Partners

Baker Tilly Strachan Lafayette, trading as Bakertilly, is an independent member firm of Baker Tilly International whose talent pool includes 33,600 people in 161 independent member firms across 147 countries. Being an independent member firm of Baker Tilly International provides a range of resources that facilitates access to the specialist knowledge, experience and intellectual property of thousands of recognised experts worldwide. Baker Tilly International is one of the world’s top ten (10) accounting firms.

Baker Tilly International is one of the world’s top ten (10) accounting firms.The strength of the network’s position today as one of the world’s Top 10 accounting networks is the result of the continued investment through this period in realising its long-term vision: to be recognised as a global network of closely aligned, premier, independent accounting firms serving leading national and global organisations.

LeySmith Attorneys-at-Law, is a boutique firm consisting of Douglas Leys Q.C. and Oliver Smith as partners, and Ms.Kayanne Anderson and Miss Kimone Tennant as associates. The firm is headed by Mr. Douglas Leys, Q.C. who is a former Solicitor General for Jamaica and a former General Counsel of the Caribbean Development Bank based in Barbados.

Among the firm’s members there is a wealth of expertise in diverse areas of law which will satisfy the most discerning of clients. LeySmith is equipped to deal with a diverse range of matters, and its personnel has had significant experience in the public and private sectors through their participation in privatisation bids, as well as private public sector project proposals.  

The firm is well positioned to represent local and international companies as well as governments, in conducting due diligence in the areas of project finance, privatizations, private public sector partnerships, securities transactions, civil litigation, local and international arbitrations, various forms of development financing from commercial and multilateral institutions, consultancy services, intellectual property issues, private and public international law, construction contracts, syndicated loans, domestic and international transport negotiations and a myriad of other matters too many to mention in this brief proposal.

Douglas Leys, QC

Mr. Leys is the pre-eminent practitioner in Jamaica on matters concerning privatization of public assets and cross-border issues related to international investments.  His substantial experience combines the unique exposure in the Solicitor- General’s Office in Jamaica for decades, culminating in his appointment as Solicitor General, coupled with his regional and international finance and structured finance experience gained as General Counsel of the Caribbean Development Bank and his legal intern with the International Investment Corporation the private financing arm of the Inter-American Development Bank

His relevant expertise includes:

Privatisation of numerous government entities and public enterprises including the divestment of Air Jamaica Limited, Trans-Jamaican Airlines Limited, and Sangster International Airport, as well as the motor vehicle inspectorate division of the then Ministry of Transport and Works.

He has also worked on the financing of buses for the transport sector namely the Jamaica Urban Transport Company Limited, and has advised on and participated in the provisions for the amendments to the Road Traffic Act and the Public Passenger Transport Act.

In his previous capacity as Solicitor General he was a part of the team examining the legal aspects of the Public Sector Transformation, and worked closely with the unit overseeing that process. Also in his capacity as Solicitor General, he is very familiar with all legislative enactments affecting the transport sector as he had to advise the Attorney General as to their constitutionality before passage into law.   

As Solicitor-General, Mr.. Leys Q.C. acted as:

• ·         Lead counsel to the Jamaican Government in structuring and negotiating Jamaica’s inaugural Eurobond issue and subsequent issues on the international capital markets.;
• ·         Lead counsel to the Jamaican Government in actively structuring and negotiating with J.P. Morgan Chase and Glencore AG, the first alumina securitization package on the international capital markets.;
• ·         Lead counsel to the Jamaican Government in actively structuring and negotiating the implementation of Highway 2000, the first and largest toll road project finance transaction in the English -speaking Caribbean.;
• ·         Lead counsel to the Jamaican Government in the privatization of Sangster International Airport and taking the same to successful conclusion.

He also advised on, negotiated and drafted a Joint Venture Agreement between the Port Authority of Jamaica and Paving and Structures Limited for the establishment of the Vernamfield logistics hub.;

He has also accomplished the following:

• ·         Advising, leading and representing the Government of Jamaica in various domestic and international arbitrations dealing with the FIDIC and JCT construction contracts.;
• ·         Advising Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) on and structuring the Caricom Development Fund at the special request of the Secretary General of Caricom;
• ·         Advising on and completing, structuring and supervising the legal arrangements for the funding of the Caribbean Court of Justice.;
• ·         Advising the Caricom Heads of Government, and the Council of Finance and Planning Ministers of Caricom on various legal issues pertaining to regional integration;
• ·         Advising the Caribbean Development Bank’s (CDB) Board of Governors and Directors on various international, regional and internal legal issues as they affect the institution.;
• ·         Representing the CDB at various international, regional and domestic fora ;
• ·         Representing the CDB on the panel of General Counsel of multilateral organizations dealing with harmonization and simplification of legal agreements among multilateral development banks.;

• ·         Participating and overseeing CDB’s role in the Harmonization of Procurement Procedures among multilateral development banks.

Mr. Leys Q.C. is called to the bar both in Barbados and Jamaica and soon to be called to the Bar in the Turks & Caicos Islands.

Mr. Oliver A Smith Esq.

Oliver Smith is qualified to practice law in New York, Jamaica and the Turks and Caicos Islands. He is a top litigator in New York and is well respected in that jurisdiction especially among the Jamaican community. He is an accomplished litigator and has appeared and successfully defended a number of individuals in high profile cases in that jurisdiction. He has also appeared in the Jamaican courts and is well respected in Jamaica where he has received numerous accolades both in the print and electronic media for his excellent cross-examining skills.

He is the lynchpin in the firm’s litigation practice and has recently extended his expertise to the Turks and Caicos Islands where in the short time there he has commanded the respect of the local bar and judiciary for his skills as a trial lawyer and his all round legal acumen.

 Ms. Kayanne Anderson

 Ms. Kayanne Anderson is an International Legal and Regulatory Counsel and consultant and she has functioned primarily in the areas of corporate governance, international cross border transactions as well as policy legal & regulatory analysis and reform throughout the Caribbean. 

Her practice areas also include international trade and corporate law, regulatory approvals  processes, legal research, joint ventures, deal structuring, intellectual property for economic development, international development, competitive identity, public policy development & analysis, private sector development policy advocacy as well as public diplomacy. She also boasts wide-ranging research and policy interests, including in international legal and regulatory approval frameworks for industry telecommunications, global market access, international standards as well as private sector development, reduction of bureaucracy, power relations and accountability. 

Over the past 17 years, Kayanne has worked as legal expert to several  IFI, governmental and NGO projects in her specialist areas.  She is called to the Bar in Jamaica and Barbados.

Miss Kimone Tennant

Miss Kimone Tennant specializes in corporate/commercial law and litigation.  She brings this experience to the firm from a cross- jurisdictional perspective as she is called the Bar of England and Wales and Jamaica. She also has experience working in both the private and public sectors.

Miss Tennant has been involved in negotiations in the construction industry, and has had to advise on the legal implications arising out of the FIDIC and JCT construction contracts. While in the public sector she has had experience preparing and vetting Government of Jamaica bidding documents.

She also possesses significant experience in industrial relations matters, and is very familiar with Jamaica’s labour laws and has represented companies in matters before the Industrial Disputes Tribunal in Jamaica. She is very familiar with the Jamaican Companies Act and has a practical and working knowledge of its provisions, particularly those relating to shareholders and directors rights, as well as the liquidation process under that Act.