Of Counsel

Professional Profile

Desmar A. Whitfield instructs as an “Of Counsel” to A.C.ELLIOT ATTORNEYS. She is a Partner at Nexus Law Chambers, practicing in the firm’s Real Estate and Development, Corporate and Commercial, Banking and Finance, and Private Client groups. She acts for clients across The Bahamas, North America, Europe and the wider Caribbean, and is known for meticulous matter handling and for turning intricate legal problems into clear, actionable strategies.

She advises developers, investors, lenders and private clients on the acquisition, financing and development of Bahamian real property, from single residential purchases to resort and mixed-use schemes. Her work spans site acquisition, commercial mortgages and security, joint venture and shareholder arrangements, Crown land applications, Investments Board approvals, Central Bank consents for non-resident investment, and the zoning and land use questions that determine whether a transaction is viable before a dollar is committed.

Alongside that practice she advises companies on formation, governance, compliance and due diligence, mergers, acquisitions and restructuring, and maintains a substantial private client practice in wills, probate and the administration of estates. Her wider practice extends to immigration, trusts, personal injury, admiralty and intellectual property. Trained in anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing, she is a trusted adviser to financial institutions, business owner sand families — recognising that commercial success and personal legacy are closely intertwined.

Admitted to the Bar of England and Wales, Saint Lucia and The Bahamas in 2004, Desmar has contributed to the critical analysis of the Criminal Code of Saint Lucia undertaken with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, and has taught corporate and commercial law at university level in The Bahamas. She holds a Master of Business Administration in addition to her legal qualifications, is bilingual in English and French, and speaks Kwéyòl.

She is the Honorary Consul for St. Lucia to the Bahamas.