Onika E. Stewart

Onika is a Partner in the Barbados based corporate/commercial practice group. She has significant experience in large cross-border mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, new investments and reorganization transactions, in the oil and gas, financial services, insurance and manufacturing sectors. Onika has a strong background in regulatory matters and advises on projects involving both private and public entities. Her practice also extends to intellectual property and providing general corporate advice.

Onika has been involved in several major deals including the acquisition of the downstream business of an international oil and gas company and the merged entity’s subsequent sale to a public Canadian company, the acquisition of a Barbados company holding various international oil and gas assets, the acquisition of an international communications company by one of the largest cable television companies, the merger of regional commercial banks and the sale of major regional insurance companies. She has also advised on numerous group reorganisations, share transfers and the establishment of corporate entities.

Onika was admitted to the Barbados Bar in 2000. She obtained her Bachelor of Laws Degree with Honours from the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus in 1998 and her Legal Education Certificate from the Norman Manley Law School in 2000. In 2004 she was awarded a Master of Laws in intellectual property, telecommunications and internet law from the University of London, Queen Mary & Westfield College. She also holds a certificate in Public Procurement Law and Governance from the University of the West Indies, which was awarded in 2013.

Between 2008 and 2011, Onika served as the Chairperson of the National Advisory Committee on Intellectual Property and as a Director of the Copyright Society for Composers, Authors and Publishers Inc. She also acted as a Director and Member of the Audit Committee of the Central Bank of Barbados between 2008 and 2018. Onika currently acts as the Legal Advisor/Secretary to the non-profit organization ASPIRE Foundation (Barbados) Inc.