John Blackwood

John’s areas of expertise include banking and financial services, senior, structured and mezzanine financing, secured and unsecured lending, development financing, investment funds and partnerships as well as more general corporate transactional matters.

John was educated in Scotland, graduating from Aberdeen University in 1989, completed his traineeship in Edinburgh and is admitted as a Solicitor in Scotland. In 2016 he relocated to Bermuda from the UK. He is a member of the Bermuda Bar Association, the Law Society of Scotland, a Notary Public and also a Writer to the Signet (WS). Since John’s move to Bermuda he has become increasingly involved with the insurance industry, the regulators and the implications of the recently enacted Economic Substance regime. Before Bermuda, John held partnership positions with HBJ Gateley and McClure Naismith. He was head of the UK Banking Group at McClure Naismith from 2000-2015. Prior to partnership, he was a Director and “in house” Counsel within a leading UK financial institution.

John was heavily involved in one of the 1st mortgage securitization programs in the UK in the mid-nineties and also worked on the launch of a European internet mortgage fund. More recently he advised on the set up and launch of a private banking operation. During the course of the past 3 years he has advised a number of insurance companies and reinsurers on various transactional matters including regulatory approvals and updating Private Acts of Parliament in conjunction with the Bermudian Legislature.

Throughout John’s career he has acted for a range of Banks, Insurers, SPV’s, joint venture entities, institutional clients, investment funds, startups and individuals. Many clients commend John for his “unique clientside” perspective and his straightforward, commercial approach.