The National Trust will launch, via sponsorship by Walkers, the first annual “Wild Spaces and Special Places” Photo Competition on September 1, 2016. Professional photographers, dabblers and students are challenged to capture Cayman close-up, under one or more of the following themes: people, traditions, culture, nature, wildlife, landscapes and historic landmarks.

Interested participants are encouraged to post photos on the facebook event page @WildSpacesSpecialPlaces and include the hashtag #CaymanCloseUp for tracking purposes. Photos will be reviewed based on the number of likes from Facebook supporters combined with a panel of judges who will assess on subject matter, originality and relevance.

In preparation for the Trust’s thirtieth anniversary in 2017, the top 52 photos will be featured in a 2017 page a day calendar and the top 15 displayed in a live auction on October 20 at the Walkers reception lobby on Elgin Avenue from 6pm to 8pm. Winning participants will receive prizes from sponsors and part proceeds from the auction of their photos.

There is also a student competition category which will feature two lucky student’s photos. Students will be required to highlight the name of the school being represented in the caption of the photo. Winning students will receive part proceeds from the auction towards school programmes and will have their school logo included in the calendar.

Companies and individuals interested in sharing a piece of Cayman with loved ones may do so as of December 1, 2016 when all calendars will be available for purchase in the Cayman Nature Store located in the Dart Family Park, South Church Street.

To reserve calendars email *protected email* or call 749-1121 for more information.

Nineteen young Caymanians have successfully completed their internships at Mourant Ozannes where they have had an opportunity to get first-hand experience of working in a leading law firm.

Over the Summer period, a series of students drawn from the Cayman Finance Work Experience Scheme and direct from Cayman Islands schools spent between two and four weeks working alongside lawyers and other professionals in the Camana Bay offices of the international law firm.

This year the firm increased its support of the Cayman Finance Work Experience Programme, offering seats to four students: Shania Thomas and Dana Douglas, who secured placements as Corporate Services Assistants, and Patrisia Thompson and Zared Franklin, who worked as Legal Assistants.

Mourant Ozannes Cayman Office Managing Partner, Peter Hayden, said: “It is great to see so many students participating in this programme which allows them to gain a real insight into working in a law firm and assists them to make better informed decisions on their future careers.  Many students come back to work with us again in following years, join our scholarship programme or join the firm after graduating.  We wish them all the best with their studies.”

Cayman Finance intern, Zared Franklin, joined Mourant Ozannes Litigation team, he said: “It has been a pleasure being part of such an established organisation and workforce. The experience here has been amazing. I’ve been able to understand the type of work being carried out and was even able to witness an actual court case live which was very interesting.”

Law student Victoria Crawshaw, who has returned to Mourant Ozannes for several holiday work placements while completing her studies, added: “As a law student, interning allows insight into what working at a law firm is really like. Working with a wonderful team of lawyers is a great opportunity to put things you’ve been learning throughout the year at university into practice. The Mourant Ozannes Summer Scheme is a brilliant programme that allows you to develop your passion for law in a supportive environment. Gaining experience in different departments is incredibly helpful in enabling you to decide what type of law you’d like to practice in the future.”

Students looking to join the programme in 2017 should submit applications consisting of a cover letter, résumé, and most recent transcript (unofficial transcripts are accepted), along with proof of Caymanian Status and a police clearance certificate. Application deadline is 14 April 2017. Applications should be sent via email to *protected email*. More information can be found on the Mourant Ozannes website.

Brando Rankin, 28, was approved and admitted as an attorney-at-law in the Cayman Islands in a ceremony in court.

“It has taken a lot to get here,” said Mr. Rankin. “There were a lot of hurdles, a lot of stumbles and as I mentioned during my speech, there were more moments when I doubted I would ever make it to the final goal.”

Mr. Rankin, who is from North Side, was presented to the court by litigation partner Kyle Broadhurst of Broadhurst LLC, who moved the young Caymanian’s admission to the Bar.

In his speech, Mr. Broadhurst noted Mr. Rankin’s academic history and achievements.

