Doing business in the Bahamas is more complex than most people realize. The country is governed by arcane laws and complex systems. There’s also a sea of local politics that outsiders can often find baffling and impenetrable. That’s why so many global and regional businesses look to us to meet their legal and advisory needs.
ParrisWhittaker is a local law firm based in the Bahamas, with partner offices in the Turks and Caicos, Jamaica, and Amsterdam and affiliate offices in Dominica, Belize, Cyprus, and the Cayman Islands. With over 70 years of experience and an outstanding track record, the firm operates on a trifold philosophy: Working hard, Working smart, Working to win.
Practice areas
Business
Litigation in the Bahamas can feel like a game.
Win the game, and enforce your agreements, you collect your debts, and get your attorneys’ fees covered in the process. But to do so, you need a lawyer who is well versed in the rules, and has the willingness, talent, and wherewithal to strategize intelligently—and over-prepare.
That’s why you should bring the matter to us. We are in the courts on a weekly basis, and there’s nothing we love more than the rhythm, energy, and thrill of the fighting for our clients. We have experience with virtually all the rules of law, and excel in research, oral argument, and thinking on our feet. We’re so experienced that we can frequently offer beneficial billing arrangements driven by an informed estimate of the time and resources required to prevail.
In short, we love fighting for clients—and we love to win. ParrisWhittaker’s litigation services include, but are not limited to, :
- Vigorous debt collection and recovery
- Rigorous enforcement of contracts
- Negotiation of favorable settlements
- Value-driven fixed billing arrangement
- Enforcement and Registration of Foreign Judgments
- Shareholder Disputes
- Contested Probates
- Defamation
- Admiralty & Maritime matters
- Employee & Labour Issues
- Administrative Issues
- Personal Injury
- Trademark disputes
- Condominium Association & Homeowners Association matters
- Fatal Accidents
- Construction Disputes & Litigation
- Insurance & Reinsurance
If you’d like to enforce your rights and put the court system on your side, schedule a consultation with ParrisWhittaker today.
Real Estate
Conveyancing and mortgages present an array of complex and sometimes arcane issues distinct to Bahamas law.
Removing local encumbrances, navigating Freeport service charges, and obtaining permits under the International Persons Landholding Act and Foreign Investment Board rules: all have the ability to confound even the most seasoned real estate attorney.
Our experience and precision allow you to run your Bahamas-based transaction without a hitch. We provide all essential conveyancing and mortgage services, offering the benefit of wisdom gained through hundreds of successful conveyances. We deliver:
- Locally specific mortgage review
- Painstakingly detailed title searches
- Unimpeachable title opinions
- The speediest possible resolution of outstanding encumbrances (mortgages, judgments, orders)
- Careful management of Freeport service charges
- Essential guidance through a maze of local permits
- Registration with the Exchange Control at the Central Bank of The Bahamas
- Safe and efficient transfer of large sums of money
- Conversion of sale proceeds into the appropriate currency
If your property purchase is part of a commercial development plan, consider speaking to us about Real Estate & Commercial Property Transactions law as well.
If you’re ready to discuss how we can help draft accurate, defect-free conveyances, contact us for a consultation.
Immigration
For foreign-owned companies, the Bahamian labor force is an attractive proposition.
But you need to observe local rules and regulations, navigate trade-union politics, and be aware of case law regarding issues such as wrongful dismissal and violations of the Employment Act.
Luckily, we know our way around Bahamas employment and immigration law. If your company is shackled by a labor-union dispute or needs to bring in an employee from overseas, or if you find yourself on either side of a wrongful dismissal claim, ParrisWhittaker gives you the best possible representation across employment and immigration law categories:
- Effective compliance with employment laws
- Leveraging the immigration laws to facilitate your hiring process
- Delicately and discretely resolving trade-union issues
- Developing or defending wrongful dismissal claims
Our attorneys frequently appear before the Department of Labor, the Labor Board, the Industrial Tribunal and the Supreme Court in Labor disputes.
When you need the winning edge in employment and immigration law issues, contact ParrisWhittaker.
Our Partners and Associates
Partner / Strategist
Jacy Whittaker
For Jacy Whittaker, the key to winning cases is being abundantly overprepared. As an attorney, Jacy gears up for war on everything. The litigator never walks into a courtroom without more research, more evidence, and more potential angles than warranted. This over-preparation allows him to think on his feet, building confidence—and the court’s regard—through each winning application, writ, submission, and hearing. Rather than being exhausted by sheer volume, the youthful lawyer becomes even more invigorated. After all, he lives to argue—and win.
Jacy got his start in 2000, working as a legal assistant for Frederick R.M. Smith, QC, a legendary attorney in the Bahamas. Mr. Smith had been intrigued by a brand of intelligence that has since served Jacy well in the courtroom. Even then, a talent analysis showed Jacy’s strengths as a future litigator.
Jacy enrolled in law school (University of Buckingham, 2001 and later Inns of Court School of Law, 2005), then joined Callenders & Co., where he worked side-by-side with Mr. Smith on multiple matters—including one of the Bahamas’ most monumental matters. Six years later, he and partner Arthur K. Parris, Jr left to form ParrisWhittaker. Jacy has since added admiralty law, probate law, commercial transactions, corporate structuring, restructuring, and formation to his list of capabilities, He acts as local counsel for a handful of Fortune 500 companies and numerous international companies.
In addition to his legal practice, Jacy is one of the most active members of the Grand Bahama business community. He is/was a director, advisor, or committee chair for numerous boards, including the Bahamas Bar Council, Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce, Rotary International, Freeport Law Society, and Salvation Army. He is also a member of the Bahamas Bar Association and a member of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court Bar.
