GrahamThompson (GT) prides itself on its unique combination of expert legal skills and real-world experience in working out effective solutions to complex problems. With more than 70 years of continuous history and a first-rate balance between seasoned practitioners and dynamic young lawyers, GT is excellence-driven in every way.
Producing and sustaining clientele drawn locally and from across five continents is the focal point of the Firm’s efforts. Integrity, hard work, understanding the “bigger picture” that frames the specific legal needs of clients, creativity, rigorous ethical restraint in the charging of fees, and uncompromising loyalty to the client, are key ingredients of the GT ethos.
The Firm, well known as the largest commercial law firm in the Bahamas, has successfully expanded from its main downtown Nassau location in recent years to better serve its broad range of corporate and private clients. In 2000, the Freeport, Grand Bahama office was opened, followed by the launching of licensed affiliate GTC Corporate Services in 2001, and the Lyford Cay, New Providence office in 2011. On January 1, 2023, GT expanded to the island of Abaco, with the opening of the firm’s Marsh Harbour office.
The Firm has an enviable reputation both domestically and globally in a variety of important legal disciplines. Our attorneys are sought after by leaders in the real property, resort development, banking and capital markets, and Domestic tax and Regulatory sectors. We are highly regarded for our expertise in trust and estate planning, commercial matters, civil litigation, family law, securitization, employment and immigration matters.
The Firm is consistently ranked a tier one law firm by the leading international ratings publications, including CHAMBERS AND PARTNERS, IFLR 1000, and CITY WEALTH LEADERS LIST, among others.
Unique among law firms, GT has all through the years made notable contributions to high public service. GT’s former Partners have played critical roles in the Bahamas’ judiciary including three of the nation’s past Attorneys-General, the former Chief Justice, several Justices of the Bahamas Supreme Court, and Court of Appeal, and the Chairman of the Judicial Review Commission. Other Partners have served the Bahamas government as Senators, a Minister of Labour & Housing, a Gaming Board Chairman, a Water & Sewerage Corporation Chairman, a Broadcasting Corporation Chairman, and the Vice-Chair of the College of The Bahamas. Presently, our Partners serve as Chairman of the National Insurance Appeals Tribunal, Deputy Chair of the National Health Insurance Authority and as Directors of the Central Bank of The Bahamas and the National Insurance Board. This record of service to successive governments and the judiciary is wholly without parallel in the history of the legal profession of the Bahamas.
Founded in 2001
50 people in their team
The Firm offers specialized advice and related services in the planning, structuring, and execution of diverse and complex corporate transactions for both privately and publicly held entities in the industrial, banking, insurance, hospitality, construction, health care, telecommunications, and ISP sectors.
Our legal team is well versed with all aspects of corporate formations, reorganizations and restructurings, joint ventures, mergers, acquisitions, liquidations and insolvency.
The Firm also possesses considerable expertise in providing specialized legal services in the financial services/capital markets sector, whether in relation to investment funds, unit trusts, private equity funds, IPOs, securities issues, or pension schemes.
Our Partners take an active role in the Corporate, Commercial & Securities Sector by writing articles, attending seminars and serving as panelists on discussions produced by IFC Global Review, IFC Caribbean Review, Corporate INTL and most recently, in The Caribbean Conference on the International Financial Services Sector.
Graham Thompson has substantial expertise working with multi-jurisdictional companies and individuals to ensure their compliance with Bahamian labour and employment law.
Our litigators in the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands have successfully worked on a variety of complex litigious employment & labour matters. We represent both employers and employees in wrongful dismissal cases, layoffs, redundancies, discrimination, equal pay and sexual harassment situations.
We have broad knowledge of the nuances of employment contracts including workforce restructuring, non-compete, non-disclosure and non-solicitation agreements.
Our attorneys understand the challenges of Trade Unions and the difficulties of disciplinary and discharge issues, layoffs and redundancies, unfair dismissal, overtime and service charges.
We are the exclusive representatives of Employment Law Alliance in the Bahamas.
Graham Thompson has substantial expertise with Immigration & Naturalization matters. We often work with multi-jurisdictional companies and individuals on executive work permit applications. We also assist numerous private clients with domestic work permit applications for their household staff.
We have many years experience with Bahamas Department of Immigration on a wide array of applications and permits including annual residency, permanent residency, and citizenship applications.
Further, we have worked with corporate clients to review training programs created to develop future Bahamian management talent.
Graham Thompson’s litigation team members in the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands are internationally recognised for their skill and focus in resolving disputes through litigation, mediation, arbitration or negotiation.
In both 2015 and 2016, GT’s Turks and Caicos Islands practice was selected as “Dispute Resolution Firm of the Year” by Acquisition International.
Our attorneys regularly work on matters in the following general areas:
The Bahamas has a well respected tradition of providing banking and trust services to clients since the 1930’s, and Graham Thompson has been a leader in providing focused and tailored advice to high net worth families for over 60 years, including:
The Firm also serves the community with all aspects of estate planning, including:
The Firm takes an active role in the trust and private client sector by writing articles, attending seminars and serving as panelists on discussions produced by STEP (Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners) and the IFC Global Review.
The Firm has a wealth of experience in the Property & Development area. Our knowledge and experience is enhanced by our extensive relationships with a wide range of domestic and international financial lending institutions.
In the tourism sector, the Firm represents the leading hotels and resort developments in The Bahamas and in the Turks & Caicos Islands. We have extensive experience negotiating contractual arrangements with Government and other parties for hotels, mixed-use resorts, condominiums and second home development projects.
At our Nassau offices, we have a complete in-house microfilm library for title and land searches, and on-line access to the Registry of Records, the Supreme Court Registry and the Registry of Companies.
Our expertise in the Property and Development sector in the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands includes:
