The FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS REPORTING ACT, 2018 AND PROCEEDS OF CRIME ACT, 2018 were passed by Parliament and came into force on Friday May 15th, 2018. FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS REPORTING ACT, 2018 AND PROCEEDS OF CRIME ACT, 2018 Appointed Day Notice – POCA & FTRA.May 25, 2018
Legal
The Bahamas Makes Progress in the Implementation of CRS
Minister of Financial Services the Hon. C.V. Hope Strachan reported today that [the Bill](http://www.bfsb-bahamas.com/news.php?cmd=view&id=3694&pre=y) to provide for the implementation of the Common Standard on Reporting and Due Diligence for Financial Account Information in Tax matters and for connected purposes now has been passed unanimously in both Houses of Parliament. A release from the Ministry notes … Read More
Equipping Lawyers in Fight Against Corruption
The OECD has joined forces with the [International Bar Association](http://www.ibanet.org/) (IBA) to form a task force to develop professional conduct standards and practice guidance for lawyers involved in establishing and advising on international commercial structures and recommended actions for governments. The OECD-IBA Task Force on The Role of Lawyers and International Commercial Structures is expected … Read More
Amendment Acts to Strengthen Trust Regulatory Regime
Minister of Financial Services, the Hon. C.V. Hope Strachan, M.P., today tabled in the House of Assembly amendments to The Trustee Act (CH. 176) and The Trust (Choice of Governing Law) Act (CH. 179). The amendment to the Trustee Act strengthens the existing law as it relates to the administration of trusts, while the second … Read More
Common Reporting Standard Implementation in The Bahamas
The Bahamas Financial Services Board (BFSB) and The Association of International Banks and Trust Companies (AIBT), along with industry stakeholders, today held a consultative session with The Official Opposition to review draft legislation for the implementation of the Common Reporting Standard (CRS). The Leader of The Opposition and his colleagues were updated on why The … Read More
IMF Law and Financial Stability Forum
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has announced plans for a May 16-18 high level conference on law and financial stability. The event will examine the role that the law plays in contributing to financial stability, and the need to empower regulators and enhance transparency and accountability in the financial sector. Taking place at IMF Headquarters … Read More
Improving the Regulatory Framework for the Securities Industry
The [Securities Commission of The Bahamas](http://www.scb.gov.bs) announced today that two important pieces of legislation which will improve the regulatory framework for the securities industry had come into effect earlier this month. Specifically, The Securities Industry (Anti Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism) Rules, 2015 (“AML/CFT Rules”) and the Securities Industry (Amendment) Regulations, 2015 … Read More
CIArb Bahamas Branch Up and Running – Internationally Accredited Mediators and Arbitrators
The Bahamas Branch of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb), under the Patronage of Dame Joan Sawyer, the now retired President of the Bahamas Court of Appeal and a former Chief Justice of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, has seen a steady increase in its base of qualified and trained professionals who can ably champion … Read More
FATCA Compliance
On Thursday, April 16, the Ministry of Financial Services and Ministry of Finance co-hosted a FATCA Industry Briefing to highlight the progress made by The Bahamas in readying itself and the financial services industry for compliance with the Foreign Accounts Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) of the United States. The event was cosponsored by the Bahamas … Read More
Supreme Court Ruling on Perpetuity
Chief Justice Sir Michael Barnett in a recent ruling granted a Bahamas-based trustee an Order declaring that the Rule Against Perpetuities (Abolition) Act 2011 (RAPAA) applied to the disposition of a trust created before December 30, 2011. Law firm [Higgs & Johnson](http://www.higgsjohnson.com) represented the trustee in the application – and points out that [Legal precedence](http://www.higgsjohnson.com/resources/bulletins_pdf/H&J%20Successful%20RAPAA%20Application.pdf) … Read More
The Hon. K. Peter Turnquest was born on August 22nd, 1964 in the Bahamas and earned his Bachelor of Business Administration from Prairie View A&M University, and his MBA from Nova Southeastern University. He is a Certified Public Accountant and has been in public and private practice for over 30 years in the area of financial accounting and reporting, audit, corporate services, merges & acquisitions, receiverships and liquidations. Mr. Turnquest has had wide business experience having led international sales and manufacturing operations in several countries.
