Litigation

Our Team of advocates practice their skills in a collaborative and cohesive environment where office doors are always open. Whether one of us is dealing on an individual basis with a case or as part of a structured team, the benefit of each other’s experience is never far away.

We are frequently retained to act and advise on both local and international, contentious and non-contentious matters encompassing every area of our expertise.

We advise on Bahamian law for foreign proceedings and are often instructed by legal advisors abroad. A significant part of our practice is done in conjunction with lead Counsel from other Commonwealth jurisdictions in novel or complex matters that may require specialist experience or opinion. We work both as part of multi-jurisdictional teams of advisors and singularly thus tailoring the management of our clients’ needs so as to attain successful results.

As advocates we have distinguished ourselves in our sound approach to the law and assertive advocacy skills. We are innovative to both the practice of law and to conflict resolution and continue to be engaged in most major disputes on the civil side of the Court. We are able to respond to clients needs on an urgent basis and to manage cases with alacrity.

Employment Law. We have established a specialty practice in employment law and are regarded as leading practitioners in this area. Our concentrated practice has made a large contribution to the development of our common law. We have acted in a vast amount of cases in which the Courts have defined and interpreted local statutes and common law.

We are adept at drafting employment contracts, policy and procedure manuals as well as opining and advising on structuring and staffing businesses and the implementation of human resources functions.

We are proficient at negotiating and settling grievances and disputes between employees, unions and employers. We are also equally experienced at vigorously asserting and defending our clients’ position through to final resolution whether it be before the Industrial Tribunal or the Privy Council.

Negligence And Personal Injury. We have enjoyed a long history of representing insurance companies and major hotel and resort attractions which have required us to hone our practice of this area of law. As a result, we have extensive experience in the assessment of liability and quantum of incidents involving both common and unique circumstances. We appear at Coroner’s Inquests and in the Supreme Court in cases which have run the gamut of severity of injury and sophistication of financial loss. We advise daily on claims of this nature and are committed to achieving the best results for our clients.

Property Law . Our expertise allows us to compliment and assist our partners on the real estate and resort development side of the Firm in actions often vital and necessary to development and commerce within and without The Bahamas.

We have acted in claims for and against the specific performance of contracts for the sale of land and in seeking declarations on priority of title.

We are also regularly involved in title investigations to land and have succeeded in proving the best title to invaluable tracts of land and islands which have sometimes been bitterly embroiled in controversy and dispute spanning generations. We also act in the setting aside of Certificates of Title obtained fraudulently.

We have advised and acted in matters involving landlord and tenant disputes, breach of covenants, easement and rights of way, seizure and foreclosure as well as the enforcement of rights of condominium owners and associations.

Other areas of our litigation practice include:

Contract Law
Contentious Probate
Public and Administrative Law (Employment, Aerodromes, Telecommunications, Gaming, Licencing, Cable Television)
Commercial Law (Tracing and Asset Recovery, Fraud)
Intellectual Property Law (Infringement, Passing Off, Oppositions)
Family Law (Adoption, Custody, Divorce, Legal Separation)
Debt Recovery
Construction Law

Our Litigation Team: Ferron J. M. Bethell Q.C., Camille A. Cleare, Lakeisha N. Hanna and Viola C. Major

To contact our Litigation Department directly, please send an e-mail to litigation@hbslaw.com.