Bermuda Law Blog

27 Nov 2013

Jeremy Leese
The Investment Funds Amendment Act 2013 (the “Amendment”) (70 KB PDF) has recently been enacted to introduce changes to Bermuda’s Investment Funds Act 2006 (the “Act”), the legislation which provides the regulatory framework for the formation and management of investment funds in Bermuda. The Amendment’s objective is to increase the attractiveness of Bermuda fund formation to sophisticated investors and onshore funds lawyers and fund managers. The Amendment is evidence of the way in which the Bermuda Government, the Bermuda Monetary Authority (the independent regulator of the financial services industry in Bermuda) (the “BMA”), and the funds industry is working together to develop innovative products designed to re-energise this sector in the jurisdiction.
16:54 / Bermuda Case Law & Legislation / Company & Commercial Law
27 Nov 2013

Land tax payments scrutinized on newly built properties… This civil case has been ongoing for several years concerning the owners (“the Banks”) and their property named “Gatewood” in Paget. The Banks disputed the annual rental value (“ARV”) which was allocated to their newly built home by the Land Valuation department. The two contentious point of law in this case were:
16:21 / Bermuda Case Law & Legislation / Property Law
22 Oct 2013

Jennifer Haworth
If you are a business owner, you will no doubt be focused largely on your target customers and how best to market and sell your products or services to them, while keeping costs at a minimum, especially in this economic climate. An important piece of advice we give is not to cut corners when it comes to your employees. Well drafted contracts of employment and employee handbooks are critical in safeguarding your business. Money set aside for legal services in this area will be well spent, especially if an issue or dispute arises. In our experience, one of the biggest concerns, especially with small businesses, can be the lack of a written employment contract. This presents difficulty to employers on two levels. First, it is a violation of the Employment Act 2000 (the “Act”) (130 KB PDF) which requires all employers to provide their employees with a Statement of Employment. Second, in the event of a dispute, the lack of clear, written terms leads to “he said, she said” situations, making it more difficult to prove matters one way or the other.
13:39 / Labour, Employment & Immigration law
15 Oct 2013

The UK Supreme Court has recently reached a decision regarding the appeals of both Pitt v Holt and Futter v Futter which refer to the nature of the Rule in Re Hastings-Bass deceased 1974. Hastings-Bass was a case that set the precedent whereby discretionary acts by trustees may be set aside if the decisions made had unintended consequences. The unintended consequences were usually unexpected tax liabilities. Historically the Rule has been used to set aside decisions made by trustees who have have accidentally failed to take into account relevant circumstances or where they have taken incorrect professional advice. As a consequence of the Rule the trustees and beneficiaries are re-set into the position they were in before entering the adverse transaction.
13:06 / Wills, Trusts & Estates
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