Glass

The Cayman Islands comprise three Islands situated some 500 miles south of Miami, Florida in the Western Caribbean. Grand Cayman is the largest of the Islands and is the centre for business and government. Cayman enjoys year round sunshine and has some of the finest beaches and clearest water in the Caribbean. Cayman is the world’s fifth largest financial centre, with a number of the world’s leading accountancy practices and investment banks located in its capital, George Town.

The Firms

There are a number of high quality multi-jurisdictional law firms in Cayman, including the likes of Appleby, Maples and Calder, Walkers, Ogier, Conyers Dill & Pearman and Mourant. The firms’ practice areas include: funds, corporate, finance, trusts, litigation and insolvency. Clients include all the major multi-national financial institutions. Cayman law is based on the English legal system and so lawyers tend to be recruited from London and the other major commonwealth jurisdictions, such as Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

Remuneration

Cayman Attorneys are some of the best paid around, with salaries ranging from US$140,000 for someone with three years’ post qualification experience (‘pqe’) to US$250,000+ for senior associates, tax free.

Salaried partners earn from US$300,000 to US$750,000. The PEP in the leading firms compares favourably to any of the leading New York or London based firms.

Cost of living is similar to London, but without any income tax payable, financial rewards are excellent.

Entry Requirements

Unless you are a Cayman national, to be admitted as an Attorney in the Cayman Islands you must have a minimum of three years’ pqe. Subject to this requirement and obtaining a work permit, admission is as of right.

A work permit must also be obtained, for which you will be required to complete a medical and obtain a police clearance certificate before the immigration papers can be filed. The work permit process can takes 8-12 weeks and we recommend that notice is not given to your existing employer before the permit is granted, albeit that it is very unusual for a permit to be denied.

Married spouses have a right to reside in Cayman, however unmarried partners do not and must obtain their own permit.

Lifestyle

Cayman offers the combination of living on a tropical island in the Caribbean, with an infrastructure you would expect from a US state. Accommodation, schools, roads, hospitals and restaurants are all of a very high standard.

As you would expect from an international financial centre, lawyers are expected to work similar hours to City lawyers. However commute times are ten minutes on average, which enables most lawyers to meet friends and family for lunch and be home in time to have dinner with their family, go to the gym or meet friends after work. The weekend feels like a Caribbean holiday and most people spend it playing sports, such as diving, water-skiing, cricket, rugby, golf and tennis, enjoying short trips to neighbouring Cuba and Jamiaca, or simply spending time with friends and family.