Dispute Resolution &
Corporate Recovery

Chambers Global comments: “This rapidly expanding firm has boosted its litigation profile in recent years, picking up an impressive number of referrals from the larger international firms that find themselves
conflicted in situations. Laura Hatfield is held in high esteem by clients
for her ‘practical and responsive advice' and competitors acknowledge
the strength and profile of her insolvency practice.”

Corporate Recovery and Insolvency

This team is headed by the firm's partner, Laura Hatfield, described by Chambers Global as continuing "to impress clients and peers with her commercial dispute knowledge and expertise."  The lawyers working in this team are generally regarded as some of the leaders in this field in Cayman and consist of 5 attorneys including a very experienced Queen's Counsel (Barrister). Our reputation is for dedication to providing timely, client focused, bespoke solutions that are commercially realistic and proportionate. We are a team of very experienced lawyers from both contentious and non-contentious backgrounds, marrying transactional with insolvency and re-structuring expertise.

We advise in relation to solvent restructurings, liquidations and regulatory appointments, usually with multi-jurisdictional aspects.  The team also advises on collateral issues arising out of insolvency and restructuring such as continuing operation options, fiduciary duty claims, creditor claim processes and disputes, liquidation committee formation, duties and functions, and funding resources for liquidators.

We have also worked on creating Schemes of Arrangement, including in relation to captive insurance mergers, establishing NAVs in Hedge Fund NAV misstatement scenarios and establishing payment timetables for Banks depositor payments.

The majority of our work involves pooled investment vehicles with liquidity and /or solvency issues. We are often instructed by other insolvency practitioners based in the Cayman Islands. In addition, we are consulted by creditors, investors and counter parties concerned about a company’s financial situation or encountering problems with the company's management. We also work with leading US, UK and other offshore law firms dealing with insolvency issues to ensure the clients have access to advice in all necessary jurisdictions.

There are 5 members of the team, 3 with contentious backgrounds and 2 with a transactional work focus.

Examples of the high profile situations in which the Corporate Recovery and Insolvency team have been involved include Beacon Hill, Bear Stearns, Absolute Capital and Sphinx.

 

Commercial Litigation

Solomon Harris’ Nicholas Holland heads our team of commercial litigators.  The firm’s commercial litigation lawyers are all business minded and practical in their approach to litigation and dispute resolution.  Our approach is tailored to meet each client’s goals, efficiently and effectively.

Our work generally involves high profile multi-jurisdictional disputes.  However our experienced lawyers deal with a broad range of contentious matters including large contract, estates and trust disputes; asset tracing and recovery; shareholder disputes; service of foreign process and enforcement of foreign judgments.  Solomon Harris also assists with compliance and regulatory matters, construction disputes and banking and finance litigation for both institutions and individuals.  The firm frequently advises foreign lawyers on matters of Cayman Islands law and Grand Court procedure.

Our litigators have many reported decisions to their credit in a variety of matters.  Our litigators come to Solomon Harris from diverse common law jurisdictions, including England, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Jamaica, bringing familiarity with law, precedent, procedure and relationships with relevant service providers that are of great benefit to our clients. The  commercial litigators at Solomon Harris operate in the common law Cayman Islands’ legal system at the highest Court levels, including the ultimate Court of Appeal, the Privy Council in London, England.