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Notable
Graham Thompson is one of the premier full service Bahamian firms. From its beginnings 70 years ago, it has grown three branches in the Bahamas – located in Freeport, Lyford Cay and Nassau – and an international presence in Providenciales in Turks and Caicos.
Focusses / specialisms
The firm is perhaps known best for its work with clients in the banking and financial services industry. Its work in the financial and corporate area includes advising clients in lending and financing, M&A, restructuring and other corporate matters.
McKinney Bancroft & Hughes
Founded in 1945, McKinney Bancroft & Hughes has established itself as a leading full-service firm in financial and corporate law. As one of the largest and oldest firms in the Bahamas, it offers expert legal services to clients across various markets and countries. A member of Lex Mundi, the firm’s influence extends beyond the Bahamian jurisdiction to an international scale. Renowned for its work in banking and finance, McKinney Bancroft & Hughes represents both lenders and borrowers in diverse loan transactions and advises clients on project development and finance deals
Highlights
McKinney Bancroft & Hughes advised on transactions in the regulatory and transactional sectors. A landmark engagement involved advising Britannia Bank & Trust in a purchase of a Banking and Trust line of business that was one of the largest banking acquisitions in Bahamian history. The transaction’s complexity evolved significantly over time, requiring an integrated legal strategy spanning corporate structuring, tax, risk management, and regulatory compliance. The firm’s multidisciplinary approach was essential in navigating the shifting landscape of this high-stakes deal.
Key clients
Key clients include Deltec Bank & Trust, Pictet Bank & Trust, Stuart Cove’s Dive Bahamas, Taylor Wessing and Tropix Shipping.
Higgs & Johnson
Since its establishment in 1948, Higgs & Johnson has evolved into one of the most prominent full-service firms in the Bahamas. With offices in Nassau, Marsh Harbour, Lyford Cay, and Freeport, the firm provides comprehensive legal services. It advises clients on both the buy and sell sides of debt-side capital markets matters and represents borrowers and lenders in financing. The firm’s team is also active in mergers and acquisitions, various corporate matters, project development, and restructuring. Additionally, Higgs & Johnson has significant expertise in maritime-related commercial law.
Highlights
Higgs & Johnson advised on several notable mandates including two complex, cross-border finance transactions, underscoring its strength in maritime and structured finance. The firm represented the administrative and collateral agents in a major cruise line’s amended credit agreement involving 12 Bahamian vessels, coordinating global mortgage releases, new collateral arrangements, and inter-creditor agreements to ensure pari passu ranking. In a separate matter, the firm advised on a receivable purchase program tied to a government infrastructure project, drafting bespoke documentation and navigating tax treatment challenges with the Department of Inland Revenue. Both transactions required innovative structuring and swift execution under tight timelines, reflecting the firm’s transactional agility.
Graham Thompson
Graham Thompson has been a staple firm in the Bahamas for 75 years. Headquartered in Nassau, the firm boasts three additional hubs in Abaco, Lyford Cay, and Freeport.
Highlights
Graham Thompson is advising on regulatory and governmental approvals for the acquisition of Cititrust (Bahamas) Limited, an institution that has played a pivotal role in the Bahamian financial services sector since the 1960s. The transaction holds national significance by ensuring continued investment in the local economy and workforce development. The firm’s guidance reflects its deep understanding of Bahamian regulatory frameworks and commitment to supporting transactions with lasting impact on the country’s financial ecosystem.
Key Clients:
Clients include Avianca Group International Limited, Standard Chartered Bank, and Doctors Hospital Health System
Lennox Paton
Full-service firm Lennox Patton is one of the leading firms in the Bahamas for financial and corporate work. The firm has one domestic office in Nassau and one in Tortola in the British Virgin Islands.
Highlights
Lennox Paton advised on a range of transactions across multiple jurisdictions and sectors. A standout mandate, deals involving representing Standard Chartered Bank in connection with a sovereign loan to The Bahamas government. The loan proceeds were used to retire existing sovereign debt and fund a groundbreaking marine conservation initiative—the first of its kind in the country. This innovative structure not only reduced national debt at favorable rates but also unlocked hundreds of millions for long-term marine ecosystem preservation.
Higgs & Johnson is one of the largest full-service corporate and commercial law firms in the Bahamas with an international reputation for sound legal advice that spans 75 years. The firm’s highly qualified attorneys are among the best in their respective fields as providers of superior, results-oriented legal advice and exceptional personalised service. Over the past seven plus decades, Higgs & Johnson has worked together with leading Bahamian and international businesses on their most important and complex legal matters providing a full suite of corporate/commercial, dispute resolution, real estate and development and private client and wealth management services.