After starting his education at Cayman Prep, Mr. Rankin moved to Bedfordshire, England, in 2005 to continue his education at Luton Sixth Form College, where he completed his A-Levels.

Mr. Rankin earned his law degree, with honors, at De Montfort University in Leicester, England, in 2010. Three years later, he received a commendation in his Legal Practice Course at BPP University Law School in London before returning to Cayman for career opportunities.

“I was fortunate to meet him at that time and our firm offered him the opportunity to complete his articles,” which he completed in September 2014, said Mr. Broadhurst.

“Mr. Rankin has demonstrated himself to be a hard-working and compassionate individual and I have no doubt that he will be a fine addition to our profession.”

In his address to the court, Mr. Rankin said, “There were moments when I doubted my goal to become an attorney would ever be within my grasp. But as someone once told me, nothing of value is ever easy to come by.

“It goes without saying that this day was not easily achieved.”

He went on to thank his mother Marlene, the firm, and his supporters.

Justice Richard Williams accepted the young Caymanian’s application, saying, “I wish to warmly congratulate you … it is especially important when a young Caymanian is called.”

Mr. Rankin’s legal focus is in real estate, corporate, commercial and litigation.

Broadhurst attorney Yvonne Mullen said Mr. Rankin has become an integral part of the firm.

“Over the past two years, it has been a real pleasure to watch him grow and learn. It was a special moment for me and the other attorneys in our offices to see him be called today. We anticipate that he will … be a huge asset to the Cayman Islands.”

The Cayman Islands Law Society (CILS) has welcomed the gazetting of the Legal Practitioners Bill (LPB) by the Cayman Islands Government, in preparation for the upcoming sitting of the Legislative Assembly in early October.

The LPB repeals and replaces the current, outdated provisions of the 1969 LPB, which was passed when there were less than 30 practising lawyers in the Cayman Islands.

CILS President, Mr Alasdair Robertson, said that after 15 years of discussing the new provisions of the Bill, he was pleased it was one step closer to coming to fruition.

“We commend the hard work put in collectively by the Cayman Islands Government and those within our own legal profession, both the CILS and the Caymanian Bar Association, with whom we worked to move this piece of legislation forward to achieve a much needed modern replacement.”

The revised LPB will regulate the practice of Cayman Islands law, both in the Cayman Islands and elsewhere. It will also establish a self-regulatory Cayman Islands Legal Practitioners Association (CILPA) and modernize the framework to facilitate the entry of Caymanians into the legal profession, including with respect to the provision of legal education, as well as providing for a mechanism to deal with professional misconduct.

Once the bill has been passed, CILPA, together with the Legal Advisory Council, would be responsible for the promotion of the qualification, training and development of Caymanians as attorneys, in addition to ensuring that non-Caymanian persons with foreign qualifications are suitably qualified to practice Cayman Islands law.

CILPA will also have the authority to compel law firms to comply with strict business staffing plans, including provisions to ensure that qualified Caymanian attorneys are properly considered for promotion, both inside and outside of Cayman.

“There are now over 600 practising lawyers in the Cayman Islands, including over 240 Caymanians, and due to this positive growth and expansion of our legal sector, it is imperative the law be modernised in order to address the global nature of the legal profession in which we work, as well as maintaining high ethical standards of our industry,” Mr Robertson said.

“We will work with our members to review the final draft but believe that, from earlier discussions, this LPB will fairly and comprehensively serve all lawyers – current and future,” he added. “We will continue to support the Cayman Islands Government throughout this process and are optimistic about the future of Cayman law, both here in the Cayman Islands and internationally.”

The final game of the 2016 Corporate Cup on Saturday will be a rematch of the “Battle of the Law Firms” as Maples takes on Walkers at 3 p.m. at the Camana Bay sports field.

Last weekend, Maples took care of business with a comfortable 6-2 victory over Butterfield. Walkers had a more difficult road to the final which required a goal from Ricoh Brown with three minutes remaining in regulation time to draw them level with Dart.

