BVI independent firm Forbes Hare has scored a coup in acquiring key corporate bilingual lawyer, José Santos, from Maples and Calder, to join its corporate group and head its Latin America practice.

Forbes Hare managing partner William Hare commented, “We are very pleased to have a partner  of  José’s calibre join us.  Everyone sees the importance  of emerging markets  for offshore corporate work, particularly in current market conditions, and I am sure our US and Latin America clientele will  be  happy that we are now able to offer a truly bilingual legal service.”   Hare  continued,  “José  has  15  years’  experience  working  at  leading  firms  in London, BVI and the Cayman Islands.  He is widely recognised as a leading offshore lawyer in the  structuring  of  offshore  special  purpose  acquisition  companies  (SPACS),  having  been closely associated with most of the offshore SPACs set up in the last few years and related business combination deals, both in the BVI and the Cayman Islands.”

Santos specialises in corporate finance and investment funds, with a focus on private and public equity, and project finance transactions.

Santos commented, “I am delighted to be joining Forbes Hare, and am looking forward to the  challenge of developing the firm’s corporate finance practice.  Like Forbes Hare, I see current market conditions as an opportunity, which we fully intend to seize”.

Forbes Hare has recently been expanding in corporate, having last year hired associates Ken Okumura  from  Allen  &  Overy’s  private  equity  group,  and  Stuart  Bruce  from  Latham  & Watkins.

Hare  commented,  “2009  was  good  to  us,  but  we  aim  to  build  on  that  in  2010,  while remaining focused on delivering a first class service to our clients.”

The firm is well known for its litigation and insolvency expertise, particularly in distressed investment funds.  It acts for a blue chip clientele of financial and corporate institutions, insolvency office holders, regulators and high net worth individuals.

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