International law firm Mourant Ozannes has boosted its highly-ranked Cayman investment funds team with the recruitment of Simon Palmer, Robert Duggan and Caroline Spottiswoode.
Palmer is a leading practitioner in the field of offshore investment funds, with over 14 years’ experience of Cayman Islands law. He joins Mourant Ozannes as a Partner from Maples and Calder, where he was a Partner for seven years. Simon has extensive experience of corporate and commercial law. His practice focuses on hedge funds, private equity funds and funds of funds (including distressed funds, fund restructuring and corporate governance issues), asset and structured financing and capital markets.
As well as acting for some of the biggest investment managers and financial institutions in the world, Palmer has worked extensively with most of the leading US and UK law firms as well as many international law firms around the world, including in Japan, Switzerland and Latin America.
Recommended for Cayman Islands private equity and venture capital work by PLC Which Lawyer, Palmer was also recognised as a leading investment funds lawyer in the Cayman Islands by Legal Media Group’s Expert Guides. He is a member of the Cayman Government-appointed data protection working group, charged with developing data protection legislation in the Cayman Islands, and was a member of the governing board of the Cayman Islands National Museum.
Palmer is a graduate of St Catherine’s College, Oxford, and completed his Common Professional Exam and Law Society Finals at the College of Law in London. He was admitted as a solicitor in England and Wales in 1992 and as an attorney-at-law in the Cayman Islands in 1996. Before moving to the Cayman Islands, Simon worked at McKenna & Co in London.
Duggan, who also joins Mourant Ozannes as a Partner, has over seven years’ experience of Cayman Islands law, with expertise in offshore investment funds and financial regulation. A Partner for the past three years with Walkers, Robert was with Walkers’ Cayman office from 2004 and with that firm’s London office from 2006 to 2011. Robert will continue to be based in London with Mourant Ozannes.
With wide experience in corporate and commercial law and capital markets, Duggan’s practice focuses on hedge funds, private equity funds, financial regulation, and cross-border investment and financing.
Duggan is well known to the European investment funds and financial services communities and has acted for many leading asset managers, investment banks, administrators and law firms in Europe and globally.
Rated as an up and coming lawyer in Chambers Global in 2006, Chambers and Partners’ website notes that ‘Clients appreciate his ‘bright, commercial and succinct advice.’’ Duggan is a member of the Cayman Islands Law Society and the Caymanian Bar Association.
Robert is a graduate of the University of Edinburgh and the College of Law, York (1998). He was admitted as a solicitor in England and Wales in 2000 and as an attorney-at-law in the Cayman Islands in 2004.
Spottiswoode is a third senior hire by the firm and joins the Jersey office. She has considerable experience in corporate and financing law and specialises in the formation, maintenance and restructuring of Cayman Islands hedge, hybrid and private equity funds. Spottiswoode practiced for five years with Maples and Calder in their offices in Jersey and the Cayman Islands. Prior to joining Maples and Calder, Caroline worked at Slaughter and May in London.
She obtained an honours degree in Law from Aberdeen University and a post-graduate Diploma in Law at Aberdeen University. Spottiswoode was admitted as a solicitor with the Law Society of Scotland in 2002 and as an attorney-at-law with the Law Society of the Cayman Islands in 2005.
Jonathan Rigby, Managing Partner of Mourant Ozannes, says: "Simon, Robert and Caroline are leading Cayman Islands funds lawyers and I’m delighted to announce their appointments. We have ambitious plans to develop our Cayman practice in response to client demand so they are joining us at a very exciting time. We welcome them to the team."
Neal Lomax, Managing Partner of Mourant Ozannes’ Cayman Islands office, adds: "I am pleased that our Cayman funds team has been boosted by these three outstanding investment funds specialists. Their combined experience will be of great benefit to our firm and our clients.".