At the end of regulation time, with the game tied at 1-1, and after a protest by Walkers and a brief discussion involving both teams and the referee, it was agreed that two 10-minute halves would be used as extra time to settle the game.

Walkers were able to seal the win in the second extra time period. The final score was 2-1.

Harneys is pleased to announce a further boost to its Cayman team with the hire of six associates to its litigation practice: Katie Pearson, Tom De Vecchi, Lachlan Greig, Aleisha Brown, Gemma Lardner and Dhanshuklal Vekaria have all joined Harneys in Cayman.

Marco Martins, Managing Partner of Harneys’ Cayman office, commented: “Harneys has appeared in many insolvency related proceedings across the Caribbean. There has been a marked expansion of our practice in Cayman in all areas, first with a number of transactional hires and now with our litigation team. This is part of a global trend of growth for Harneys, which has gained market share in all of its jurisdictions and markets and attracted significant talent across our legal and fiduciary offerings. We are delighted to welcome each of these lawyers to our growing team on the island.”

Katie Pearson specialises in international commercial litigation and insolvency with a focus on shareholder disputes, hedge fund disputes, company winding-up, fraud and asset recovery and trust litigation. Her experience includes obtaining and defending emergency injunctive relief aimed at the preservation of assets, including freezing injunctions and receiver appointments.

Lachlan Greig specialises in commercial and insolvency litigation. He has acted for receivers and managers, administrators, liquidators and creditors on various disputes and insolvency matters in Australia. Lachlan joins Harneys from Baker & McKenzie, and previously worked at Henry Davis York in Sydney.

Aleisha Brown joins from Allens in Melbourne where she maintained a broad practice in commercial litigation, including financial services disputes, regulatory investigations and company disputes. Aleisha also has experience in insolvency litigation, trusts disputes and insurance litigation. She has acted in debt-recovery proceedings, urgent interlocutory applications, scheme of arrangement approval proceedings, and has also advised on anti-money laundering and privacy law obligations.

Tom De Vecchi specialises in commercial and insolvency litigation. He has broad experience in disputes involving contracts, insolvency, civil fraud, banking and finance and investment funds. He is a barrister at 3 Verulam Buildings in London and is admitted to practise as an Attorney of the Cayman Islands. Tom also has experience in public and legal policy issues at the Bank of England, Financial Services Authority and the Law Commission.

Gemma Lardner’s practice focuses on insolvency and restructuring. She has experience in a broad range of commercial and cross border insolvency matters including financial services litigation, shareholder disputes, company director claims and asset recovery. Gemma joins Harneys from Henry Davis York in Sydney.

Dhanshuklal Vekaria specialises in general commercial and insolvency litigation. He has experience advising on a broad range of disputes, including cross-border fraud and asset tracing claims, shareholder disputes, directors’ duties, private equity disputes, enforcement of foreign judgments, shipping and regulatory disputes. Dhanshuklal joins from Pinsent Masons in London.

Harneys continues to experience strong growth in all practice areas and has acted on a number of headline deals and cases in Cayman, including the ongoing Saad trial currently before the Cayman courts. This growth is in line with the firm’s global expansion, which has been recognised in the industry with a number of global awards including being named The Lawyer‘s Offshore Law Firm of the Year and HFM Week‘s Offshore Law Firm of the Year – Client Service.

International law firm Walkers is pleased to announce that Lucy Frew has joined the firm as a Partner to head up the Regulatory team in its Cayman Islands office, as part of a continued expansion strategy for the firm.  

Ms. Frew brings 15 years’ significant financial regulatory experience having previously worked as Head of Financial Regulatory at Kemp Little in London and as in house legal counsel at UBS AG. Ms. Frew was also seconded to the UK Financial Conduct Authority for eight months.

Ms. Frew has a broad expertise advising leading and international institutions as well as startups in both private practice and as in-house legal counsel and has particular experience advising investment funds and cross border business on financial regulation.

Antonia Hardy, Walkers’ Cayman Office Managing Partner stated “We are very pleased that Lucy has agreed to join our team. Her expertise and experience will enhance our already strong global Regulatory team and we look forward to welcoming Lucy to Walkers.”

