Carey Olsen promotes ILS specialist Gavin Woods to Partner in Bermuda

Law firm Carey Olsen Bermuda has promoted insurance-linked securities (ILS) specialist lawyer Gavin Woods to Partner at the firm.

Gavin Woods, a lawyer with considerable experience in the ILS, catastrophe bond and collateralized reinsurance space joined Carey Olsen Bermuda in 2018.

Prior to the firm, Woods had spent eight years focused on insurance, reinsurance and insurance-linked securities (ILS) law with Appleby in Bermuda, before which he spent four years at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in both London and New York.

With almost 10 years’ of Bermuda reinsurance market experience, Woods has particular expertise in the incorporation and licensing of insurance or reinsurance companies, listings on the Bermuda Stock Exchange (BSX) and alternative risk financing vehicles such as catastrophe bonds and insurance-linked securities (ILS).

Woods promotion takes the number of partners Carey Olsen Bermuda up to four, in just over 18 months since its launch. In total, the office now has more than 25 staff.

Michael Hanson, managing partner of Carey Olsen Bermuda, commented, “Gavin’s arrival earlier this year was a notable lateral hire for the firm and provided a very strong endorsement of what we were setting out to achieve from a corporate perspective. Unsurprisingly, he has quickly made a significant contribution to the rapid development of our corporate practice in Bermuda and I’m delighted to congratulate him on his promotion.”

Commenting on his promotion, Woods said, “I am deeply honoured to have been promoted to the role of partner with Carey Olsen Bermuda. We have seen significant growth in a short space of time, driven in large part by the tremendous reception we received from the Bermuda market. We anticipate that all of our practice areas, including corporate and insurance, will continue to grow as the firm develops its presence in the jurisdiction, so it is an exciting time to be part of the Carey Olsen Bermuda team.”