Hamel-Smith, which is celebrating 100 years of doing business in 2009, is recognised as a leader both in the Trinidad & Tobago business community and its legal profession. We serve a large number of the local and international companies that do business in Trinidad & Tobago. Hamel-Smith provides services across all areas of practice which are relevant to our business clients. We are proud of the key role that we play in helping new enterprises to grow and international companies to enter the Trinidad & Tobago market

Hamel-Smith is a member of Lex Mundi, the world’s leading association of independent law firms. We also offer services in the Eastern Caribbean through our affiliated firm in St. Kitts & Nevis: Gonsalves & Hamel-Smith.

International Experience

Hamel-Smith has extensive experience with cross-border transactions. We have worked with several of the world’s leading law firms on world class energy-based projects in Trinidad. Hamel-Smith has been engaged in almost all of the major oil, gas and energy-based projects in Trinidad, either on the project side or in connection with the financing aspect of these transactions. We have also been involved in many financings and transactions throughout the Caribbean.

The Hamel-Smith Difference

Hamel-Smith is distinguished from the competition primarily by:

·          The quality and depth of our resources; and

·          Our commitment to understanding our client’s business and to providing practical solutions which achieve our client’s objectives.

Quality and depth of resources

The quality of Hamel-Smith’s lawyers and service is independently confirmed by Chambers Glogal which has consistently ranked Hamel-Smith at #1 in Trinidad.

Based on client interviews, Chambers Global has reported the following comments about Hamel-Smith: 

“The best in the Caribbean from a technical point of view.”

 “Knowledgeable, responsive, and everything you want in outside counsel.”

 “Undoubtedly one of the leading firms in the country – its reputation precedes it and it never disappoints.”

“We’ve never needed to go anywhere else.” 

Hamel-Smith’s unparalleled depth is also confirmed by the fact that six Hamel-Smith partners (more than any other law firm in Trinidad) are individually ranked in Chambers Global’s 2008 edition.

Working together to achieve each client’s business objectives

Some lawyers only see legal problems requiring purely legal solutions. At Hamel-Smith, we see things differently. We know that our clients are business partners who need practical solutions that help them to pursue opportunities, while managing legal and other commercial risks. Hamel-Smith lawyers are committed to understanding our client’s business. We work in a collaborative manner with our clients to achieve their business objectives, while managing their legal and other risks.

Hamel-Smith’s focus on providing practical solutions that meet our clients’ business objectives is emphasized in the comments about Hamel-Smith lawyers recorded by Chambers in client interviews, including:

“really step into the shoes of the client and try to understand the issues we are trying to address.”

“sees both the legal and the commercial dimensions, however complex.”

“has a keen sense of the business and delves into the law, guiding people to get what the client wants.”

“looks out for the solution that is best suited to the client even where that is low-key and low-profile.”