Ms. Frew stated “I’m delighted to be joining Walkers and look forward to working with expert colleagues across the global network. Walkers’ excellent reputation, consistent top tier rankings and unparalleled client base provide an exceptional platform from which to provide dedicated financial regulatory and risk management expertise to clients.”

Harneys partners Lewis Chong and Philip Graham will speak at an Investment Management Due Diligence Association (IMDDA) webinar on 27 September to discuss due diligence in offshore jurisdictions.

The webinar will explore different structures of BVI and Cayman – two of the most popular fund domiciles used by managers – and provide insight into what to look for during the due diligence process. Key topics will include:

• Why offshore vehicles are used in the first place
• The difference between companies, limited partnerships, unit trusts and LLCs
• Regulated funds and unregulated funds
• Fiduciary duties of directors and general partners
• Analysis of the other services providers and their roles in structuring funds
• Regulatory hurdles, including AML, FATCA and CRS

Harneys provides legal advice on Bermuda BVI, Cayman Islands, Cyprus and Anguilla funds. The firm’s broad regulatory practice includes advising on all aspects of financial services legislation/regulation, anti-money laundering (AML), terrorist financing, sanctions, tax and tax information exchange.

IMDDA was established in March 2016 and focuses on investment management and operational due diligence. For more information and to register for the webinar, please visit https://imdda.org/event/due-diligence-in-offshore-jurisdictions/.

Stephanie Adolphus was admitted as Attorney-at-Law in the Cayman Islands on Friday 23 September 2016, following the successful completion of her Articles of Clerkship with Mourant Ozannes. The Grand Court ceremony was attended by her friends and family, including Stephanie’s husband, Rhymiech Adolphus, mother in law, Jill McDonald and sisters, Heidi Sony and Sarah Powery.

Stephanie attended the University College of the Cayman Islands, where she was awarded an AA Degree in literary studies, prior to studying law at the Truman Bodden Law School. Prior to joining Mourant Ozannes, Stephanie worked as a senior analyst at the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority.

Stephanie has accepted a position as an Associate in the Finance and Corporate team at Mourant Ozannes. Commenting on her Admission, she said, “I feel privileged to be formally joining the team. Mourant Ozannes’ commitment to supporting and developing Caymanians in their legal studies is fantastic. I am extremely proud to be staying with the team here.

Mourant Ozannes Managing Partner in Cayman, Peter Hayden, added: “Stephanie is a great lawyer and we are excited that she has chosen to accept an associate position here on completion of her Articles.  Recruiting and retaining the best young talent is important to enable us to continue growing our practice. We congratulate Stephanie on her achievements to date and look forward to working with her in building a successful career.”

Stephanie is a member of the Caymanian Bar Association and participates in the Chamber of Commerce ‘Mentoring Cayman’ Programme.

Law may be a centuries old practice, but Conyers Dill & Pearman is exciting local students with its modern approach to law firm culture and recruitment. Conyers’ scholarship and internship programmes have proved to be highly popular with numerous applications received each year from young Caymanians interested in pursuing a career in law.

The Conyers scholarship, known as the Legal Education Award, offers US$25,000 each year to one selected recipient. This year, however, the scholarship was split, due to the application of two exceptional candidates: Ashley DaCosta and Kiah Estwick.

“I was excited to learn that I was a recipient of the scholarship,” expressed Ms. DaCosta. “My passion for law lies in the belief that a legal career enables one to influence society in a positive way by upholding and protecting a culture of justice, peace and order.”

Whilst Ms. DaCosta has been accepted at the University of Essex to study law, she admitted that prior to her experience with Conyers, she was not certain whether a career in law was in her future.

“It is out of my work experience with Conyers that I became driven to pursue a legal career,” she explained. “I am honoured to be associated with such a great firm.”

Last year’s scholarship recipient, Joseph “Zeppi” Barefoot is pleased to have recently received a renewal in his funding for the 2016/2017 calendar year. Mr. Barefoot is currently at the University of Bristol, and is now attending the second year of his MA in law.

