Matthew Stocker

Overview

Matthew Stocker is a Partner and Head of the Cayman Corporate Practice. Matthew joined Conyers in 2013, prior to which he was a partner in another leading Cayman firm. He has over 20 years of legal experience including 15 years as a Cayman Islands attorney.

Matthew has a broad corporate and finance practice and has significant experience in most areas of offshore transactional work. Specifically, he has acted in relation to many financings of various types and structures, including numerous aircraft financings and also vessel and other equipment financings, capital markets transactions and acquisition finance matters. Similarly, he has worked on a wide range of corporate transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, initial public offerings, other listing matters on overseas exchanges and on the Cayman Stock Exchange, corporate restructurings and preference share deals. He has also advised with respect to numerous investment funds (both open-ended and closed-ended), encompassing hedge fund work and private equity matters. He also frequently advises with respect to local aircraft and vessel registration matters.

Who’s Who Legal describes Matthew as “superb at aircraft financings and is highly praised by peers and clients alike.”

Chambers & Partners highlights his responsiveness, as well as his willingness “to turn things around on a rush basis, though his quality control is never sacrificed as a result.”

IFLR1000 describes Matthew as a “Very high calibre lawyer who is commercially focused, practical, communicative and efficient.”

He has spoken and contributed to publications about various offshore topics, with a particular emphasis on aviation finance matters.

Experience

Experience Highlights

Provided Cayman Islands law advice (alongside Bermuda advice provided by CD&P Bermuda) to Kosmos Energy Ltd. on its private offering to eligible purchasers of US$300 million aggregate principal amount of its 7.875% senior secured notes due 2021.
Acted as Cayman counsel to Lombard Medical, Inc. on its US$55 million US initial public offering on NASDAQ.
Provided Cayman Islands law advice to Kawa Capital Management, Inc. in connection with its acquisition of leading global solar power company, Conergy AG.
Acted as Cayman legal counsel (alongside Bermuda advice provided by CD&P Bermuda) to Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking Corporation (MUTB) in its acquisition from BV Investment Partners of Butterfield Fulcrum Group, a leading independent hedge fund administrator and service provider to the alternative investment industry.
Acted as Cayman counsel (alongside BVI advice provided by CD&P BVI) to a US-based investor with respect to a large and complex film financing transaction.
Acted as Cayman counsel to BALCAP with respect to several aircraft financing transactions.
Acted as Cayman counsel to a major Swiss bank with respect to aircraft financing transactions.
Acted as Cayman counsel to a US-based institution with respect to the financing of B777 aircraft.

Qualifications

Professional Background

Matthew was previously a partner at Maples and Calder in the Cayman Islands and Hong Kong.
Prior to moving offshore in 2000, Matthew worked at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in London and Rome and at Richards Butler (now Reed Smith) in London.

Education

College of Law, Guildford, Law Society Finals (Hons.)
University of Southampton, LLB (Hons.)

Bar Admissions

British Virgin Islands, Solicitor, 2010
Cayman Islands, Attorney-at-Law, 2000
England and Wales, Solicitor, 1996

Awards & Accolades

Recognised in the 2021 edition of IFLR1000 (investment funds, financial and corporate)
Recognised in the 2021 edition (and since 2017) of Chambers Global (corporate and finance)
Recognised in the 2020 edition (and since 2014) of Who's Who Legal (Transport - Aviation (Finance))
Recognised in the 2020 edition (and since 2015) of Legal 500 Caribbean (corporate and commercial)
Recognised in the 2020 edition (and since 2018) of Legal 500 Caribbean (banking, finance and capital markets)
Recognised in the 2019 edition (and 2017) of Legal 500 Caribbean (funds)

Associations

Member of the Cayman Islands Cape Town Convention Working Group

Publications

The Official Guide to Aircraft Registration in the Cayman Islands, 2020

Corporate Digest: Notable Deals and Transactions – Winter 2020

Corporate Digest: Notable Deals and Transactions – Autumn 2019

Corporate Digest: Notable Deals and Transactions - Spring 2019

Global IPO Report – July 2018

2017 Global Corporate Year in Review, January 2018

Lexology – Aviation in the Cayman Islands, October 2017

Legal Business, Cayman considerations in financing transactions, September 2017

Getting the Deal Through – Aviation Finance & Leasing, June 2014

Ship registration in the Cayman Islands, June 2017

Area(s) of Expertise

Legal Services

Aviation
Capital Markets
Cayman Islands Investment Funds
Corporate
Finance
Investment Funds
Mergers & Acquisitions
Private Equity & Venture Capital
Securitization & Structured Finance
Shipping

Featured Content

This digest highlights some of the significant legal work carried out by Conyers’ lawyers since the start of 2020 for our corporate clients in markets around the globe.