Bermuda office is located in Hamilton. The firm provides a range of financial and corporate legal services with specialized 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.

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.

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. The firm is highly regarded for its financial and corporate practice which advises on high value deals. The firm also 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.

MJM

MJM is a Hamilton, Bermuda-based law firm that provides commercial and regulatory legal advice to domestic and international clients. 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 emphasizes IPOs. The finance team, representing both lenders and borrowers, is noted for its secured lending specialization and is also active in the acquisition, real estate and project finance spaces.

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. 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 securitization spheres. The team advises on CLOs, IPOs, ISDAs and secondary share offerings.