The Cayman Islands and Hong Kong based boutique legal firm Travers Thorp Alberga has continued its recruitment drive with the addition of a new partner and two senior associates to the firm’s team.
Senior Partner Anthony Travers, says: “The results and the expansion of our new firm are both well ahead of predictions.”
Louise Freestone, Partner, is a corporate and funds lawyer with over 20 years of legal experience both in private practice in the City of London (Herbert Smith) and in-house as general counsel to a private investment management firm. Lou Freestone ise has significant experience in mergers, acquisitions, balance sheet restructurings, schemes of arrangement and reductions of capital and demergers. As partner in the investment funds team within Herbert Smith, Freestone advised on the formation of, and fund raisings by, listed and unlisted closed and open ended investment vehicles, investment management agreements, individual managed accounts, co-investment arrangements and related advisory matters. Louise was featured in The Lawyer Hot 100 lawyers and ranked an up and coming individual by Chambers & partners for Corporate Finance (Larger Deals)
Deborah Drummond, Senior Associate, joins the firm having qualified as an attorney-at-law in the Cayman Islands in 2006. She enjoyed a highly successful career in Government where she rose to the role of Deputy Financial Secretary (Financial Services) having responsibility for policy on legislative development and international issues in relation to the Financial Services sector. Drummond was a member of the Cayman Islands Government negotiating teams dealing directly with the OECD and the FATF and on the Tax Information Exchange Agreements. Drummond was also Vice Chairman of the Cayman Islands Stock Exchange having spearheaded the initiative and the legislation in setting up the exchange.
Denise Owen, Senior Associate, joins TTA in the litigation group with over 11 years’ experience both as a barrister in the UK practicing for nine years at No 5 Chambers and in private practice as an attorney in the Cayman Islands. Since moving to The Cayman Islands in 2012 Owen has appeared regularly as an advocate on Grand Court and FSD matters in a number of high profile cases. Owen has represented clients in insolvency and trust matters, fund and shareholders disputes, directors’ duties and liabilities, commercial law, public law matters and resulting cost disputes. She is highly experienced in complex cases involving expert evidence (often medical), has extensive experience of cross-examining experts at trial and has appeared in a number of high value, personal injury claims
Head of Finance Nicole Pineda, says: “There are no glass ceilings at TTA. I am pleased that the firm continues to demonstrate its commitment to diversity.”
Travers became Senior Partner at Travers Thorp Alberga, in December 2012 at the conclusion of his six year restrictive covenant having formerly been Senior Partner at leading offshore law firm Maples and Calder.
When Travers joined TTA there were nine lawyers, including six partners. Today there are 23 lawyers, 11 of whom are partners. The gender breakdown is 14 female, nine male. “When I joined Maples in 1975 we only had five lawyers and so the current rate of progress at TTA is most encouraging and no doubt entirely reflective of the quality of lawyers we have at the new firm,” he added.
“We lead Cayman in diversity, all our relevant metrics are very positive and I’m now focussed on the next stage of our development. To date we have concentrated on Latin America, the Middle East, Hong Kong and Mainland China and now we have developed sufficient traction we are ready to bring our very particular expertise and value proposition to the more traditional markets,” Travers adds.