“From day one Conyers left me with a great impression,” said Mr. Barefoot. “Obtaining their legal scholarship, as well as interning during the summer has motivated me to excel in my masters and eventually come back to work with the firm after my studies.”

As part of the renewal of his scholarship, Mr. Barefoot spent the month of August with Conyers, interning under various attorneys. Three other Caymanian students also participated in the internship programme: Sean-Anna Thompson, Alaye McLaughlin, and Cory Hunter.

Mr. Barefoot has been impressed by the professional guidance of the firm, and looks forward to a future with Conyers.

“Not once have I felt uncomfortable during my time here. The employees are exceptional in the work they produce and I am looking forward to training under them in the future,” he said.

The paid internship was a four week programme run during the months of July and August, with an aim of fueling students’ desires to continue their legal education and consider joining the Conyers team after graduation.

HSM IP participated in the Cayman Islands Further Education Centre Career Fair on Sept. 15 and 16. HSM was actively looking to recruit 12 students to join its 2016/17 internship program. Managing Partner Huw Moses and IP Associate Sophie Davies were on hand to speak with students about a career in the legal profession, especially in intellectual property.

Larissa Bennett and Kenyah Pinnock, two HSM employees who were recruited through the career fair in past years, attended the career fair to share their experience in the legal field with students who may be interested in pursuing a career in law. HSM has worked with the CIFEC program since 2012.

The firm said it continues to be involved in the program to provide opportunities for young Caymanians to access the legal industry.

“We are very pleased to have CIFEC students play an integral role in our team. We aim to train them with the skills to achieve their full potential,” Mr. Moses said. “We appreciate the opportunity to share our expertise with them and future students who may be interested in pursuing a career in law.”

On 23 September 2016 a team from Harneys’ Cayman office shaved their heads to raise money in conjunction with Cayman’s annual Heroes for Hannah event to raise money for childhood cancer research.

Harney Westwood & Razors managed the second largest team fundraising effort in this year’s event. Harneys litigation partners Marc Kish and William Peake have gone bald, as well as accountant Esther Rivers. This is the third consecutive year a team of Harneys employees has shaved their heads for the event.

Marc Kish, Head of Litigation in Harneys’ Cayman office, commented: “The atmosphere on the night was electric. We are very proud to have been a part of such a wonderful event, and to have raised over US$20,000 for this important cause”.

This year’s event has so far raised over US$230,000 for the Heroes for Hannah campaign with 118 volunteers willing to shave their heads for the cause. Since 2013 the event has raised over $1.2 million.

The event is run by volunteers and every dollar raised from the event is donated to the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, which provides grants all around the world to those carrying out research into treatments for childhood cancers.

Brave teams from three local law firms participated in the fourth annual Heroes for Hannah shave fundraiser event at The Wicket Bar in Cricket Square on Friday evening. In total, the three firms have raised $55,557 so far for children’s cancer research, with post-event donations still rolling in.

Law firms Maples and Calder, Harneys and Carey Olsen all joined in the event, which saw hundreds gather and shave their heads in support of Hannah Meeson and other children suffering from cancer. The event raised over $200,000 for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, the largest private fundraiser of child cancer research.

Maples and Calder’s 12 person team currently holds the top spot for most funds raised as a team at this year’s event, with a grand total of $33,464. Harneys’ three person team pulled in an impressive $20,817 and Carey Olsen’s four person team also joined in, raising $1,695.

Alasdair Robertson, President of the Cayman Islands Law Society, praised the participants for their selflessness and commitment to the community, “Law firms in the Cayman Islands have strong charitable and philanthropic connections. We are always trying to give back and engage in the community in numerous different ways,” he said. “I commend all these men and women for braving the shave and raising money for such a worthy cause.”

Marc Kish, Head of Litigation in Harneys’ Cayman office and participant at the event said, “The atmosphere on the night was electric. We are very proud to have been a part of such a wonderful event, and to have raised over US $20,000 for this important cause.

