About

Provided by M. Hamel-Smith & Co.

Established in 1909, Hamel-Smith is widely-recognised as a pioneer in Trinidad and Tobago’s business community and the legal profession. As a member of Lex Mundi, Hamel-Smith works with member firms and other global law firms to provide innovative legal solutions to some of the world's largest corporations in dispute resolution, as well as cross-border and domestic transactions.

Hamel-Smith clients’ commercial objectives are paramount to the firm; it focuses on fashioning practical, business-oriented legal solutions to achieve them. Sensitive to clients needs for cost-certainty, the firm is prepared to agree fixed fees in advance, provide estimates for agreed phases of work or agree other flexible fee arrangements.

The Transactional team has extensive experience representing clients of varied industry sectors in an array of commercial transactions including business structuring, incorporation and on-going compliance, mergers & acquisitions, tax disputes, project structuring and financing, capital markets and securities structuring and compliance.

The Disputes & Risk Management team is known for taking a practical approach to matters, and boasts strategic thinkers who work closely with clients to develop and implement strategies to avoid, manage and resolve disputes cost-effectively. The firm also has a highly valued labour and employment law practice, and offers a coordinated intellectual property service for the regional registration and maintenance of trademarks and patents.

Chambers Review

Provided by Chambers

General Business Law - Trinidad & Tobago

1
Band 1

What the Team is Known For

M. Hamel-Smith & Co. is one of the most highly regarded law firms in the Caribbean, with a history in Trinidad tracing back to the early twentieth century. It is especially noted for handling highly significant litigation work. In this field, the firm has taken on shareholder disputes, tax appeals and insolvency proceedings. Its outstanding litigation capabilities are complemented by its considerable transactional expertise. The firm also has a stellar track record when it comes to landmark M&A, finance and capital markets matters.

Work Highlights

  • M. Hamel-Smith & Co. acted for Construtora regarding its attempt to resist the setting aside of an arbitral award after proceedings to do so were initiated by National Infrastructure Development Company following an earlier arbitration arising from a highway extension project.

Strengths

Provided by Chambers

Notable Practitioners

Provided by Chambers

Nicole Ferreira-Aaron
E
Nicole Ferreira-Aaron
E
Eminent Practitioners

Nicole Ferreira-Aaron, managing partner of M. Hamel-Smith & Co., is noted for her formidable practice in aviation finance, representing an impressive roster of clients in this sector. Her practice encompasses a breadth of financing agreements in addition to working across a number of M&A and capital markets issuances.

Nicole Ferreira-Aaron is very responsive and prompt.

She is a very experienced attorney.

Nicole's ability to navigate through the red tape is great.

Jonathan Walker
1
Jonathan Walker
1
Band 1

Jonathan Walker heads the disputes and risk management practice group at Hamel-Smith. An esteemed lawyer, he is regularly called upon to assist clients with some of Trinidad's most high-profile commercial disputes. He has appeared many times in instances of High Court litigation, with experience spanning areas including contractual disputes, tax cases and constitutional law proceedings.

Jonathan Walker is a hugely experienced lawyer with a broad range of expertise. He's very experienced and balanced, and offers clear, concise opinions in a very timely manner.

Jonathan is an absolute expert in this practice area, able to break down everything for his client and get his point across.

Jonathan is a highly qualified tax lawyer. He's responsive and has a very good knowledge of both tax law and procedural matters.

M Glenn Hamel-Smith
1
M Glenn Hamel-Smith
1
Band 1

Glenn Hamel-Smith is a highly respected lawyer who leads the banking and finance practice at Hamel-Smith. He routinely offers counsel to an impressive roster of commercial lenders. He is additionally noted for his capital markets practice and has complementary expertise in M&A and company restructuring.

He's very thorough and good at coming up with strategies to deal with regulators.

Glenn Hamel-Smith thinks things through and is commercially minded. He is a seasoned corporate and commercial attorney.

Melissa Inglefield
1
Melissa Inglefield
1
Band 1

Melissa Inglefield is an esteemed lawyer in the Trinidad legal market, with interviewees praising her capabilities to the highest degree. She is active across an array of finance transactions and capital markets issuances, offering counsel to a variety of high-profile clients.

Her work is rooted in her experience and expertise. She is also capable of balancing commercial considerations.

Melissa is hands-down amazing. She's amicable, flexible and responsive.

She's certainly thorough and customer-oriented.

Melissa Inglefield replies timeously and provides both quick and detailed responses. She understands the wider legal picture in Trinidad and the complexities of the jurisdiction.

Gregory Pantin
2
Gregory Pantin
2
Band 2

Gregory Pantin is a well-regarded disputes lawyer in the Trinidadian legal market. He has a range of expertise spanning infrastructure and real estate cases. He enjoys a solid reputation in the market as an astute choice to handle both litigation and arbitration.

Gregory is very clear and knows his stuff.

Gregory Pantin is extremely good at what he does. He thinks things through, gives frank and practical advice and is customer-oriented.

Riane Trotman
Associates to watch

Riane Trotman is an associate providing assistance to a wide array of clients. She is adept at handling corporate, capital markets and aviation matters.

She's very responsive and prompt.

Riane Trotman can handle complex matters that require attention to detail and a keen understanding of the law.

Ranked Lawyers at
M. Hamel-Smith & Co.

Provided by Chambers
Filter by
Band

Trinidad & Tobago

General Business Law

Nicole Ferreira-Aaron
E
Nicole Ferreira-Aaron
E
Eminent Practitioners
M Glenn Hamel-Smith
1
M Glenn Hamel-Smith
1
Band 1
Melissa Inglefield
1
Melissa Inglefield
1
Band 1
Riane Trotman
Associates to watch
General Business Law: Dispute Resolution

Jonathan Walker
1
Jonathan Walker
1
Band 1
Gregory Pantin
2
Gregory Pantin
2
Band 2

Clients

Provided by M. Hamel-Smith & Co.

Our firm treats client identity as strictly confidential.