M. Margaret Gonsalves-Sabola
Margaret Gonsalves-Sabola is a civil and commercial litigation attorney and an accredited civil and commercial mediator. Margaret has over 21 years' experience in legal practice in the United Kingdom, Jamaica and The Bahamas.
Margaret has been involved in a wide range of civil and commercial matters including contractual disputes, personal injury claims, employment claims, pension litigation, shareholder disputes, professional liability claims, banking disputes, insurance litigation, liquidations and receiverships, trust claims, judicial review applications constitutional claims, competition law and licensing matters. She has appeared in large commercial matters before the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal and the Privy Council. Margaret has advised individuals, international banking clients, insurance companies and local businesses including a local telecommunications provider. She is one of the founding members and the Chairman of the Bahamas Association of Mediators.
Education
- LL.B. (Hons), University of Wolverhampton, United Kingdom 1993
- Barrister, Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, London, United Kingdom 1994
- LL.M. (Business Law), University of Wales, Aberystwyth, United Kingdom 1996
- LEC, Council of Legal Education, Norman Manley Law School, Jamaica, 1996.
Bar Admissions
- England & Wales
- Jamaica
- Antigua & Barbuda
- The Bahamas
Other Certifications
- Accredited Civil & Commercial Mediator, London School of Mediation, 2012
- Advanced Certificate in Trust Disputes, Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners, 2012
Training Workshops
- Lex Mundi Institute, Cross-Border Transactions, Monterey, California, 2004
- ADR Workshop, Faculty of Law, University of Windsor, Nassau, 2006
- EU Competition Law Summer School, Cambridge, United Kingdom, 2010
Publications
Contributor on Bahamian insolvency law and directors' duties to:
- Multi National Enterprise Liability in Insolvency Proceedings, European Lawyer Reference Series, 1st ed., 2006
- Multi National Enterprise Liability in Insolvency Proceedings,European Lawyer Reference Series, 2nd ed., 2010
- International Insolvency,European Lawyer Reference Series, 3rd ed., 2012
- International Insolvency, Thomson Reuters, 4th ed., 2015
Enforcing a Foreign Judgment, Lawyer Monthly Magazine, December 2012
Professional Memberships
- Bahamas Bar Association
- Bahamas Association of Mediators
- Bahamas Chamber of Commerce & Employers Confederation
- Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners
Recent Blog Posts
Commit to the Mediation Process
Mediation: Why You Should Give It a Try
What Should You Do If You Discover That a Trustee Has a Conflict of Interest?
What Is a Merger? Legal Issues to Keep in Mind
Selling Your Company in The Bahamas: What You Need to Know
Recommendations
- Ms. Gonsalves-Sabola is an excellent attorney. I consulted her when an almost $400,000 default judgment was about to be enforced against me. I would have lost everything. Ms. Gonsalves-Sabola took prompt action to not only get the default judgment against me set aside, but beyond my expectations,...
- After 6 years of trying unsuccessfully to get the vendor of property I had purchased to execute a Conveyance to me, a friend suggested that I seek the help of Ms. Gonsalves-Sabola. Right away I was impressed by how swiftly she moved to gather information and file an action in the Supreme Court to...
- During our work in reforming the investment funds regulatory framework in The Bahamas, I had the distinct pleasure of working with Margaret Gonsalves-Sabola on the project. Margaret provided valuable technical and legal insight among her many attributes and I found her to have an exceptional appr...
- Divorce is never easy, especially when children are involved. I am glad that I chose Gonsalves-Sabola Chambers to help me through the process. The friendly, efficient and professional manner of Ms. Gonsalves-Sabola and Ms. Sweeting put me at ease immediately and gave me confidence in knowing that...
- As Human Resource Manager for an international bank and trust company in The Bahamas, Margaret was always the person I turned to for legal advice on employment matters and representation before the Labour Board, the Industrial Tribunal and the Supreme Court. Whether she was vetting employment con...
- When I was appointed an Official Liquidator of a licensed bank and trust company I often consulted Margaret on legal questions that arose in the liquidation. Margaret Gonsalves-Sabola is a consummate professional, knowledgeable in her areas of expertise, detail-oriented and committed to serving h...
- When I felt like my world was crashing down and my back was against the wall, dealing with my former employer, I came across Gonsalves-Sabola Chambers. From the first day I was greeted with a warm welcome from Ms. Sweeting. She gave me confidence that my matter was in great hands. I was really...
- From the initial contact with Christine Sweeting to the warm welcome and forging through a long day to give my matter the requisite attention by Ms. Gonsalves-Sabola showed me that both are consummate professionals. Ms. Gonsalves-Sabola, thank you for your guidance and insight into my matter and...
- I've been a repeat customer of Ms. Margaret Gonsalves-Sabola spanning over 10 years. My experience with Ms. Gonsalves is that she's very personable when it comes to interacting with her clients, she's thorough, yet concise with her words, but most importantly she represents her clients strongly a...
- The first lawyer I hired died just after a few weeks on the job. I then went to four other lawyers who tried but did not listen to me nor followed my instructions. Upon meeting Ms Gonsalves-Sabola the first thing she did was LISTEN! Therefore, I knew she was the one for my case. She and her team...
- Going through a divorce is not easy from a relational, emotional and even financial standpoint and one that I did not embark on lightly. Because of this, choosing the right lawyer was extremely important to me. On the advice of a friend of mine who had also engaged the services of Gonsalves-Sabol...