At ParrisWhittaker, we attack every single case with a personalised strategy to ensure every client truly feels like they have someone who will fight for them. Our courtroom-proven litigators will work tirelessly for you to ensure the best possible outcome. Our firm also has extensive international experience, and we are uniquely positioned with locations in the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, as well as Amsterdam. Despite our aggressive growth, we know that our individual attention to our clients’ needs is what has driven our success, and we pledge to never stop treating every client like our first client.

Doing business in the Bahamas is complex. It is governed by arcane laws and convoluted systems. The local politics can often frustrate and baffle outsiders. To navigate these difficult waters, you need an attorney with local experience and proven results in the Bahamas. That’s why so many global and regional businesses look to us to meet their legal and advisory needs.

Each partner offers our clients their own unique combination of deep industry knowledge and expert perspectives. Our collective experience covers all industries and enables us to offer our clients breakthrough business insights. From experts at maritime and shipping law (Kenra Parris-Whittaker) to Shareholder Issues, Trust Disputes and Enforcement of Foreign Judgements (Jacy Whittaker), Commercial Disputes & Professional Negligence (George Missick), the firm covers all spectrums of litigation.

Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line is a luxury cruise line specialising in two-day tours between Florida and the Bahamas. It has a reputation for both celebration and service, shuttling holidaymakers between beautiful coasts as well as serving as a refuge and refueling in the wake of natural disasters. This drives their need for legal counsel with experience in international matters, maritime laws and Bahamian bureaucracy. This is a unique cross-section of concerns, answered by ParrisWhittaker’s pedigree. ParrisWhittaker appreciates the challenges of navigating the quaint and complicated systems in the Caribbean. Their particular renown in litigation and maritime law made them the natural choice to help Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line resolve their legal complications.

In 2021, the Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line saw one of its vessels seized and held by local port agents ISS Freeport. This not only incapacitated the cruise line at that moment, but threw off its scheduled cruises throughout its calendar and capsized the refinancing efforts needed to weather the COVID-19 pandemic.

As the case dragged on, it seemed inevitable that the cruise line’s finances, branding and future revenue opportunities were under threat.

ParrisWhittaker, recognised three years in a row for its maritime expertise, entered the fray and achieved several notable wins with admirable speed. This included seizing control of the issues at hand and developing a unique legal strategy that took into consideration the complex matters of admiralty law, fraudulent misrepresentations and professional negligence – securing the release of the Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line’s vessel and a $25 million ruling in their favour. This happy resolution led to the release of the revenue-earning vessel and saved the client millions of dollars, also fostering a strong business relationship between ParrisWhittaker and the Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line.

We are most active in cross-border litigation and maritime litigation. The ability to work with diverse teams around the world is a great opportunity and helps us stay ahead of the curve regarding litigation trends.

The ability to attend court remotely has greatly decreased legal fees for our clients, which is a great thing. It has also allowed our attorneys to work remotely. This is something that was not seen in the Caribbean before the pandemic. Slowly, the Caribbean is catching up to this legal trend, which had been apparent in Europe and the US for some time before the pandemic.

The legal industry is slowly accepting the fact that we do not all need to be in the same room to work.