Paul Lumsden, Managing Partner of Maples and Calder’s Cayman Islands office and team captain of the Maples team said, “We were very pleased to come together with so many other members of the legal and wider Cayman community to support the work of St. Baldrick’s once again this year, and we look forward to helping this successful event continue its path of growth year on year.”

Local law firms are no stranger to the shave fundraiser. Maples and Calder was the top team at the 2015 event also, bringing in a total of $54,783. Harneys also participated in 2015, raising $12,988. Conyers Dill & Pearman have also participated in past shave events.

To donate to this worthy cause, please visit https://www.stbaldricks.org/donate/fund/8

Senior lawyers from Conyers Dill & Pearman have been recognised on the annual Citywealth Leaders List, which is compiled by leading figures in the wealth management and private client industry.

The list has named Alec Anderson, Global Head of Private Client & Trust, Director Helen Cooper and Director Craig MacIntyre.

“We take great pride in offering a high-level of service and support to our international clientele and are pleased to see this recognition from our peers, as it affirms our leadership position in the sector,” said Alec Anderson.

A spokesperson said, “Conyers has one of the largest and most experienced international offshore private client and trust practices in the world. Through our global network of offices and close relationships with leading onshore tax and legal advisors, Conyers serves a diverse international group of clients.

“These include ultra high net worth business owners, family-owned businesses, entrepreneurs, charitable entities, professional trustees and their onshore legal advisors.

“In addition to providing advisory services on trust matters, our team is complemented by experienced litigators in Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands and the Cayman Islands, who are regularly involved in substantial trust litigation, acting for trustees, protectors and beneficiaries.

“The Citywealth Leaders List is a directory of leading professionals in the private wealth management and private client industry. The list features influencers as well as professionals from the international financial community who deal with private clients with fortunes in excess of £20 million but often up to several billion.

“The list has also named three other practitioners from Conyers’ global offices in Hong Kong, the British Virgin Islands and the Cayman Islands.”

Ogier has signed on to sponsor this years’ Kiwanis Key Leader Weekend in Cayman. The firm has donated $2,000 to support this annual conference which is focused on assisting young people with the development of leadership skills.

The Kiwanis Club of Grand Cayman has been delivering the Key Leader programme since 2007 and the organisation designed the programme around five core principles of service leadership including: personal integrity, personal growth, respect for yourself and others, building community and the pursuit of excellence.

Ogier Partner Rachael Reynolds presented the cheque to Kadi Pentney, the Site Coordinator for Kiwanis.

Rachael said: “We are very proud to have the opportunity to be the flagship corporate sponsor of Kiwanis this year, and to give our support to the Key Leader programme.”

Kadi added: “We are incredibly excited that this will be the 10th Key Leader held in Cayman and that we have such great support from local businesses, especially Ogier. Since its inception, almost 600 high school students have gone through the programme and many have become great leaders in the Cayman community.”

Leading international law firm, Mourant Ozannes, has been recognised as the ‘foremost’ law firm offshore for private client advice by Who’s Who Legal with more experts ranked than any other offshore firm.

The 2016 edition of Who’s Who Legal Private Client listed twelve Mourant Ozannes lawyers in total, including Cayman-based Robert Mack and Cayman-qualified Head of International Trust & Private Client, Jim Edmondson. Mr Edmondson is co-Chairing the firm’s 6th Annual International Trusts & Private Client Conference at the Ritz-Carlton in Cayman this week.

Who’s Who Legal Private Client also listed Jersey-based Partner Jonathan Speck as one of only five ‘Most Highly Regarded’ individuals in the offshore market. In addition, the directory also ranked the following Mourant Ozannes lawyers as experts in:

Paul Christopher (Hong Kong)

Giles Corbin (Jersey)

Edward Devenport (Jersey)

Christopher Edwards (Guernsey)

Matthew Guthrie (Guernsey)

Bruce Lincoln (Jersey)

Eleanor Morgan (British Virgin Islands)

Tony Pursall (London)

Jeremy Wessels (Guernsey)

Who’s Who Legal is a specialist research-backed publisher that identifies the foremost legal practitioners in multiple areas of business law.

