Leading offshore law firm Baker & Partners has welcomed Jennifer Colegate as Partner in the Cayman Islands. In addition to Jennifer’s appointment, Tara Liao has joined the firm's London office to support clients in cross border disputes.

Jennifer is a commercial litigator specialising in cross-border insolvency and restructuring. Jennifer’s expertise encompasses contentious workouts and distressed debt situations as well as investigations, asset tracing and enforcement and recovery work.

Jennifer is named in the 2024 Legal 500 rankings as a Next Generation Partner. She is also ranked in Band 5 in the Chambers & Partners directory where clients have described her as ‘a standout practitioner’ as well as ‘whip-smart and super-responsive.’ She previously practiced with Mayer Brown in London and Hong Kong before relocating to the Cayman Islands in 2016.

Jennifer’s appointment marks the third Partner appointment to the firm’s Cayman Islands office. The continued growth of the office is a result of continued client demand and complex offshore instructions covering restructuring, insolvency and commercial litigation matters.

Tara is joining Baker & Partners as Counsel while maintaining her practice as a barrister in the UK and Hong Kong. She is fluent in Cantonese and Mandarin and is dual qualified in the UK and in Hong Kong. She sat as a Deputy District Judge in Hong Kong in 2021 and 2023 and is ranked as a leading junior in the Commercial Disputes category by Legal 500 Asia-Pacific from 2021 to 2024.

This year marks the firm's 20th anniversary celebrations. Since its inception by Jersey Advocate Stephen Baker, Baker & Partners has expanded from Jersey into the Cayman Islands, London and BVI and now employs over 50 people.

Managing Partner, Stephen Baker commented: “This is an exciting time for the firm as we continue to grow our offices globally. Jennifer has been involved in cases of significant Cayman and international interest spanning a number of industries from investments funds and banking and finance to petrochemicals and commercial real estate. I’m delighted she has made the move to Baker & Partners. Tara is an accomplished lawyer with invaluable expertise, and I look forward to working with her. It has been a great year to celebrate and reflect on our achievements over the past 20 years, and to build the firm to be ready for the next 20. I have no doubt that Jennifer and Tara will play a key role in our continued success for clients.”

For over 20 years, Baker & Partners has been at the forefront of some of the most complex and high value offshore commercial and trust litigation. Baker & Partners is unique among offshore law firms in being led by a partnership of very experienced courtroom advocates who have between them conducted a very large number of trials in England, Jersey, the Cayman Islands and the BVI.