Chris Humphries

Chris specialises in investment funds, corporate and commercial, insurance, banking, fintech, regulatory and compliance.

Practice Experience

Chris Humphries is the Managing Director of Stuarts and head of the specialist investment funds team. He is a leading individual in his field and is recognised as one of the top leading lawyers in the country for investment funds by Legal 500. Chris has been ranked as a Leading Lawyer in Investment Funds, Fintech, and Corporate and Commercial by Chambers and Partners for many years, and has earned recognition as a Highly Regarded lawyer by IFLR1000 in Investment Funds and Corporate practice areas.  With over 25 years experience, Chris has acquired extensive and unique knowledge in the investment funds industry and has registered close to 1,000 funds in the Cayman Islands. There are few attorneys with the breadth and depth of knowledge and expertise that Chris has acquired.

Chris joined in 2004 as one of the founding directors, from the London office of Kendall Freeman (now Locke Lord LLP), where he specialised in the financial services industry and regulatory related matters. Although Chris was born a British citizen, he has also gained the privilege of Cayman citizenship over the last 20 years.

Chris is a highly experienced independent director and has sat on the board of many registered funds, private equity funds and investment vehicles. He routinely advises on regulatory and compliance issues involving funds, investment managers and fund administrators. He routinely advises on the strategic restructuring of funds, redemption restrictions as well as the use of side pockets or special purpose vehicles for illiquid assets and investor communications and disputes.

Chris establishes investment managers and fund administrators in the Cayman Islands and advises on their respective regulatory regimes. He has extensive experience in all types of fund structures including master-feeder and fund of fund structures as well as the establishment of complex fund platforms using exempted companies and/or partnerships and the use of segregated portfolio companies.

Chris advises on the use of side letters as well as other class rights related issues. As listing agent to the Cayman Islands Stock Exchange (“CSX”) Chris has listed many investment funds on the CSX.

Chris chairs the digital, blockchain and fintech working group and advises funds focusing on blockchain technology, bitcoin and other cryptocurrency strategies; and has a wide range of experience with corporate and commercial transactions for private and listed clients, including mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, corporate finance, commercial agreements and insurance securitisations.