Bahamas - Jurisdiction IFLR1000 Review

Graham Thompson

Firm overview

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:

Banking & Finance:

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

Employment & Labour:

Disciplinary, Discharge & Redundancy
Multi-Jurisdictional Compliance
Redundancy & Dismissal
Employment Contracts
Workforce Restructuring
Trade Unions

Immigration & Naturalization:

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

Property & Development:

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

Higgs & Johnson

Firm overview

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.

McKinney Bancroft & Hughes

Firm overview

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

Firm overview

Lennox Paton is a leading offshore, full-service commercial law firm providing services to clients in relation to Bahamian and British Virgin Islands law. Founded 1986, it is now one of the Bahamas’ largest law firms and covers a comprehensive range of practice areas.

Lennox Paton has the leading financial services practice in The Bahamas. The team advise on the establishment and licensing of banks, trust companies, investment advisors, broker-dealers and ongoing regulatory matters associated with these structures. They also regularly advises on cross-border offerings of securities by international financial institutions, in addition to all aspects of banking and financial transactions including note issuances, derivatives, securitisation including special purpose vehicles and structures.

Additionally, the team is an industry-leading specialist in the corporate and commercial law of The Bahamas and British Virgin Islands. The team has extensive experience in advising on the establishment of special purpose vehicles in The Bahamas and the BVI, including holding companies, limited partnerships and trusts for the holding and management of real estate, investment portfolios, financial and other assets. The firm also regularly advises on international cross-border M&A work involving Bahamian and BVI vehicles.

IFLR1000 Reviews

Financial and corporate

Graham Thompson

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

Higgs & Johnson

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.

Lennox Paton

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.

McKinney Bancroft & Hughes

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.