Natascha  Steiner-Smith

Natascha Steiner-Smith 

Counsel | Cayman

Insolvency and Corporate Disputes

Natascha has a wide range of experience in commercial litigation and international arbitration.

Her practice is focused on complex multi-jurisdictional disputes arising out of commercial contracts, shareholders agreements as well as disputes involving financial institutions and high net-worth individuals. She regularly advises shareholders, insolvency practitioners, banks and energy companies in cross-border proceedings. Natascha also has experience acting in section 238 fair value appraisal proceedings.

Prior to joining Collas Crill in 2021, Natascha spent nearly three years at Maples and Calder in the Cayman Islands. Before moving to Akin Gump, Natascha trained and practised at DLA Piper in London and New York.

"I'm passionate about helping clients to achieve their best possible outcome. "

Natascha completed her associates and bachelors degrees at New York University with a major in Political Science and minor in Russian Literature and Language.

She then went on to complete an LLM from BPP Law School with a focus on insider trading. During her two-year training contract at DLA Piper, Natascha gained experience in restructuring, corporate and leveraged finance before deciding to qualify as a litigator in 2012.

Natascha is a member of CIArb.

 

My services
Contentious banking and finance
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Our dispute resolution specialists collaborate seamlessly with our corporate, banking and finance teams across jurisdictions to advise on litigation, restructuring and risk and regulatory matters. We provide a global perspective, working closely with our clients to ensure that they are best placed to respond to customer issues, fraud risks, rapidly changing market conditions and regulatory demands.

Contentious risk and regulatory
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In regulatory disputes there are often fine lines between the usual wrangling with the regulator and something more serious – by matching our mix of experienced contentious and non-contentious lawyers to the particular problem at hand, we achieve better and more efficient outcomes. As regulatory experts, we frequently act on contentious matters and can leverage our experience to help clients achieve the highest regulatory standards and avoid common pitfalls.

Corporate disputes
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Our dispute resolution specialists collaborate seamlessly with our corporate advisory and banking teams across jurisdictions to advise multinational corporations, trust companies, banks, funds, insurers, governments and directors. We provide a global perspective, working closely with our clients to ensure that they are best placed to respond to customer issues, fraud risks, rapidly changing market conditions and regulatory demands.

Fraud, asset tracing, freezing, recovery and enforcement
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We're used to working as part of a multi-jurisdictional team, capable of reacting and responding quickly to urgent requests for assistance with locating and freezing assets. As sophisticated defendants become more adept at dissipating assets, we've been involved in cases that created new law in relation to a party's ability to trace assets and recover their losses. With their ability to deal with complex issues the team deliver clear, commercial advice on the availability and likely success of recovery methods.

Insolvency
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For financially distressed companies in need of restructuring and reorganisation, or for those where the opportunity to do so has passed or failed, we work to achieve the most beneficial outcome in these difficult situations. 

Our team brings a wealth of experience from a range of diverse backgrounds to give quick, accurate, commercial advice, primarily across the financial services sector. 

Currently working on some of the largest and most complex cross-border insolvencies in the jurisdiction, we frequently advise top law firms from the People’s Republic of China, the US, the UK and other jurisdictions. We are regularly briefed by Sovereign Wealth Funds and Fortune 500 Companies to advise on particular restructurings, as well as investment managers from Europe and the US.

At whatever stage we are engaged, our involvement will assist in identifying the on-going risks facing a client and to enable that client to continue to identify and effectively manage deteriorating relationships with creditors, financiers, investors or other interested parties.

International arbitration and mediation
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With offices in the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Guernsey, Jersey and London, we can advise you on every aspect of international arbitration. Our dedicated arbitration specialists will work alongside you to quickly determine the best approach for a successful conclusion.

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Merger appraisal disputes
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Collas Crill’s Cayman Islands' appraisal practice is headed by Partner Rocco Cecere, who is recognised as a leading practitioner in the field. Rocco’s team has significant experience in appraisal litigation.

Rocco is a member of the Grand Court’s users committee which drafted the procedural rules governing appraisals matters. The Cayman Islands' merger regime is a relatively new and evolving law. Our cross-border team acts on dissenter and company side, from pre-merger stage all the way through to trail and any appeals.

14 Nov 2022

Collas Crill: Legal 500 Caribbean

Collas Crill's teams in the British Virgin Islands and Cayman Islands have received another strong set of results in the Legal 500 directory. This year the firm has moved up a tier in one practice area and maintained its position across all others. Clai...

30 Aug 2022

Enforcement of judgments - Cayman

The Cayman Islands has long been considered a jurisdiction friendly to foreign investors, not least because of the well-established laws which govern the enforcement of foreign judgments and arbitration awards. In the Cayman Islands chapter of the Chambe...

31 Mar 2022

Freezing crypto assets in Cayman

This article was originally published in Global Restructuring Review in February 2022. Months after their colleagues explored the treatment of cryptocurrency as property, Collas Crill's head of dispute resolution Stephen Leontsinis and counsel Natascha S...

28 Jan 2021

Dissenting from short form mergers

In a comprehensive ruling handed down today, the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands (Grand Court) confirmed that shareholders of companies that undertake a 'short-form' merger are entitled to dissent from the merger and to be paid fair value for their sha...

28 Feb 2020

eHi Car Services Limited

The Grand Court (Court) has handed down its ruling in eHi Car Services Limited[1](Ruling), roundly rejecting an attempt by eHi Car Services Limited (Company) to re-write the procedural framework for section 238 proceedings. The Company had sought signifi...

14 Feb 2020

Shanda: Minority discounts

The Board of the Privy Council (Board) recently handed down its decision in Shanda Games[1], a case involving the determination of 'fair value' of shares pursuant to section 238 of the Cayman Islands Companies Law (Law). The Board upheld the Cayman Islan...

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