Bernard Shepherd S.C.

Bernard is a Senior Partner in the Trinidad and Tobago practice of Lex Caribbean and leads the capital markets team of the Corporate Commercial Department.  He practices in  corporate law with an emphasis on project and development, financing, mergers and acquisitions, government, banking and insurance, restructuring, insolvency, public law (inclusive of constitutional proceedings and judicial review), oil and gas, foreign investment, joint ventures, utilities formation, financing and regulation, capital markets (inclusive of preparation and negotiation of debt and equity financing documents and instruments, securitizations, bond and commercial note paper issues and loan documentation for private, institutional and sovereign lenders), labour law, corporate governance, commercial contracts, project and building development, securities and regulatory advice with extensive experience in the  drafting of commercial and legal documentation.   

Bernard also heads the Conveyancing and Real Estate Department and has considerable conveyancing experience inclusive of drafting commercial leases; formulating structures and project development.  His experience includes preparing general mortgage documents for both individuals and companies inclusive of debentures, chattel mortgages, bills of sale, assignments, conveyances, sale agreements, licences, private and commercial leases, development agreements and letters of intent. 

He also has considerable transactional experience acting for various financial institutions, insurance companies and private sophisticated borrowers and purchasers in debt financing, syndicated lending and restructurings and mergers and acquisitions including acting for buyers, administrators and sellers, for solvent and insolvent entities, domestically, regionally and internationally.

Bernard also has a background in public law.  Prior to joining Lex Caribbean in 2000, he was employed at the Solicitor General’s Chambers with responsibility for drafting and approving legal documents required in contentious and non-contentious civil matters; vetting of a variety of legal documents, including pleadings, contracts and other agreements involving the State or its Agencies and negotiating oil and gas contracts and other high value contracts in which the State had a vested interest.  He acted as both counsel and instructing attorney with particular emphasis on public law vis-à-vis trials, constitutional motions and judicial review in a number of legal proceedings.