Owen earned his LLB with First Class Honors from the London School of Economics and his LLM with First Class Honors from Trinity Hall, Cambridge University. He is qualified in four key jurisdictions – England and Wales, New York, the British Virgin Islands, and the Cayman Islands—and brings over 30 years of international legal experience to his clients.
Corporate & Commercial Experience:
Owen has advised on transformative corporate transactions worldwide, including cross-border mergers and acquisitions, complex restructurings, joint ventures, and hostile takeovers. Notably, he represented the target company in the takeover of one of the world’s largest aluminum smelters in the Middle East and advised a Japanese listed company on a potential shareholder dispute involving a hostile takeover of a joint venture entity. He has guided top-tier clients such as sovereign wealth funds, Fortune 100 companies, and ultra-high-net-worth individuals on corporate structures, governance, and strategic planning. His corporate work has encompassed advising on the refinancing of international developments, counseling Middle Eastern state investment funds on corporate procedures, assisting in the offshoring of U.S. businesses, and preparing key global joint venture documentation.
Banking & Finance:
Owen’s banking practice includes advising the largest multilateral development banks, leading private and state development banks as well as publicly traded banks. He has provided strategic counsel on bank formation, regulatory frameworks, and Basel capital adequacy requirements. For example, he advised a leading State development bank in South America on a proposed US$5 billion bond issue and multiple procurement matters, a number of Brazilian family-owned banks in obtaining their appropriate licences, and the subsequent formation of CD and EMTN programs valued at US$5–10 billion.
Structured Finance:
A recognized authority in structured finance, Owen has spoken at ABS East and frequently attends ABS West. He has facilitated the financing of over 1,000 Airbus and Boeing commercial aircraft through various structures—including ECA-backed financings, EETCs, and Japanese operating leases—and advised on securitizations for landmark deals by Airbus and BAE Systems. His experience spans diverse asset classes, including oil rigs, LNG platforms, helicopters, and satellite launch/recovery platforms. He has also advised commercial airlines, as well as lendors and lessors, on complex Sukuk financings, export-credit backed loans and other structures.
Investment Funds & Private Equity:
Owen establishes private equity and investment fund structures for clients ranging from global asset managers to sovereign wealth funds. He provides guidance on formation, regulation, and ongoing compliance for both closed-ended and open-ended/private funds in Asian, Latin American, and other international markets.
Private Wealth & Trusts:
Owen’s private wealth practice focuses on the creation and maintenance of family offices and succession planning frameworks, with a particular emphasis on Cayman Islands STAR trusts and BVI VISTA trusts and other bespoke asset protection vehicles. He has advised on hundreds of trust structures for billionaires, corporate leaders, artists, former presidents, and presidential candidates. As a protector of many of these trusts, he ensures that settlor intentions are properly observed and that trustees fulfill their fiduciary obligations. He regularly assists UHNWIs from the Middle East, Asia, Europe, and the Americas in crafting tailored wealth preservation and philanthropic strategies.
Capital Markets:
Owen has advised on repackagings, CLOs, CDOs, and structured note programs. He has worked on major CMBS offerings, real estate securitizations, and cross-border financing transactions for some of the world’s largest banks and trading houses. His counsel has included advising one of the largest global trading companies on repackaging syndicated loan participations for infrastructure projects and guiding global financial institutions through complex multi-jurisdictional securitizations involving substantial residential real estate and other assets.
Global Perspective & Background:
Owen has lived and worked in key financial hubs such as Tokyo, Singapore, Hong Kong, London, the Cayman Islands, Bermuda, and Miami. This extensive international exposure enables him to integrate diverse legal frameworks, provide culturally appropriate and politically sensitive advice, and ensure seamless execution in cross-border transactions.