Nigel Smith

Nigel is counsel in the dispute resolution and litigation team in the Cayman Islands office. He advises on complex commercial litigation, with a strong focus on disputes arising in the financial services, investment funds and corporate sectors. His experience includes shareholder and boardroom disputes, contractual claims and valuation‑driven litigation, including disputes involving fund valuations, asset pricing and expert evidence. He has also advised on disputes involving emerging technologies, including crypto‑assets and technology‑driven business models, often where legal, regulatory and commercial issues intersect.

Nigel has extensive experience in insolvency and restructuring litigation, regularly acting for liquidators, receivers, creditors and other stakeholders. His work includes office‑holder applications, asset recovery actions and contested proceedings, frequently involving complex corporate structures.

Nigel also maintains a significant employment law practice. He advises employers, boards and senior executives on both contentious and non‑contentious employment matters, including workplace disputes, termination issues, restrictive covenants and employment issues arising from restructurings, insolvencies and regulatory change.

A substantial proportion of Nigel’s practice involves cross‑border disputes, requiring coordination with overseas counsel and careful management of jurisdictional, procedural and enforcement issues. In addition, he has experience advising on public law and regulatory matters, including judicial review and challenges to decisions of public authorities and statutory bodies.

Nigel obtained an LLB(Hons), along with a BA majoring in Spanish and Political Science at Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand.

He was admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand in 2013. Prior to joining Carey Olsen, he worked in the dispute resolution team at MinterEllisonRuddWatts. During this time he appeared regularly in the Court of Appeal and High Court, and acted on a broad range of areas including insolvency, energy and banking disputes, and public law.