Metta MacMillan-Hughes KC

Practice Areas

Metta MacMillan-Hughes is a Litigation Partner at Lennox Paton and member of the Dispute Resolution, Insolvency and Restructuring, and Private Wealth teams. She has extensive experience in commercial, civil and HNW family litigation and the majority of her cases involve an international/ multi-jurisdictional element. She appears frequently before the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal in The Bahamas and has appeared before the Privy Council.

Although her experience and practice covers the full spectrum of civil and commercial disputes she has particular expertise in Insolvency; Insurance; all forms of Interlocutory relief applications (including Worldwide Freeze orders); Fraud claims and Asset tracing (including Norwich Pharmacal applications); Proceeds of Crime proceedings; and International Tax Information Exchange proceedings.

Additionally, Metta is recognised as a leading family law specialist in the jurisdiction. She represents high-net-worth clients in divorce, financial provision claims, custody and access disputes, and in the negotiation and preparation of Pre-Nuptial (and Post Nuptial) Agreements.

Professional Memberships

Member of the Bar of England & Wales (local) and The Honourable Society of Grays Inn; Member of the Bahamas Bar Association; Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL); Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators; Member of the Family law Rules Committee.

Work Highlights

Liquidations/Receiverships

- Montaque Capital Partners Ltd (in liquidation) (ongoing):Appearing for and representing Joint Liquidators in relation to liquidation of an investment firm holding trust assets in numerous jurisdictions, in particular Canada and the USA; securing orders as to the treatment of those assets and directions relative to the sharing between company assets and trust assets of the costs of the liquidation; advising on customers’ dispute over assets held on their behalf by the Company in a Canadian investments firm; and liquidators’ involvement in Canadian proceedings relative there to; securing recognition of liquidators by foreign court and grant of requests for Aid, negotiating a resolution of disputes with investors and taking steps to conclude liquidation and discharge of the liquidators.

- In the matter of Nauticus Fund Ltd ( in voluntary liquidation): Successfully opposing Joint Liquidators’ attempts to secure an order for the oral examination of named partners of its former auditors, Ernst & Young on basis that liquidators being unreasonable and their application oppressive; secured an order for interrogatories in lieu of oral depositions together with full costs orders in relation to the production of documents and of and occasioned by any interrogatories; together with limitations on the use to which such information provided could be made.

High net worth Family

- MZF v ELG (ongoing) Advising in relation to the setting aside of interlocutory freezing orders obtained by former Wife against Husband’s corporate assets pursuant to a Texas Divorce decree and interim maintenance order of some $300 million per annum and granted notwithstanding a prior Mexican divorce; rendering advice as to anti-suit injunctions; proceedings for recognition of foreign divorce and judgments in the Bahamas and Declaratory proceedings as to marital status

- MO v FO (ongoing): Advising and appearing for Husband in divorce and ancillary relief proceedings, securing dismissal of Wife’s Petition (following application for electronic discovery of Wife’s computer) and grant of Husband’s cross petition; secured admission into evidence of audio recording made contrary to Listening Devices Act on basis children’s welfare trumped individuals right to privacy; settled financial provision claims; won Father’s appeal on custody and access to the children and secured order for his costs.

Insurance

- Freeport Container Port: (ongoing) Advising and appearing for the Port in its defence to numerous actions commenced by employees and the dependents of employees for damages for personal injury and loss of dependency under the Fatal Accident Act following the impact of a tornado. Advising as to liability and quantum, securing orders striking out claims brought in breach of the Limitation Act or the Fatal Accidents Act.

- Quentin Wilkinson: To advising and instituting proceeding on behalf of the Mother and next friend of the claimant who suffered from paraplegia following road traffic accident and securing favourable settlement together with costs notwithstanding claimant’s contributory negligence.

roceeds of Crime and Mutual Legal Assistance

In the Matters of: The Criminal Justice (International Co-Operation) Act; The Banks & Trust Regulation Act; the Proceeds of Crime Act; The Attorney-General v General Sani Abacha et al: (ongoing) Advising and appearing before the Supreme court, Court of Appeal and pending before Privy Council, for a Private Investment Bank who incurred costs in protecting its customers’ interests by securing a stay of Production Orders in respect of the customers’ confidential records, a discharge of the restraint orders over a substantial proportion of the customers’ accounts and obtaining a variation of the Restraint Orders over some $70 million funds so as to meet its costs in connection therewith.