Attorneys

Marie-Louise Francis is a Partner in the Firm.

Marie-Louise practice areas include corporate and commercial matters and legislative analysis and drafting. She is a qualified attorney and legislative drafter with experience in corporate and financial law. She has performed corporate secretary duties for the Eastern Caribbean Securities Exchange and the Eastern Caribbean Central Securities Depository, primarily responsible for legal and corporate governance, which ensures board management and compliance with regulatory requirements. 

 

Formerly, as in-house counsel at the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, she provided advice on various Banking Law matters, she successfully vetted and drafted contracts and was responsible for the legal oversight of multimillion-dollar mergers and acquisitions of private financial institutions. Marie-Louise also conducted extensive research and analysis and drafted financial laws to advise regional Ministers of Finance and Attorneys General on how best to effect regional financial policies. 

Vanessa S. Fennell is a Partner in Elliott-Hamilton Law and her practice areas include Corporate Governance, Corporate Finance, Banking, Securities, Digital Assets, Insolvency, Mergers and Acquisitions, Trusts, Estates and Real Estate. 

She holds a Master of Laws Degree in Corporate and Commercial Law and is a Certified Legal Project Practitioner. She is admitted to practice in Antigua and Barbuda, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis and St. Lucia and has substantive experience in onshore, offshore and cross-border corporate finance valued at over US 900 Million Dollars. She has been recognized by Chambers and Partners in their 2022 and 2023 guides for General Business Law in St. Kitts and Nevis. 

Vanessa has a passion for outreach and charity and she has served numerous non-profit organisations. She is currently a member of the Rotary Club of St. Lucia. 

Experience: 

 Confidential Client: Advising offshore broker-dealers, investment firm and insurance firms on the regulatory position and licensing regime relating to marketing, offering and provision of services relating to securities, banking and insurance services to residents and regulated entities in St. Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda and St. Lucia. 

Confidential Client: Advising on the entry of a Nevis International Business Corporation into an offshore law facility valued at US 170 million dollars and secured by a pledge of offshore assets for the purpose of investing in a diversified portfolio including securities and foreign exchange trading. 

Confidential Client: Advising on the regulatory regime relating to the marketing and use of money transfer and cryptocurrencies trading apps for the purpose of trading cryptocurrencies offshore and from within Saint Kitts and Nevis and Antigua and Barbuda. 

Confidential Client: conducting due diligence and advising on the cross-border financing of a US 55 million dollars public-private partnership project involving an onshore entity and financed by an offshore lender. 

Confidential Client: Advising offshore lenders on enforcement of foreign judgments, arbitration awards and multi-jurisdictional freezing orders. 

Confidential Client: Advising on the enforceability of sovereign guarantees in cross-border lending for onshore projects valued at up to US 250 million dollars. 

Confidential Clients: advising on cross-border restructurings valued at up to US 900 million dollars. 

 

D. Victor C. Elliott-Hamilton is the Managing Partner of Elliott-Hamilton Law. He routinely appears before the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court in Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Kitts and Nevis and Saint Lucia. He also appears before the Supreme Court of Guyana.
 
 His dispute resolution practice consists primarily of Commercial Litigation, Debt Recovery, Administrative & Constitutional Law, Defamation and Intellectual Property.
 
He regularly advises clients on commercial and corporate matters, in particular, the structuring of family companies, quasi-partnership companies, joint ventures, limited partnerships, raising of debt and equity finance. 
 
 His intellectual property practice consisting primarily trademark registration, copyright licensing contracts and contract work related to the entertainment industry.

Experience:

Notable Cases:
Seo Hyeon Park v Pelican Bay Ltd SKBHCV2019/0269 (delivered May 31, 2022): Appeared as counsel for the Defendant successfully setting aside a default judgment on the basis that the court office did not have jurisdiction to enter the judgment for the sums claimed by the Claimants.

Jennifer Archibald v St. Kitts-Nevis-Trading and Development Company Ltd SKBHCV2020/0102 (delivered March 10, 2022): Appeared as junior counsel in an occupier's liability claim on behalf of the claimant.

Gregory Gilpin-Payne et al v Stephen First et al SKBHCVAP2019/0028-0033: Appeared as counsel for the Appellant/Applicant. Successfully arguing that subsequent orders and interactions of a judge may be admitted as fresh evidence for the purpose an appeal against the judge to recuse himself.

Ian Patches Liburd v Jermaine Lake et al SKBHCV2020/0109 (delivered September 20, 2022): Appeared as junior counsel on behalf of the Registration Officer in an election petition where the Applicant who was unsuccessful in Saint Kitts and Nevis General Elections.

Wesk Limited v The Saint Christopher Air and Seaports Authority SKBHCV2017/0274 (delivered January 19, 2019): Appeared as junior counsel on behalf of the Applicant, where he successfully argued that proportionality exists as an independent ground of judicial review under the law of the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis.

Terrence Holder and Pelagia Holder v The Guyana Trinidad and Mutual Fire Insurance Company: He represented the claimants on a fire insurance claim and obtained judgment. Successfully argued that the appropriate measure of damages under the the fire insurance policy was the cost of repairs despite the policy not explicitly providing for reinstatement.