May 2019

The Honourable Mr. Justice David Hayton to join Lennox Paton

Lennox Paton is delighted to announce that The Honourable Mr. Justice David Hayton, who retires from the Caribbean Court of Justice (“the CCJ”) in July 2019, will be joining the firm’s Nassau office in September 2019 as a Consultant. Mr. Justice Hayton’s practice will span the firm’s Trust and Litigation groups while enhancing the firm’s arbitration services.  

Brian Simms QC, Lennox Paton’s Senior Partner, commented, “As a leading trust expert, Mr. Justice Hayton has had a significant influence on trust and estate law in recent times. We are honoured that he has chosen to join Lennox Paton in the next phase of his legal career and to offer his wealth of expertise and talent to our firm’s clients.”

On discussing the move, Mr. Justice Hayton said, “I was impressed by the quality of cases handled by Lennox Paton and of its advocates when appearing before me as an Acting Bahamian Supreme Court Judge.  I am further impressed by the firm’s strong trust practice and the innovative approach it takes to solving clients’ problems. Given this, I am excited to be associated with such a dynamic firm as I return to private practice.”

Mr. Justice Hayton has served as a full-time Judge on the CCJ in Trinidad for 14 years.   He joined the Court at its inception in 2005 and is one of the Court’s longest-serving judges.  He is also the only Judge on the Court from the United Kingdom. As a member of the CCJ, Mr. Justice Hayton has been described by advocates and fellow judges as an “intellectual giant” and “a jurist of international repute.”

Before joining the CCJ in 2005, Mr. Justice Hayton sat as a Recorder (part-time Judge) in London from 1984 – 2000 and as an Acting Justice of the Supreme Court of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas in 2000 and 2001.  Among many of his professional achievements he became a Fellow of Jesus College Cambridge, Professor of Law of King’s College London, Bencher of Lincoln’s Inn (after practising in the Inn since 1970), and he headed the UK Delegation to The Hague Conference on Private International Law XVth and XVIth Sessions producing The Hague Convention on the Law Applicable to Trusts and on their Recognition 1985 and the Convention on Succession to the Estates of Deceased Persons 1989.

He has also written or edited fifteen books in the areas of trusts (including Underhill & Hayton, Law of Trusts & Trustees), property, succession and tax, and over fifty scholarly papers, resulting in the award of the LL.D. doctorate by Cambridge University.  He is thus arguably the leading authority in the United Kingdom and Europe on trust law.