On 20 November 2012, the Hon. Justice Charles Quin QC admitted Sasha Hunte to the bar as an attorney-at-law in the Grand Court, before an audience of Mrs. Hunte’s family, friends and colleagues.

Mrs. Hunte first joined Maples and Calder in 2003 as an office assistant, where she began the important process of learning the intricacies and inner workings of a full service, international law firm. In 2004, Maples and Calder sponsored her attendance at the Cayman Islands Law School (CILS) and upon graduation in 2007, she received her LLB with honours from the University of Liverpool. Mrs. Hunte entered the Professional Practice Course at CILS in 2009 and with continued sponsorship from Maples and Calder attained a Commendation.

“Maples and Calder has an excellent training programme which gives each trainee the opportunity to experience first-hand what each department within the firm has to offer.  The supervising attorneys are keen to impart their wisdom on the budding lawyers-to-be,” said Mrs. Hunte. “I believe that the knowledge that I have gained from each of my supervisors during my Articles is invaluable.

“I must extend my gratitude to Maples and Calder for graciously providing me with the coveted opportunity to undergo my training with them.  I must also thank the firm for offering me a position in their Funds department; the journey is not over, but the beginning of a new and exciting challenge.”

Speaking on Mrs. Hunte’s achievement, the firm’s Global Managing Partner, Henry Smith added, “We are delighted that Sasha has realised such a commendable accomplishment as a result of our training and Articles programme. Her success is due to her drive and ambition and a remarkable credit to the firm. We are fortunate to have a lawyer of her calibre and commitment to excellence and look forward to watching her develop her skills in the coming years.”

Maples and Calder has been committed to recruiting, training and promoting aspiring lawyers in the Cayman Islands for many years. Its scholarship program is one of the most successful and largest on the island, consistently fielding some of the most outstanding students this jurisdiction has to offer and has, through its Articled Clerk Scheme, enabled 19 Caymanian lawyers to be admitted since 2005, with another 4 currently in training.

Maples and Calder is one of a number of international law firms in the Cayman Islands which provide opportunities for Caymanians to qualify as Cayman Islands Attorneys without having to train in the UK or elsewhere.

“In the last three years alone local law firms have funded the further legal education of some 49 Caymanian lawyers, with another 18 Articled Clerks presently in private practice training – a record number for this jurisdiction,” noted President of the Cayman Islands Law Society, Alasdair Robertson. “This is quite a remarkable statistic considering that since 2008 we have been in a global finance crisis and while in many leading jurisdictions in the UK, qualifying numbers have gone down, ours have in fact gone up”.

ENDS

About Maples and Calder

Maples and Calder is a leading international law firm advising financial, institutional and business clients around the world on the laws of the Cayman Islands, Ireland and the British Virgin Islands. Maples and Calder has offices in the Cayman Islands, the British Virgin Islands, Dubai, Dublin, Hong Kong, London and Singapore.

With a reputation as an innovative, entrepreneurial firm, Maples and Calder is known worldwide as a market leader with highly qualified lawyers who are specialists in their respective practice areas.

About MaplesFS

MaplesFS is a leading specialised fiduciary and fund services provider. MaplesFS has offices in the Cayman Islands, Delaware, Dubai, Dublin, Hong Kong, Luxembourg, Montreal and New York.

MaplesFS is led by a team of experienced professionals and is committed to providing a high level of service tailored to specific client requirements.

About the Cayman Islands Law Society

The Cayman Islands Law Society is a professional association that represents the entire legal profession of the Cayman Islands. Membership to open to persons who are admitted as Cayman Islands attorneys-at-law. The Society currently has over 430 members. It current President Alasdair Robertson is a senior partner at Maples and Calder.