Members of the Cayman Islands Law Society (CILS) have declared their support of the long-awaited Legal Practitioners Bill (LPB), which is due in front of the LA in a matter of days.

So far, nineteen Cayman Island law firms, representing over 80% of the members of CILS, have come together to voice their support of the LPB for the future of the legal industry in Cayman.

CILS President Alasdair Robertson said: “The LPB is simply a modernisation of the current law that regulates the legal profession. It would replace the outdated provisions of the LPB of 1969, passed when there were only 30 practising lawyers on the island. Today, there are over 600 lawyers and our laws must be updated to reflect this evolution to keep up with global industry standards and for the next generation of lawyers. It is important that we put in place the foundations to allow the profession to continue to grow for future generations.

“This long overdue modernisation is important for the profession, the jurisdiction and the ultimate users of legal services, as well as being an integral part of the financial services industry and the economy of the Cayman Islands.

“With over 240 Caymanian attorneys on the roll and over 50 trainee lawyers trained by the profession over the last 3 years, we support the requirements of the LPB to put in place best practice guidelines. These guidelines will enshrine practices developed by the leading law firms to recruit, promote and advance Caymanian lawyers within the profession.

“So far, Cayman law firms have given 46 Caymanian lawyers, including 4 articled clerks, the opportunity to work abroad and with this new framework, I can see that increasing. It will also create opportunities for Caymanian lawyers to be admitted in England, therefore, increasing their opportunities to work in a global legal industry.”

Should the LPB pass, it will be headed up by a newly formed regulatory body, the Cayman Islands Law Practitioners Association (CILPA), which will represent the entire profession. The CILPA council will be elected, with a majority of Caymanians sitting on the council at all times.

For well over a decade the Caymanian Bar Association (CBA) has worked with successive Governments to produce a much needed modernized law governing the legal profession.  We have, at last, the Legal Practitioners Bill, 2016 (“LP Bill“) before the Legislative Assembly that addresses the need for the profession to succeed in a highly competitive global market as well as the need to promote Caymanian advancement within the profession.

In the past there has been much ill-informed debate, sometimes including those who neither read nor understood what was proposed. We hope for an informed debate on the LP Bill.  The CBA has addressed queries and concerns raised by members and collaborated with the Cayman Islands Law Society (CILS) to submit committee stage amendments to the LP Bill.

The CBA presentation on the LP Bill and a Q&A on the LP Bill are available on the CBA website www.caymanbar.org.ky.

In a survey of CBA members in good standing (from 25 law firms, 2 trust companies and solo practitioners), over 77% of those voting support the LP Bill and, on that basis, the CBA Council has formally resolved to support the LP Bill.

Abraham Thoppil, the CBA President noted “There must be a balance between protectionism and the need to compete globally. Individuals can honestly differ as to where the balance lies but the status-quo is much worse – since the lack of a modern law has an adverse effect on Caymanians within the profession.”

More than 75 percent of the members of Cayman’s two major lawyers associations urged lawmakers this week to approve the Legal Practitioners Bill, seeking to update a regulatory code for the legal profession that dates to the 1960s.

The Cayman Islands Law Society said Wednesday that more than 80 percent of its members back the legislation.

The Caymanian Bar Association said Thursday that 77 percent of its member firms and sole practitioners have also agreed to support the current legislation.

Meanwhile, opposition legislators said this week that they have fielded numerous calls and messages from Caymanian lawyers who oppose the plan but are too afraid to speak out for fear of retribution by their employers.

The updated version of the Legal Practitioners Bill is expected to come before the Legislative Assembly shortly. It is at least the third time lawmakers have attempted to revise the bill within the past decade.

The crux of the dispute centers on law firms that wish to expand their presence in overseas financial services markets to remain competitive in what has become a global industry, on the one hand, and on the other hand, Caymanian-born attorneys who fear they will be left behind in that expansion and believe that globalization will lead to outsourcing.

