This area of the law concerns the relationships between individuals and the government, including the control of the government’s powers as exercised by public authorities. We handle constitutional and administrative matters as well as judicial review of the decisions of statutory bodies and tribunals such as the Industrial Disputes Tribunal.

Attorneys:

Allan S. Wood, K.C. - awood@lival.co

Tana'ania Small Davis, K.C. - tsmall@lival.co

Daniella R. Gentles-Silvera, K.C. - dgentles@lival.co

Kelley C. Wong - kwong@lival.co

Mikhail A. C. Jackson - mjackson@lival.co

Kathryn Williams - mailto:kwilliams@lival.co

Shawn Steadman Wilkinson -

Jamaica has procedures, laws and regulations in place to stop the generation of income through unlawful actions. Financial institutions, companies and individuals are governed by these anti-money laundering laws and our Attorneys are equipped to advise on compliance. We also act in matters concerning the seizure and release of assets pursuant to anti-money laundering legislation.

Attorneys:

Allan S. Wood, K.C. - awood@lival.co

Our considerable reputation and experience in the field of litigation is complimented by our expertise in resolving disputes outside of the courtroom. For some clients, litigation is too formal, overly combative or simply not suitable. Our team is also highly skilled at resolving disputes through alternative methods, including:

• Arbitration (locally and overseas)
• Mediation
• Negotiation
  
  

Attorneys:

Allan S. Wood, K.C. - awood@lival.co

Tana'ania Small Davis, K.C. - tsmall@lival.co

Daniella R. Gentles-Silvera, K.C. - dgentles@lival.co

Our Attorneys have a great deal of experience navigating the legal and regulatory framework governing the provision of finance in Jamaica. We act as counsel for a number of banks as well as other types of financial institutions/ providers including building societies, credit unions, venture capitalists, private lenders and statutory agencies. We readily assist with all types matters, ranging from day to day activities to special projects.

Attorneys:

Afeef A. Lazarus - alazarus@lival.co

Basil A. Parker - bparker@lival.co

Daniella R. Gentles-Silvera, K.C. - dgentles@lival.co

Gisele M. Gibson - ggibson@lival.co

We act for both debtors and creditors in situations where existing debts cannot be paid. Our services include instituting and defending bankruptcy proceedings and company liquidations.

Attorneys:

Tana'ania Small Davis, K.C. - tsmall@lival.co

Daniella R. Gentles-Silvera, K.C. - dgentles@lival.co

Our team of seasoned commercial litigators has a wealth of knowledge and experience, and is equipped to deal with all manner of disputes arising from business conflicts including:

• Breaches of contract and contractual disputes
• Competition law
• Banking and financial disputes
• Construction and engineering disputes
• Trade mark, copyright and patent disputes
• Shareholder issues
• Partnership disputes

Attorneys:

Allan S. Wood, K.C. - awood@lival.co

Tana'ania Small Davis, K.C. - tsmall@lival.co

Daniella R. Gentles-Silvera, K.C. - dgentles@lival.co

Mikhail A. C. Jackson - mjackson@lival.co

Kerri-Ann T. Allen Morgan - kallen@lival.co

Kathryn Williams - mailto:kwilliams@lival.co

Shawn Steadman Wilkinson -

In situations where arrangements, agreements or business practices threaten, prevent or restrict competition, we advise clients and implement enforcement strategies to guard against the negative effects of anti-competitive conduct.

Attorneys:

Kathryn Jayne E. Pearson - kpearson@lival.co

Kelley C. Wong - kwong@lival.co

Our Attorneys have a great deal of experience in advising clients at every stage of the construction and development process, be it in respect of residential developments, commercial developments, hotels, highways or other types of infrastructure. We are also versed in preparing and vetting the necessary documentation concerned with this area.

Attorneys:

Basil A. Parker - bparker@lival.co

Annette Francis-Barnett - abarnett@lival.co

Roxanne Kidd-D’Aguilar - rdaguilar@lival.co

We act as counsel to various institutions, including multinational corporations, banks, trust companies, insurance companies, building societies, credit unions, venture capitalists, private lenders and statutory agencies. We also represent local and foreign interests in the bauxite and alumina sector, public utilities, players in the sectors of agriculture (particularly sugar and bananas), media and communications, tourism, telecommunications, real estate, finance, construction and property development.

