Elizabeth Denman is a Director in the Bermuda Corporate practice. She joined Conyers in 2009 after spending nine years as the leader of the investment funds practice at another Bermuda law firm. She has extensive experience in all aspects of corporate, commercial and securities law, with particular expertise in structuring investment funds, including hedge funds, private equity vehicles, partnerships, closed ended funds, master and feeder structures and insurance linked securities funds. She has also advised both investment managers and investors on investment fund insolvencies and work outs.

Prior to arriving in Bermuda, her experience included working as Head of Listings at the Cayman Islands Stock Exchange and as legal counsel to the Toronto Stock Exchange. She also spent several years in private practice in Toronto, Canada specialising in securities transactions and IPOs, particularly in the mining and natural resource sectors. She earned a BA (hons) from the University of Toronto, Canada and an LLB from Queen’s University in Kingston, Canada. Ms. Denman was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1996 and to the Bar of Bermuda in 2002.

Elizabeth is a member of the Asset Management Section of the Bermuda Business Development Agency and is a frequent speaker at conferences locally and internationally. She is the Author of the “Bermuda” chapter in The Asset Management Review, October 2012, 2013 and 2014 and a regular contributor to a variety of industry publications including The Hedge Fund Law Report and IFC Review.

Jurisdiction

Experience

  • Acted on behalf of Concordia Advisors (Bermuda) Limited with respect to the acquisition by Mariner Investment Group of the investment funds business operations of Concordia.
  •  Advised a leading global private equity firm on its private equity activities resulting in the firm raising over US$2billion for investment in the European distressed property debt market. The deal represented the biggest deal of its kind in Europe.
  • Acted on behalf of Tsakos Energy Navigation Ltd. with respect to numerous issues of securities on the New York Stock Exchange.
  • Advised a large family office on the implementation and on-going operations of a segregated account investment fund company to manage multigenerational wealth and divergent investment parameters.
  • Lead advisor to a global asset management firm and its consortium of funds, using a multi-level Bermuda-based entity structure, with investment concentrations in BRIC and other Emerging Markets, NA, and the EU, comprising High Yield Bonds, Publicly Traded Equities and Private Equity.

Qualifications

Professional Background

  • Leader of the Investment Funds practice at a Bermuda law firm
  • Head of Listings, Cayman Islands Stock Exchange
  • Legal counsel, Toronto Stock Exchange

Education

  • Queen’s University at Kingston, Canada, LLB, 1994
  •  University of Toronto, Hons. BA, 1991

Bar Admissions

  • Bermuda, 2002
  • Ontario, 1996

Awards & Accolades

  • Recognised in the 2024 edition (and since 2023) of Chambers Global (investment funds)
  • Recognised in the 2024 edition (and 2014, 2015, and since 2017) of Legal 500 Caribbean (corporate and commercial)
  • Recognised in the 2018 edition of Who’s Who Legal (private funds)
  • Recognised in the 2013 edition (and since 2012) of Chambers Global (corporate and finance)

Associations

  • Deputy Chair of the Alternative Investment Management Association – Bermuda Chapter
  • Member, Bermuda Business Development Agency – Asset Management Section
  • Law Society of Upper Canada
  • Bermuda Bar Association