Cayman Islands Law Society President Alasdair Robertson said in a statement released Wednesday that overseas expansion for local firms already has, and will continue to create job opportunities for Caymanians.

“So far, Caymanian law firms have given 46 Caymanian lawyers, including four articled clerks, the opportunity to work abroad, and with this new framework, I can see that increasing,” Mr. Robertson said. “It will also create opportunities for Caymanian lawyers to be admitted in England, therefore increasing their opportunities to work in a global legal industry.”

“There must be a balance between protectionism and the need to compete globally,” Caymanian Bar Association President Abraham Thoppil said. “Individuals can honestly differ as to where the balance lies, but the status-quo is much worse since the lack of a modern law has an adverse effect on Caymanians within the profession.”

Mr. Robertson said the latest draft of the Legal Practitioners Bill (2016) – which has been subject to legislative discussions for the past 15 years – will create a regulatory body to represent the entire profession in the islands. A majority of its members (five of eight) must be Caymanian, and the board will have significant disciplinary powers over individual lawyers and firms that fail to hire qualified local candidates.

“With over 240 Caymanian attorneys on the roll and over 50 trainee lawyers trained by the profession over the last 50 years, we support the requirements of the Legal Practitioners Bill to put in place best-practice guidelines,” Mr. Robertson said. “The outdated provisions of the [bill] of 1969 passed when there were only 30 practicing lawyers on the island. Today, there are over 600 lawyers.”

The legislation is also considered critical to prepare Cayman for the mid-2017 Caribbean Financial Action Task Force review of the islands’ protections against money laundering and terrorism financing.

The Legal Practitioners Bill is one of several pieces of legislation that have either been passed recently or which are due to be considered this month in preparation for the 2017 Financial Action Task Force review. Financial Services Minister Wayne Panton said the lawyers bill will demonstrate the legal profession’s adherence to the task force anti-money laundering recommendations.

Opposition

Although opposition lawmakers have alluded to concerns among local attorneys about the legislation, few have spoken out publicly against the bill.

One Caymanian attorney sent a letter to all 18 elected lawmakers on Oct. 2 that laid out nine pages of specific concerns about it being “rushed to be tabled before the Legislative Assembly.”

“My main concern with this current draft Legal Practitioners Bill is that it has been drafted in such a way as to maximize the benefits for large international firms who wish to practice Cayman Islands law outside of the jurisdiction at the expense of smaller, local firms and the Cayman Islands economy as a whole, whilst also not providing for adequate checks and balances to ensure compliance and not offering anything in the way of encouraging training and advancement of Caymanian attorneys-at-law,” wrote Selina Tibbetts.

“I am not opposed to having practitioners practice Cayman law overseas,” she continued. “However, I strongly believe that the manner in which we regulate, enforce and supervise overseas practice is vital for the future Caymanian generations to have the opportunity to practice as attorneys-at-law within their own country.”

Ms. Tibbetts also pointed out several sections of the bill that she said are “inconsistent” and one in particular that could be considered unconstitutional. She asked legislators to consider delaying a vote on the current draft of the bill until further stakeholder input can be considered.

Opposition Leader McKeeva Bush, who broached the issue of local attorneys being afraid to speak out on the bill, supported Ms. Tibbetts’s call for delay. Mr. Bush suggested that the legislation be revised and taken up again by the Legislative Assembly in December. The administration has not yet responded to the opposition leader’s request.

Mr. Bush said the bill fails in its attempt to balance protecting Cayman’s financial services industry and ensuring Caymanian attorneys can receive “a piece of the pie” by gaining employment and promotions in local law firms.

George Town MLA Winston Connolly, a lawyer, has long argued that Caymanian attorneys are being left behind, particularly with regard to promotions at the larger local firms.

“We need to modernize how lawyers practice, their obligations, code of conduct … no one is arguing that,” Mr. Connolly said earlier this month. “People are missing the part where Caymanians – one set of Caymanians – the Caymanians that are born here, are not represented in the highest jobs in the profession.”

Click here to read the original article from the Cayman Compass.