We advise on a wide range of corporate and commercial transactions including:

• Listings and stock exchange compliance
• Share issues, share and asset acquisitions and disposals
• Corporate re-organisations
• Takeovers and mergers
• Venture capital and equity investments
• Methods of raising finance including loan finance and security arrangements
• Financial services
• The regulation of unit trusts and other investment funds
• Commercial agreements
• Competition law
• Insurance
• Banking and finance, title finance, derivatives and securitisations
• Insolvency, receiverships and liquidation
• International loans and financing
• Securities
• Financial services regulation
• Mortgages

Attorneys:

Afeef A. Lazarus - alazarus@lival.co

Warrington E. Williams - wwilliams@lival.co

Allan S. Wood, K.C. - awood@lival.co

Basil A. Parker - bparker@lival.co

Daniella R. Gentles-Silvera, K.C. - dgentles@lival.co

Gisele M. Gibson - ggibson@lival.co

Kelley C. Wong - kwong@lival.co

Alexander Corrie - acorrie@lival.co

Our team is widely recognised as skilled and experienced in this area of activity and offers advice on every aspect of the law governing employment including:

• Negotiating and settling collective agreements and other forms of contracts of employment
• Employee benefits
• Staff incentive schemes
• Termination of employment
• Transfer of business
• Trade Unions
• Arbitrations and labour litigation

Attorneys:

Allan S. Wood, K.C. - awood@lival.co

Kelley C. Wong - kwong@lival.co

Tana'ania Small Davis, K.C. - tsmall@lival.co

Mikhail A. C. Jackson - mjackson@lival.co

We work with clients in this area to ensure compliance with the relevant laws and regulations concerning the protection of the environment and natural resources. We also advise and act for clients in litigious aspects of environmental law, including matters concerning breaches of the existing legislation as well as related areas such as the tort of nuisance.

Attorneys:

Daniella R. Gentles-Silvera, K.C. - dgentles@lival.co

We advise both corporate clients and individuals on:

• Corporate tax planning
• Acquisitions and mergers
• Corporate re-organisations
• Pension schemes and employee benefits
• Probate and Administration of Estates
• Wills

Attorneys:

Afeef A. Lazarus - alazarus@lival.co

Annette Francis-Barnett - abarnett@lival.co

Gisele M. Gibson - ggibson@lival.co

Roxanne Kidd-D'Aguilar - rdaguilar@lival.co

Kim M. Gallimore - kgallimore@lival.co

We provide a complete service in respect of family law matters including:

• Divorce
• Maintenance of spouses and children
• Custody of and access to children
• Habeas Corpus proceedings
• Division of property and assets
• Legal opinions and advice concerning family law matters
• Cases involving private international law
• Prenuptial agreements

Attorneys:

Tana'ania Small Davis, K.C. - tsmall@lival.co

Mikhail A. C. Jackson - mjackson@lival.co

The areas of pensions, insurance, securities and finance are heavily regulated by legislation. It is of utmost importance that individuals and companies ensure that they are compliant with the legislation and if they are not, receive appropriate and proper legal advice in respect of resolving issues which arise. We advise individuals and companies in respect of interpreting legislation in areas of concern, drafting documents and overall compliance with the legislative provisions.

Attorneys:

Basil A. Parker - bparker@lival.co

Daniella R. Gentles-Silvera, K.C. - dgentles@lival.co

Kerri-Ann T. Allen Morgan - kallen@lival.co

We work closely with our clients at all levels of intellectual property protection including:

• registration of trade marks, designs and patents
• licensing, assignment, renewal and monitoring of such property
• enforcement of trade mark rights through oppositions, cancellations and litigation
• general IP litigation
• anti-counterfeiting
• general branding and IP advice
• customs enforcement
• copyright protection and enforcement

Attorneys:

Anne-Marie C. White-Feanny - afeanny@lival.co

Kathryn Jayne E. Pearson - kpearson@lival.co

Mikhail A. C. Jackson - mjackson@lival.co

Yannic Fletcher - yfletcher@lival.co

We act for both debtors and creditors in situations where existing debts cannot be paid. Our services include instituting and defending bankruptcy proceedings and company liquidations. We also offer advice on the reorganisation and restructuring companies’ legal, ownership, operational and other arrangements for the purpose of profitability and efficiency.

