Bernadette is the head of our Cayman Islands Trust and Private Wealth team and has a broad private client practice advising on wealth structuring and estate planning matters, including the administration, restructuring, and termination of trusts, as well as probate and testamentary issues. She also has significant experience in trust litigation, regularly appearing before the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands on multi-party non-contentious applications and contentious trust disputes, as well as in respect of estate litigation and other cross-border private client disputes.

Bernadette regularly advises high net worth individuals, trustees, beneficiaries, family offices, executors, wealth managers, institutional clients, and onshore legal teams on all aspects of trusts and estates law in the Cayman Islands. She is an International Fellow of the American College of Trusts and Estates Counsel, and a long-standing Council Member of the Cayman Islands branch of the Society of Trusts and Estates Practitioners. Bernadette is the author of the Cayman Islands chapters of numerous private client texts, including "International Estate Planning: A Reference Guide" and "Trusts in Prime Jurisdictions".

Bernadette is recognised for her trusts and private client work by Chambers, Who’s Who Legal, and Legal 500 with market sources describing her as 'incredibly hard-working' and 'really first class'. She has also been described as 'an exceptional talent and a pleasure to work with'; as someone who 'stands out as being especially intelligent, considered and commercial'. Bernadette's 'perspective on both contentious and non-contentious matters is very beneficial' and 'her background in litigation means she knows what works and what doesn't when it comes to trust structuring' (Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners HNW).
 

Bernadette is admitted as a barrister and solicitor in New Zealand (2002) and Australia (2005), and as an attorney-at-law in the Cayman Islands (2008).

She was formerly with Buddle Findlay (New Zealand), Henry Davis York and Colin Biggers & Paisley (both Australia) and Conyers Dill & Pearman (Cayman Islands).

• Wills and estates in the Cayman Islands
• Types and uses of Cayman Islands law trusts
• Carey Olsen shortlisted for three STEP Private Client Awards
• Carey Olsen tops offshore rankings in Chambers High Net Worth 2021
• Reforming a Cayman Islands STAR trust: A lesson in obsolescence
• Planning for liquidity - using Cayman Islands private wealth structures for pre-IPO and exit events
• Trusts, turmoil, and the tropics – a Cayman Islands perspective
• Ten Carey Olsen lawyers recognised as leading private client practitioners by Who's Who Legal
• A wave of FirstGen – assisting the creators of new wealth
• High praise for Carey Olsen's Bermuda, BVI and Cayman Islands practices in Legal 500 Caribbean
• Tracking Hackers: Court Considers Crypto Fraud
• Cayman Islands Immigration Chapter (Mondaq)
• Private Client Guide 2022 - Cayman Islands (Legal 500)
• Private Client Guide 2022 - British Virgin Islands (Legal 500)
• A word on trusts webinar - Thursday 3 March 2022
• Carey Olsen trusts and private wealth partners recognised in Spear's 500 for 2022
• Five Immigration chapters authored for Mondaq comparison guides, 2022
• Five chapters authored for Legal 500 Private Client guides, 2022
• Ten Carey Olsen lawyers recognised for excellence in the Private Client Global Elite directory
• Cayman Islands trustees: Caught in the crossfire
• Cayman Islands Foundation Companies for DAOs, Defi and NFTs
• Carey Olsen shortlisted in the Chambers High Net Worth Awards 2022
• Enforcement of foreign wills – updated guidance from the BVI courts
• Family office fundamentals – the Cayman Islands experience
• Carey Olsen named as a finalist in the 2022 eprivateclient Excellence Awards
• Carey Olsen named a finalist for two STEP Private Client Awards