The Firm was established by Leon Smith, in 1979. Smith-Smith & Co. is one of The Bahamas' leading Law Firms. Although we are an Aggressive Firm, we continue to stress a
collaborative approach to our legal practice and the development of a personal relationship with our clients. Accessibility to our clients and responsiveness to their needs are
values which we feel characterize us as a Firm. We continuously strive to keep abreast of new developments in the legal, commercial and financial worlds and industry practice
world-wide. We are result-oriented and aim to provide our clients with a quality service that is efficient and cost effective. The Firm has one of the broadest and most
sophisticated international financial service practices in the Bahamas. We have incorporated many multijurisdictional bank, trust and insurance companies and mutual funds and have
assisted in both private and public offerings in The Bahamas and a variety of real property transactions. The Firm has a longstanding working relationship with Governmental
Authorities. We maintain a well-staffed corporate department to assist in the administration of companies. Our clients include Bahamian and foreign banks, trust and insurance
companies, property developers, entertainment and communications conglomerates. Smith-Smith & Co. has been involved in The Bahamas's largest and most profitable IBC
organizations. The litigation department is geared to undertake major litigation assignments. We invite you to contact us and discuss how we may work together to meet your needs.
Leon Smith
Managing Partner
Attorneys at Smith-Smith & Co International Business Companies (IBC) An International Business Company is a corporate vehicle
having limited liability, which, is wholly exempt from tax on its income and from inheritance or estate tax on its shares. Only a nominal annual fee is payable to the
Government. An IBC can have bank accounts in the Bahamas, deal with lawyers, accountants, trust companies and other professionals in the Bahamas, hold company meetings and keep
its accounting books and records in the Bahamas without breaching this restriction. By incorporating in the Bahamas, a business gains a wide range of competitive advantages. See IBC
Innovations in Bahamian Trust Services The Bahamas is an acknowledged leader in this field. Its trust laws, unknown to continental
legal systems such as Switzerland, enable the financial services industry to complement private banking and portfolio management services with fiduciary structuring. Two
recent pieces of legislation have refined the trust as an instrument of financial planning. See Trust & Estates Banking Despite
the fact that many other jurisdictions are seeking to vie for the offshore market, the history of The Bahamas in this field, which dates over 40 years, gives it a competitive
edge. Four main types of banking activity have emerged over this period: international or offshore commercial banking, international private banking (including trust
business), investment banking, including trading and insurance, and domestic banking. See Banking Shipping Vested with the necessary
commercial and institutional autonomy, the Authority stands poised to aggressively increase its market share of the world merchant maritime fleet in the 21st Century. See Shipping
Intellectual and Industrial Property
Intellectual or Industrial Property may be protected under the following legislation: See Intellectual Property 1. COPYRIGHT ACT, 1911
2. TRADEMARK ACT, 1906
3. INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY ACT, 1965 Criminal Law Antitrust, Appeals, Assault and Battery, Business Crimes, Capital Offenses, Death Penalty,
Child Abuse, Commercial, Conspiracies, DWI, Drugs and Narcotics, Electronic Surveillance, Extradition, Forensics, Forfeiture, Habeus Corpus, Homicide, Murder, Jurors, Juvenile,
Malicious Prosecution, Maritime, Monetary Crimes, Sexual Abuse, Sex Crimes, Sexual Assault, Criminal Tax Audits, Theft, Traffic Violations, Victims Rights, White Collar,
Wrongful Death. Contracts Creating and enforcing written and oral commitments of every nature.
Finance Loans, mortgages and other securities. Business Reorganizations
Mergers and acquisitions, spin-offs and split-offs, dissolutions and liquidations. Foreign Investment
Taxation and government reporting, and in connection with our other practice areas, immigration and estate planning. Administrative Law
Various administrative filings and applications for relevant licenses and permits;
Franchises, including their formation, registration, operation, and purchase and sale.
International Tradenames and Trademarks In conjunction with our Intellectual Property practice area; and
Taxation, including tax planning related to all of the above matters.
A significant number of the businesses we assist are international businesses based outside of The Bahamas
that have business dealings internationally. In particular, we represent many businesses from the European Contenant, North America, United States and Canada the Asia/Pacific
rim, including Japan, Australia and New Zealand. As a result of our years of experience with these businesses, we are especially knowledgeable about their needs.
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