Attorneys:

Tana'ania Small Davis, K.C. - tsmall@lival.co

Daniella R. Gentles-Silvera, K.C. - dgentles@lival.co

Litigation is the complete process involved in the filing or defending of a claim in a Court of law from its commencement to its determination. Our firm has a team of seasoned litigators with experience in dealing with all types of contentious matters. Our counsel have appeared in all courts of the island, including the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in the United Kingdom as well as in the courts of several other territories including, Anguilla, Cayman Islands, Turks & Caicos Islands, and the British Virgin Islands. The types of matters we handle include:

• Arbitrations (local and overseas)
• Banking and liquidation law
• Competition law
• Contractual disputes
• Defamation
• Employment law and industrial relations
• Financial and commercial law
• Insurance
• Intellectual property law (passing off, trade mark infringement, copyright infringement and, patent law)
• Judicial review of administrative actions
• Medical negligence
• Negligence
• Personal injury claims
• Property, including vendor and purchaser disputes and interpretation of contracts
• Tortious liability

Attorneys:

Allan S. Wood, K.C. - awood@lival.co

Tana'ania Small Davis, K.C. - tsmall@lival.co

Daniella R. Gentles-Silvera, K.C. - dgentles@lival.co

Mikhail A. C. Jackson - mjackson@lival.co

Kathryn Williams - mailto:kwilliams@lival.co

Shawn Steadman Wilkinson -

We advise and act for the sponsors, trustees and members of several approved superannuation funds and approved retirement schemes in Jamaica. We have also represented our clients in litigious matters concerning a range of pension-related issues. Some of these matters are now landmark decisions in Jamaica as well as in the international pensions industry.

We were actively involved in the development of Phase I of the legislative reform of the pensions industry which precipitated several meaningful changes to the Pensions (Superannuation Funds and Retirement Schemes) Act and the attendant Regulations. Our involvement continues in Phase II which will provide substantial amendments to the legislation giving effect to much of the recommendations of the Technical Committee and the Pensions Taxation Sub-Committee on Phase II which we were members of.

Attorneys:

Kerri-Ann T. Allen Morgan - kallen@lival.co

Our Attorneys have in depth knowledge of the various factors affecting the long-term financing of infrastructural and industrial projects. We assist individuals and companies with all of the legal aspects, including the provision of sound advice and the drafting and reviewing the relevant documentation.

Attorneys:

Basil A. Parker - bparker@lival.co

Public procurement refers to the process by which public authorities, such as government departments or local authorities, purchase goods or services. We advise on the law that regulates the purchasing by public sector bodies and certain utility sector bodies of contracts for goods, works or services.

Attorneys:

Basil A. Parker - bparker@lival.co

We provide a complete service which covers every aspect of a property transaction to assist the developer, owner, purchaser or occupier, including:

• Sale and purchase of commercial and residential property
• Condominium developments
• Planning
• Building and Engineering Contracts
• Funding and investment
• Commercial lending
• Mortgages
• Leases
• Restrictive covenant modifications

Attorneys:

Afeef A. Lazarus - alazarus@lival.co

Warrington E. Williams - wwilliams@lival.co

Basil A. Parker - bparker@lival.co

Annette Francis-Barnett - abarnett@lival.co

Gisele M. Gibson - ggibson@lival.co

Roxanne Kidd-D’Aguilar - rdaguilar@lival.co

Alexander Corrie - acorrie@lival.co

Kim M. Gallimore - kgallimore@lival.co

Jamaica operates two (2) busy sea ports and transhipment facilities, which have allowed the shipping industry to grow at a rapid rate. We provide a variety of services including ship registration, financing and arrests, and we represent owners, cargo interests, charterers, ship agents and insurers.
The establishment of an international/open registry in 2000 has created opportunities for the provision of additional legal services to those who make use of these facilities including ship owners, Attorneys-at-law who represent ship owners, financiers and bankers.

Attorneys:

Daniella R. Gentles-Silvera, K.C. - dgentles@lival.co

Mikhail A. C. Jackson - mjackson@lival.co

Our firm is versed in the various tax laws which affect both individuals, companies and overseas entities attempting to do business in Jamaica. There are numerous taxes in Jamaica, including income tax, transfer tax, stamp duty, customs duty, statutory salary deductions, general consumption tax, transfer tax on death, property tax and others. The frequent changes in the law governing the different forms of taxation necessitate current and accurate legal advice. We offer advice on all areas, including tax efficient ways of doing business, estate planning, double taxation issues and the assessment of taxes.

Attorneys:

Kerri-Ann T. Allen Morgan - kallen@lival.co

Our team has vast experience in representing and advising clients on the laws governing the utilities and their respective regulations and also representing the utilities regulator in Jamaica in its dealings with the telecommunication players in the market including the resolution of disputes before the Telecommunications Tribunal and the Courts.

Attorneys:

Daniella R. Gentles-Silvera, K.C. - dgentles@lival.co