2015 20 Bermuda:Re/insurance+ILS


Why did you choose to work in this industry initially?


I was attracted to the intellectual process of working through deal issues and ideas. Drafting agreements is very much like creating a sculpture out of clay. You start with a framework of what your client wants to achieve and some rather ethereal ideas and it’s up to the lawyers to put those thoughts and ideas into a workable framework. When you get it right and you have the final product, it’s very rewarding. I was also drawn to the collaborative process of working with clients to achieve their desired goals.


My clients rely on me to look after them and to ensure they get the Elizabeth Denman


Job title: Director Company: Conyers Dill & Pearman Career path


2009—Director, Conyers Dill & Pearman 2000—Senior associate, leader of the investment funds practice, Mello Jones & Martin 2000—Head of listings, Cayman Islands Stock Exchange 1997—Legal counsel, Toronto Stock Exchange


Elizabeth Denman is a director in the corporate department in the Bermuda office of Conyers Dill & Pearman. She joined Conyers in 2009 after spending nine years as the leader of the investment funds practice at another Bermuda law firm. She has extensive and in-depth experience in all aspects of corporate, commercial and securities law, with particular emphasis and expertise in structuring investment funds, including hedge funds, private equity vehicles, partnerships, closed ended funds, master and feeder structures and insurance linked securities funds. She has also advised investment managers and investors on investment fund insolvencies and workouts.


Prior to arriving in Bermuda, Denman’s experience included working


as head of listings at the Cayman Islands Stock Exchange and as legal counsel to the Toronto Stock Exchange. She also spent several years in private practice in Toronto, Canada specialising in securities transactions and IPOs, particularly in the mining and natural resource sectors. She earned a BA (Hons) from the University of Toronto, Canada and an LLB from Queen’s University in Kingston, Canada. Denman was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1996 and to the Bar of Bermuda in 2002.


She is a member of the asset management section of the Bermuda Business Development Agency and is a frequent speaker at conferences locally and internationally. She is the author of the Bermuda chapter in The Asset Management Review, October 2012, 2013 and 2014 and a regular contributor to a variety of industry publications including The Hedge Fund Law Report and IFC Review.


best results possible. It’s an incredible responsibility and one I am very grateful to be entrusted with. The nature of this business also means that you get to know your clients and their businesses very well. It’s a fascinating process and always enlightening.


What has been the highlight of your career so far?


Probably moving to Bermuda in 2000. I have had a range of fantastic legal experiences during my tenure on the Island and have met some truly inspiring people. Bermuda has opened many doors for me and has allowed me to reach a level in my career that I had not imagined. On any given day I can be advising clients on multi-million dollar offerings, assisting government and regulators with the drafting of new legislation or giving a presentation to thought leaders on the benefits of doing international business in Bermuda. It’s widely varied and I love every single minute of it.


What has been the biggest challenge you have encountered?


Like any lawyer, the work-life balance is incredibly hard to get right. Over time, however, it becomes easier as you learn to multitask and prioritise those things that have to get done now vs those that can wait. Building a supportive network is vitally important to this process as is acknowledging that you cannot be all things to all people at all times.


If you had chosen a different profession/career path, what would it have been?


I seriously considered going into medicine and in fact applied to a well known medical school in Canada. Unfortunately my application was rejected because the mandatory essay I wrote exceeded the allowable word count. Even in my early days I was a victim of a lawyer’s tendency to say in 1,000 words what could easily be said in five. It must be in our DNA. ■


“I have had a range of fantastic legal experiences during my tenure on the Island and have met some truly inspiring people.”


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