carlos de serpa
pimentel

Carlos de Serpa Pimentel is a partner and the Private Client and Trusts practice group head. He specialises in all aspects of Cayman Islands trust law advice and trust litigation.

Carlos regularly advises trustees and ultra high net worth individuals on the establishment, restructuring and administration of trusts, and the use of private trust companies as well as providing advice to Protectors and beneficiaries on a variety of trust related matters. He also advises on estate planning and administration of estate issues for high net worth individuals. Carlos has substantial experience in relation to Cayman Islands and BVI trust litigation matters, acting on behalf of trustees, beneficiaries and Protectors in Court proceedings. He regularly appears in Court on their behalf as counsel.

Carlos has been consistently ranked as a Leading Individual in Chambers Global since 2007. The 2009 Chambers Global: International Private Client publication quoted interviewed clients as saying; Carlos is a “sensible and practical lawyer,” his profile “is going from strength to strength.” In the 2009 Chambers Global: Dispute Resolution publication he is praised for his advice on Cayman Islands trusts law, respected for his technical knowledge and his attention to detail. One interviewee in the most recent 2011 Chambers Global: Dispute Resolution publication remarked, “I have tremendous respect for him – he’s a very active lawyer and particularly good at trusts work.” The 2012 Legal 500 Caribbean rankings described Carlos as very experienced in trust litigation matters who “delivers very smooth and assured service”. Carlos was also described as being “very much at the forefront of Caymanian trust practice” in the inaugural rankings for insurance/reinsurance in Legal 500 Caribbean (2012) and as being widely praised by his peers. Carlos has also been highly ranked in PLC Which Lawyer? since 2007 for finance: trusts, offshore and HNWIs. Most recently, he was ranked for private client work in the 2011 PLC Which Lawyer? rankings and was again recognised in the 2012 Citywealth 'Leaders List'. This annual list aims to highlight the best of those individuals working in the wealth management sector. Carlos has been a panel member of experts judging the prestigious STEP Private Client Awards since 2007 and is the Chairman of STEP Cayman Islands. Clients told Chambers Global 2012 that 'he is very down to earth and personable, he gives very sound advice - I can't imagine working with anyone else in the Caymans.' 

Carlos was called to the Bar of England and Wales (now non-practising) in 1990, and practised at the Chancery Bar in London for approximately ten years in the Chambers of G.C. Vos QC, 3 Stone Buildings, Lincoln's Inn. He was called to the Cayman Islands Bar in 2001. Carlos worked for two years at Maples and Calder in the Cayman Islands, and then joined Appleby in 2003. He was called to the British Virgin Islands Bar in 2004.

Carlos has presented at numerous international trust conferences. He is a regular contributor to trust law journals including Trusts & Trustees, Trusts & Estates and the STEP Journal. Carlos is a member of STEP and currently serves as chairman of the STEP Cayman Islands branch, having served as Secretary from 2006-2009. He is also a member of the Association of Contentious Trust and Probate Specialists, the ITPA, and the Cayman Islands Law Society.

Carlos speaks French and Portuguese.

Recent cases include:

• Even Wahr-Hansen et al v Compass Trust Co Limited et al; acting for thirteen defendants to a substantial breach of trust/ constructive trust claim brought by the estate of one of the wealthiest Norwegian ship owners,
• Grupo Torras S.A. v Bank of Butterfield International (Cayman) Limited; the Cayman Islands proceedings related to the lengthy Esteem Settlement litigation brought by Grupo Torras S.A. in Jersey (the Esteem Settlement decision, Jersey Royal Court, 13 June 2003),
• Acted on behalf of numerous trustees, beneficiaries and guardians ad litem before the Grand Court, most recently in several notable applications for Court approved variations,
• Acted on behalf of one of the beneficiaries at various stages in the Circle Trust litigation,
• Currently acting on behalf of the Guardian ad Litem of the minor beneficiaries in a substantial restructuring of a Cayman Islands trust pursuant to Section 63 of the Trusts Law.

• Estate Planning & Administration
• Probate