A former Attorney-General of The Bahamas and one of Her Majesty’s Queens Counsel, John’s practice concentration are financial services law and regulation, corporate governance, business restructuring & insolvency, and commercial litigation. He has also been advisor in several major acquisitions and mergers within The Bahamas, and also in acquisitions by or mergers with regional entities.
The Honourable Brent Symonette presently serves as the Minister of Financial Services, Trade & Industry and Immigration. In May 2017, Minister Symonette was elected as the Member of Parliament representing the constituency of St. Anne’s, Nassau, N.P., The Bahamas. An alumnus of Brunel University in Middlesex, England, he graduated with a BSc (Hons.) in Law and Political Science. He is a Barrister-at-Law having been called to the Bahamas Bar in 1978. Mr. Symonette is a respected and experienced politician having served in many governmental capacities for approximately thirty (30) years. His political career began in 1987 where he was appointed to the Senate of The Bahamas serving in this capacity for two consecutive five year terms. In 2002, he was elected as the Member of Parliament for the Montagu Constituency. During his parliamentary career he served as Minister of Tourism and Attorney General, Deputy Leader of the Free National Movement Party (FNM), Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration.
Valdez K. Russell serves as the principal of VKR Insights, a communications and reputation management agency. Throughout his professional career, Valdez has been instrumental in facilitating public relations and communication strategies to help individuals and organizations to build relationships and influence change.
Diego Zuluaga is a policy analyst at the Cato Institute’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives, where he covers financial technology and consumer credit. Before joining Cato, Zuluaga was Head of Financial Services and Tech Policy at the Institute of Economic Affairs in London. While at the IEA, he authored papers on the social value of finance, the role of offshore centers, the regulation of online platforms, and the taxation of capital income, among others. His work has been featured in print and broadcast media, such as the Times, Newsweek, and the Daily Telegraph. Zuluaga is a prolific public speaker as well as a former lecturer in economics at the University of Buckingham.
Ms. Christina R. Rolle is the Executive Director of the Securities Commission of The Bahamas, having been appointed effective 26 January 2015. Ms. Rolle has over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry. Over the course of her career, Ms. Rolle has acted as Director and Deputy CEO for a prominent international private bank and held various senior managerial positions with local and other international institutions including Head of Trust and Fiduciary, Head of Risk, Compliance and Corporate Governance and Manager of Banking Services.
Mr. James H. Smith is currently in retirement since June, 2007. Before then, he served in Parliament as a Senator and in the Cabinet of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas as the Minister of State for Finance during the period 2002 to 2007.
Llewellyn Boyer-Cartwright is a partner in Callenders & Co., The Bahamas’ oldest law firm and recipient of numerous international awards of recognition including the Corporate International Global Award.
Michael Allen has professional expertise in corporate and commercial law, including derivatives law as it relates to the participation by Bahamian entities in financial derivatives transactions, real estate & development, aviation law and wealth management.
Linda Beidler-D’Aguilar joined Glinton Sweeting O’Brien as a partner in July 2015. In her practice she specializes in the structuring and creation of vehicles (including investment funds) for multinational institutional clients as well as private clients; she also advises on corporate transactions, securities law (including public and private offerings) as well as general commercial matters.
Ryan Pinder has been a partner in the law firm of Graham Thompson since January 2016. His practice areas include banking law, corporate and commercial law, investment funds, securities law, capital markets, trusts and estate planning and structuring. He specialises in financial services solutions, planning and wealth management for high net worth individuals and families, and their associated companies and businesses throughout the world.