Graham Thompson is the pre-eminent full-service commercial law firm in The Bahamas. Over its more than 70-year history, the firm has catered to a diverse range of leading international financial institutions, as well as families of great wealth and consequence. The firm prides itself on its ability to provide wise counsel and technical expertise in meeting the legal needs of a client base that spans a wide spectrum of disciplines. Notably, Graham Thompson Partners are sought after experts and innovators in financial services in The Bahamas. The Firm represents numerous banks, trust companies and other fiduciary service providers; and is a leader in providing focused and tailored advice to high net worth families. The Firm also has considerable expertise in providing specialized legal services in the financial services-capital markets sector; and in the planning, structuring, and execution of diverse and complex corporate transactions for both privately and publicly held entities.
Graham Thompson’s areas of specialisation include:
- Real Estate Financing
- Asset Leasing & Financing
- Corporate Finance
- Restructuring
- Financial Services Law & Regulation
- Loans, Debentures & Mortgages
- Receivership
Corporate, Commercial & Securities:
- Capital Markets
- Joint Ventures
- Restructuring, Liquidation & Insolvency
- Mergers & Acquisitions
- Pension Schemes
- Private Equity funds
- Unit Trusts
- Investment Funds
- IPO’s
- Disciplinary, Discharge & Redundancy
- Multi-Jurisdictional Compliance
- Redundancy & Dismissal
- Employment Contracts
- Workforce Restructuring
- Trade Unions
- Annual & Permanent Residency
- Executive & Domestic Work Permits
- Citizenship
Insurance:
- Captive Insurance
- Domestic & External Insurance
- Insurance Licensing
- Professional Liability
- Risk Management
Litigation, Arbitration & Dispute Resolution:
- Banking, Corporate & Commercial
- Construction & Real Estate
- Family, Divorce & Matrimonial
- Fraud & White-Collar Crime
- Insolvency & Liquidations
- Insurance
- Labour & Employment
- Personal Injury
- Probate & Estates
- Professional Liability
- Security Enforcement & Debt Recovery
- Trusts
Private Clients, Trusts & Estates:
- Estate and Trust Structuring
- Foundations
- Trust Company Licensing Private Trust Companies
- Hotels, Resorts & Mixed Use Developments
- Condominiums & Time Shares
- Government Approvals & Exchange Control
- Private and Commercial Mortgages
- Real Property Taxes
- Subdivision Planning & Structuring
- Second Home Acquisitions and Sales
- Title Insurance & Opinions
Shipping, Admiralty & Aviation:
- Corporate Structuring for the Shipping Industry
- Leasing & Financing
- Sales & Registration
- Admiralty Litigation
McKINNEY, BANCROFT & HUGHES is one of the largest and oldest firms in The Bahamas and conducts an extensive international and domestic practice from its offices in the cities of Nassau and Freeport.
Established in 1945, McKinney, Bancroft & Hughes has grown into a full service and client centred premium law firm with one of the largest Litigation Departments in The Bahamas.
The firm delivers its legal services through twelve main Practice Areas including Trust & Private Client, Corporate & Commercial, Banking and Real Estate involving over thirty lawyers and is the exclusive Bahamian member of Lex Mundi, the world’s leading network of independent law firms in 100+ countries.
MB&H Corporate Services Ltd., an affiliate of the law firm, has established itself as a market leader in the provision of offshore services for wealth management. Licensed under the Financial and Corporate Services Providers Act, MB&H Corporate Services Ltd., through its team of professional and experienced staff, provides its local and global clientele with an extensive range of competitively priced corporate and financial services.
Lennox Paton is a leading offshore, full-service commercial law firm providing services to clients in relation to Bahamian law. Founded 1986, it is now one of the Bahamas’ largest law firms and covers a comprehensive range of practice areas.
Lennox Paton has established itself as a leading financial services legal practice in The Bahamas. The firm advises on the establishment and licensing of banks, trust companies, investment advisers, and broker-dealers, as well as ongoing regulatory matters affecting these entities. It also provides highly specialized guidance on complex, cross-border securities offerings by international financial institutions and on a full range of banking and finance transactions, including note issuances, derivatives, and securitisations, including the use of special purpose vehicles and related structures.
In addition, Lennox Paton is a recognised leader in the corporate and commercial law of The Bahamas. The team has extensive experience in structuring and establishing special purpose vehicles, including holding companies, limited partnerships, and trusts for the ownership and management of real estate, investment portfolios, and other assets. The firm also regularly advises on complex cross-border M&A transactions involving Bahamian law.