Maples Group‘s sizeable team offers clients ‘a very deep bench‘ of dedicated specialists. ‘Pre-eminent practitioner‘ Michael Richardson acts as global head of the practice, and has extensive experience advising on transactional and restructuring issues relating to offshore investment funds. Managing partner Jonathan Green specialises in private equity and hedge fund formation; such funds are also the focus of Jeremy Bomford and Lee Davis, who are well versed in assisting with ongoing maintenance work. Stephen Watler is regularly instructed by Asian clients to advise on SPCs and other investment fund structures. Tim Coak and Iain McMurdo are also noted. As an additional strength, the firm is able to provide EU-regulated fund advice from its Irish desk in Cayman.

Standing out as an adviser of choice for many of the world’s most renowned investment funds, Walkers‘ expertise stretches from fund formation and capitalisation work, to assistance with financing and downstream transactions. A key differentiator is the firm’s risk and regulatory practice, which acts as an extension of the funds team. Caroline Williams is the senior relationship partner for a number of the group’s large and institutional private equity clients, while Melissa Lim is a leading name for relevant work at the intersection of finance and technology. Both Andrew Barker and Bicrom Das have wide practices, with the former bringing significant SPAC expertise to the group. Managing partner Ingrid Pierce and James Melen round out the roster of key senior contacts. In terms of more junior partners, Christine Ballantyne-Drewe and Matt Bernardo are highly recommended. Tim Buckley retired in mid-2023.

The team at Mourant is best known for assisting with launches and structuring and restructuring mandates across a wide range of asset classes – primarily private equity, hedge, credit and distressed funds – and strategies. Since 2022, Catherine Pham, who ‘offers the perfect mix of being excellent technically, super responsive and very personable‘, has headed up the practice, although former group lead Hayden Isbister remains active as a managing partner. Neal Lomax is singled out by clients for the strength of his ‘idea generation to get to the optimal outcome‘.

At Ogier, the ‘fast, intelligent, business-driven team‘ counts hedge, private equity, real estate, infrastructure, energy, credit, debt, venture capital, and crypto funds among its regular clients. The group is praised for its ability to ‘effectively address complex and challenging issues‘, utilising the strength of the firm’s corporate, finance, private wealth and litigation departments. James Bergstrom acts as the global head of the investment funds practice, with Nick Rogers leading on private equity work, and Giorgio Subiotto overseeing the Latin America-focused offering alongside Tim Cone. Joanne Huckle is the name to note for regulatory issues, while Justin Savage is a key contact for corporate governance and operation matters. Emma Sutherland is noted for the breadth of her practice. Counsel Barry McEwan and managing associate Gemma Cowan are likewise recommended.

Sitting within Campbells‘ broader corporate department – which is headed up by Alan Craig – the firm’s fund-focused offering is particularly known for advising on venture capital fund formations, seed capital arrangements, and the subsequent investment cycle; Simon Thomas is the go-to name for such mandates. Regulatory work in the funds space is another key area of strength. In team news, Kristy-Anne Leith was promoted to partner in April 2023.

At Carey Olsen, a trio of senior corporate and commercial specialists comprising managing partner Nick Bullmore, and Jarrod Farley and Alistair Russell, focuses on mandates relating to both regulated and unregulated investment funds in Cayman. The team’s workload ranges from assistance with fund establishments, to transactional, financing and compliance matters, including local business licensing issues.

Operating as a ‘cohesive unit‘, the investment funds team at Appleby has worked closely with the technology department to carve out a niche for itself in the digital assets space, making the firm a go-to adviser for the establishment of funds investing in cryptographic assets, and the creation of tokenised funds. Sailaja Alla heads up the practice Christian Victory departed to HSM in 2023.

At Conyers, corporate department head Matthew Stocker also leads on fund work, and takes on a range of mandates on behalf of both open-ended and closed-ended investment funds, encompassing issues relating to hedge funds and private equity matters. In September 2023, the group added Theo Lefkos, who joined from Walkers and now leads the firm’s Cayman private equity team; he advises on the formation and operation of private funds and related downstream activities. The team on the ground is supported by the firm’s global funds practice, which has offices strategically located in London, Hong Kong and Singapore.

The well-regarded team at Harneys is instructed by a broad roster of investment fund managers to advise on all aspects of a fund’s lifecycle, from formation work to restructuring and closure issues, in both planned and distressed scenarios. Additionally, the firm has established a specialised offshore regulatory practice. Christopher Hall, Matthew Taber and James Smith are the key expert names to note.

With its boutique investment funds, corporate, fintech, litigation and regulatory offering, Stuarts Humphries is well placed to handle mandates at the intersection of these various areas of specialism; recently, the team has been actively involved with the registration of funds for blockchain, STOs, DAOs and cryptocurrencies. Chris Humphries is the key senior contact, and is ably supported by Jonathan McLean and Megan Wright.

Experienced duo Joss Morris and Stephen Nelson oversee the funds work at Bedell Cristin; both are experienced in advising on structuring and formation work, primary and secondary investments, as well as relevant transactional, financing and regulatory matters. The group is particularly well positioned to assist institutional investors with their own offshore and co-investment structures, and has built up a considerable client bank of Middle East-based fund managers.

With expertise spanning the entire fund lifecycle, Collas Crill is equally proficient in handling formation and licensing, financing and restructuring mandates, as well as assisting with the resolution of issues, including suspensions and sanctions. The team is particularly noted for its focus on emerging markets and managers, particularly those from the US and Asia. Natalie Bell is the key senior contact.

Dillon Eustace‘s Cayman-based investment funds team works closely with its counterpart in Ireland, and receives instructions from the gamut of participants operating across hedge and private equity funds, derivatives, and investment services. Recently, the group has seen an uptick in demand for its regulatory and compliance offering. Matt Mulry leads on the key matters.

Under the leadership of Gary Smith, practitioners at Loeb Smith Attorneys capably advise on the gamut of matters related to offshore investment fund formations and launches involving all asset classes, including public securities, upper mid-market private equity, venture capital, cryptocurrency, and real estate. In team news, January 2023 saw the promotion of Robert Farrell to partner.