Structuring, financing and governing businesses across the Eastern Caribbean
Every business begins with a decision about how it should be built — and many reach a point where they are bought, sold or combined with another. The right corporate structure protects founders, satisfies regulators, attracts investment and leaves room to grow; the right deal execution turns a transaction into value. Elliott-Hamilton Law advises entrepreneurs, established companies and international investors on forming, financing, governing and acquiring corporate entities across Saint Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Lucia, Guyana and the wider OECS.
We have experience incorporating companies, limited partnerships, trusts and other entities designed to help clients achieve their commercial goals. We advise on finance structures at every stage — from early venture rounds to companies seeking to raise capital publicly — and we guide clients through mergers, acquisitions and reorganisations from first approach to completion. We also handle the shareholder disputes, governance questions and ongoing compliance obligations that arise once a company is up and running.
Why corporate counsel matters to our clients
The choices made at incorporation shape a company for years: how it is taxed, who controls it, how liability is allocated, and how easily it can bring in investors or transfer ownership. Getting the structure wrong is costly to unwind; getting it right creates certainty and confidence for founders, boards and funders alike. And when a company is acquired, sold or merged, the stakes rise sharply — diligence, deal structure, warranties and completion mechanics determine who bears risk long after signing.
Our clients rely on us not only to establish their entities correctly, but to keep them in good standing and to step in when disputes or opportunities arise — a new funding round, an acquisition, a change in ownership, a shareholder disagreement, or a regulatory filing that cannot be missed. We combine local statutory knowledge across multiple OECS jurisdictions with the practical commercial judgment that keeps transactions moving.
How we help
Our corporate practice is built around six core areas of service:
Company Incorporation — Formation of companies and other corporate entities, from selecting the appropriate structure and jurisdiction to preparing constitutional documents and completing registration.
Mergers & Acquisitions — Guidance through the full transaction lifecycle: due diligence, deal structuring, share and asset purchase agreements, warranties and indemnities, regulatory approvals and completion, on both the buy side and the sell side.
Corporate Capacity Opinions — Legal opinions confirming a company's power and authority to enter into a given transaction, frequently required by lenders, counterparties and investors as a condition of closing.
Limited Partnership Registration — Establishment and registration of limited partnerships, including the partnership agreement and the allocation of rights and obligations between general and limited partners.
Seed and Series Funding — Advice and documentation for early-stage and growth financing, including term sheets, subscription and shareholders' agreements, and the equity mechanics of seed and series rounds.
Share Transfers — Transfers and reorganisations of share ownership, including the drafting of transfer documents, updating of statutory registers and attention to any consents or approvals a transfer may require.
Our approach
Corporate and M&A work rewards precision and momentum in equal measure. A structure must be technically sound and fully compliant, and a deal must be well-documented and fairly allocated — but both must also serve a commercial purpose and close on time. We advise on the structure that fits the client's goals rather than the most complex one, keep entities compliant so problems never surface, run diligence and negotiation with an eye on the outcome the client actually wants, and move quickly when a transaction is live. Where a matter touches finance, real estate or regulatory approvals, we draw on the firm's wider practice so clients receive coordinated advice rather than fragments.
Our services