Higgs & Johnson is pleased to announce the appointment of Ms. Surinder Deal as the new Co-Managing Partner of the firm effective 1 January 2020. She will serve alongside current Managing Partner, Oscar N. Johnson, Jr. who has led the firm since 2012. This appointment reflects the firm’s response to its continued growth and preparation for further expansion of Higgs & Johnson. Surinder, the first woman to serve in this capacity in the firm’s 70-year history, is a seasoned corporate and commercial attorney and former chair of the firm’s Commercial Transactions practice group.
As Co-Managing Partner, Surinder, together with Oscar N. Johnson, Jr., will oversee the day-to-day management of Higgs & Johnson, including all aspects of the firm’s operations. They will work closely with the firm’s partnership on strategic initiatives for the firm. With this appointment, Higgs & Johnson continues to make strides in advancing more women to leadership positions boasting of female leaders for half of its practice groups as well as with the appointment of its Cayman Country Managing Partner, Gina M. Berry in 2014.
Global Managing Director, Oscar N. Johnson, Jr. noted, “It is with great pleasure I welcome Surinder to the leadership ranks of the firm. Her longstanding commitment to Higgs & Johnson is to be commended and I am confident in her ability. She is an astute attorney and the firm will be stronger as we share the demands and responsibility of leading the firm.”
For more than 32 years, Surinder has represented clients ranging from small privately held companies to multinational companies in diverse industries such as banking and finance, manufacturing, real property development, hospitality, and gaming. She is an experienced practitioner in the areas of Corporate and Commercial Law, Banking and Finance Law and Real Estate Law.
For the last decade, Surinder has been recognized as a ‘highly regarded’ attorney by leading legal directories, IFLR1000 and Chambers Global. She was named ‘Lawyer of the Year’ by TerraLex, a global network of independent law firms, where she is a former Director Emeritus, having spent ten years as a Director and nine years as Regional Co-Chair of the Central America and Caribbean regions. Surinder is called to the Bars of England & Wales, Malaysia and The Bahamas.
Commenting on her appointment, Surinder Deal said, “I am honoured to join the firm’s leadership and am looking forward to working closely with Oscar whose management and leadership has ensured the firm’s progress and success. Higgs & Johnson is indeed a trailblazer in the jurisdiction and this appointment is representative of the firm being at the forefront of change in the legal arena.”
Higgs & Johnson provides clients with innovative, quality and pro-active services and continues to be recognized globally for excellence and integrity. The firm remains committed to being a world-class, local and offshore provider of legal and professional services. In this regard, the role of Co-Managing Partner will be an evolving one, ensuring that different perspectives and skill sets are utilized in the leadership position of the firm in the years to come.
