June 2013

20 Jun 2013

-A non-Bermudian can only buy a property in Bermuda if they have acquired a licence to do so. This involves applying to the Minister of National Security and paying an application fee which is approximately $1,500 and is refunded if the licence is granted. Once the licence is granted the licensee may purchase a property in Bermuda subject to certain restrictions. Not all property on the market in Bermuda is available to the licensees, and roughly only 5% of the market is accessible. These are generally houses that start at $3.5 million and condominiums that start at around $800,000. The houses must have a minimum ARV (Annual Rental Value) of $177,000 and the condos must have an ARV of at least $32,400 in order to be extended to non-Bermudians. Undeveloped land is not available to non-Bermudians and they are restricted from renting or subdividing the property which they have acquired.
16:23 / Bermuda Government / Property Law
14 Jun 2013

Jane Collis
The principle of separate legal personality of a company has been affirmed in yesterday’s Supreme Court case of Prest v. Petrodel Resources Limited, and the principles upon which the court will act to “pierce the corporate veil” have been clarified, but it remains the case that upon divorce, the court will look carefully at the reality of the structure to achieve a fair distribution of assets. The decision has important implications for all those engaged in the trusts and corporate services business. A unanimous Supreme Court overturned the decision of the Court of Appeal yesterday in the case of Prest v. Petrodel Resources Limited and others [2013] UKSC 34 (400 KB PDF). At stake was the issue of whether it is open to the court, in an application for ancillary relief in divorce proceedings, to treat assets of a company of which one spouse is the sole controller as being assets to which that spouse is “entitled” for the purposes of Section 24(1)(a) of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973. Lying at the heart of the matter are the competing objectives of the commercial and family law divisions, the former of which seeks adherence to established legal principles to ensure commercial certainty for parties dealing at arm’s length, while the latter aims to achieve a “fair result” in circumstances where the parties are dealing at anything but arm’s length.
13:29 / Company & Commercial Law / Family Law / Wills, Trusts & Estates
07 Jun 2013

Andrew A. Martin
It has been widely reported that the Prime Minister of the UK, David Cameron, will call upon the British Overseas Territories (BOTs) which are regarded as low tax jurisdictions to “get their houses in order” (The Daily Mail, 5 June 2013) and that offshore financial centres such as Bermuda, Cayman, BVI, Jersey and Guernsey will be urged to “sign up to greater tax transparency” (Royal Gazette, 6 June 2013). Bermuda has always defended its status as a low tax jurisdiction, and has always made it clear that it is not a tax haven, nor a place where the fruits of tax evasion can be harboured. It is relevant to recall the efforts that Bermuda has made over the last 30 years to justify its claim to being a leading offshore financial centre, not a tax haven.
20:03 / Bermuda Case Law & Legislation / Fraud & Anti Money Laundering
06 Jun 2013

Cynthia Williams
Bermuda End-to-EndAt MJM we take great pride in giving back to the community. MJM attorneys and staff believe in social responsibility and we invest our time, skills and talents into community causes. Over the years, we have demonstrated our commitment to the community in which we live and work by taking a hands-on approach to community causes and charitable events. We are particularly proud to support and participate in Bermuda’s annual ‘End-to-End’ event, Bermuda’s premier annual charitable pledge event committed to promoting the happiness and well-being of our Island community through all-inclusive activities.
13:04 / Miscellaneous / MJM Barristers & Attorneys