A. Kenra Parris-Whittaker
Partner / Strategist
With nimble mastery and a crisp ability to navigate Bahamian maritime law, negligence claims, and alternate dispute resolution approaches, Kenra Parris-Whittaker, Esq. is an astute and effective lawyer for our times.
Kenra has litigated on both sides of the courtroom, and she leverages strengths in both discovery and research, formulating incisive inquiries and powerful positioning for resonating results. Her ability to clearly articulate a case’s full scope translates from the courtroom to virtual or remote litigation platforms (if needed)—expediting prompt and fair resolutions. With her sound knowledge of both port and court admiralty law, Kenra is frequently sought as an arbitrator and mediator.
Kenra’s legal skills have often led to the creation of case law, with modern contextual interpretation and new jurisdictional jurisprudence. She has provided a range of solutions for multi-national and regional shipping companies, cruise lines, protection & indemnity clubs (P&I), and UK-based law firms in need of Bahamas representation. She has successfully obtained hundreds of millions of dollars for clients from favorable judgments and settlements. Kenra also represents regulatory authorities in the interpretation of new statutes and the Hawksbill Creek Agreement.
Committed to due process throughout the legal landscape, Kenra’s diverse client base also includes vessel repair shops, shipyard owners, crew members, injured plaintiffs, and executors/executrices for large estates.
Before becoming a partner at ParrisWhittaker, Kenra was a senior associate litigating commercial, probate and maritime cases at globally recognized Callenders & Co.
Nassau-born and Canadian and UK-educated, Kenra received her Bachelors of Law from the University of Buckingham, Law and attended the Inns of Court School of Law.
Arthur K. Parris, Jr
Partner
The extremity of his integrity has established the Nassau native as one of the leading legal authorities in all of Grand Bahama. Initially, Mr. Parris’s clients choose him for his accessible approach to the law. Due to years of practice, the experienced lawyer can make even the most complex matters clear and compelling for businesspeople who either lack legal training, or familiarity with the intricacies of the Bahamian legal system.
After the initial transaction(s), Mr. Parris’s clients always come to rely on him. His depth, breadth and knowledge of local law is vast having been acquired over thirty years of practice: he has successfully handled challenging and complex matters for his local and international clientele. Mr. Parris’s projects have encompassed both the local and international, and have included shopping centers, condominium complexes, mixed-use projects, pure commercial transactions, licensing, local financing, Securities Commission work, industrial accidents, pharmaceutical deals, complicated corporate formations, and the management of both Bahamian and foreign-owned companies. On the personal front, he’s handled wills, estates, and probate matters.
The real estate/corporate lawyer got his start in 1979, eventually becoming a partner at Callenders & Co., the Bahamas’ oldest and most venerated law firm. In 2011, he and associate Jacy Whittaker had a vision of a leaner, more efficient law practice, and they left Callenders together to form ParrisWhittaker.
Currently, Mr. Parris’s international clients hail from the US, UK, Canada, South Africa, Italy, France, and other countries. He has worked with virtually all of the area’s lending institutions. He is a member of the Bahamas Bar Association.
George C. Missick
Partner
Every case is a challenge, and every courtroom is an arena. That’s how George sees it, and that’s how George prepares.
George knows that victory is not just about case law, but about how people make decisions and choose sides. Competitive by nature, George enjoys the challenge of taking all those elements to build a successful argument, navigating litigation to success after success. His courtroom track record speaks for itself.
For over 20 years, George has worked in prominent, prestigious firms in the region, such as Callendars, located in the Bahamas, and founded various law firms in Turks & Caicos.
Although his education has been global, and his experience international, his particular winning edge can be found in his roots. As a Notary Public for the Turk and Caicos and the Bahamas, and an attorney with the Supreme Court of both countries, he understands the local ways in the Bahamas and the Turks & Caicos Islands. This allows him to help his clients navigate what can seem like quaint or complicated systems faster. From start to finish, he untangles both standard legal bureaucracy and specific local challenges to walk them toward the win.
He is a Rotarian and Paul Harris Fellow, currently serving as Chairman of both the Medicine and Dentistry Professions Council of the Turks & Caicos and the Turks and Caicos National Insurance Appeals Tribunal. He is also the current Vice President of the Turks and Caicos Special Needs Alliance, having previously held the roles of Director, Hope Foundation Autism Awareness TCI and President, Turks & Caicos Bar Council.
Raisa Woodstock Lodenquai
Senior Associate
Raisa is the kind of lawyer that commits to a case and follows through with a focus that is both multi-layered and single-minded.
She begins with not just the facts of the case, but the feelings and the people involved. Committed to strategy and compassion, Raisa started her days as a young lawyer with Human Rights and Social Justice organisations like Lawyers to the Rescue and Legal Aid. That left a profound appreciation for pursuing justice while preserving dignity and decency.
Even as an expert litigator today, Raisa remains bound to the precepts of fairness, justice and care.
Licensed to practice in several countries, Raisa began her law journey with a degree from University of South California in 2010. She then earned her Juris Doctor in 2014 from St. Thomas University School of Law in Florida where she passed the bar the same year and subsequently became a Notary Public. She pursued further studies at the Norman Manley School where she graduated in 2016, and was called to both the Jamaica Bar and the Barbados Bar that same year.
She joined ParrisWhittaker with a passion for continuing to build on their legacy of skilful litigation and legal counsel through a team both qualified and caring. She is also a proud upholder of the long-standing traditions of charitable work, pro bono cases and fundraising they proudly execute yearly.
She is proud to be considered tenacious. Her unshakeable resolve and track record speak for themselves. She looks forward to starting another successful story with you. Please reach out today to get started on building your best case.