Where We Recruit
Reasons for moving offshore usually involve a desire to improve quality of life without compromising on the quality of work which many solicitors/ barristers are used to undertaking (indeed, some of the highest quality, highest value matters take place offshore) and without suffering a fall in income.
It is often believed (wrongly) that there is some sort of mystique to securing work in an offshore location. We are here to remove any mystique and provide helpful, practical advice relating to living and working offshore.
The areas of law which the main firms tend to focus on in these jurisdictions include Corporate/ M&A/ Private Equity; Banking & Finance; Insurance; Trusts (both Corporate and Private Client); Investment Funds; and Private Client/ Family Office (for high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals) on the non-contentious side and Commercial Litigation (perhaps including some International Arbitration work); Insolvency Litigation; Financial Regulatory & Litigation; and Trusts & Estates/ Chancery Litigation on the contentious side.
Opportunities also surface periodically for Tax, Employment and Commercial Property lawyers. A handful of firms also cover niche areas such as Aviation and Shipping law.
In addition to considering candidates from London (City and West End) firms, offshore law firms are just as keen to consider lawyers from good regional, Scottish and Northern Irish law firms. Equally, they are also keen to hear from Barristers from well-regarded chambers in both London and the regions (including Scotland and Northern Ireland).
Furthermore, they are also keen to hear from candidates currently working in law firms in Commonwealth jurisdictions, as well as those lawyers already working offshore and keen to make a move from their current employer.
It is worth noting that whilst the Bermudan, BVI and Cayman jurisdictions have slightly different requirements in terms of admission to their respective Bars, you will be relieved to know that none of them require you to take any further examinations if you are an England & Wales/ Scottish/ Northern Irish/ Commonwealth qualified solicitor or barrister. We can give you more details relating to this, should you wish to pursue your interest in a move offshore.
The levels of pay across the Caribbean and Bermuda are very competitive and, in many cases, will pay in excess of what you could expect to earn at most London law firms (at an equivalent level of PQE). Couple this with the levels of tax being very low and you can see that, in addition to enjoying a high quality of life, you will also be very well remunerated. Tax rates for the jurisdictions we cover are as follows:
- Bermuda: Variable Payroll Tax rates within specific remuneration bandings (Google ‘Bermuda Payroll Tax for employees’ for details)/ 0% Income Tax
- British Virgin Islands: 8% Payroll tax/ 0% Income Tax
- Cayman Islands: 0% Payroll tax/ 0% Income Tax
In addition to salary information, we can also provide you with information on other aspects of island life such as costs of housing and other general information which is important to know if you happen to be considering relocating to one of these jurisdictions.
If you think that we can assist you, please do not hesitate to contact us either via phone or e-mail. You can be assured that any contact with us will remain in the strictest confidence.